Expectancy effects in tennis: The impact of body language and playing record on impressions of a tennis player and ratings of performance

This study examined the impact that pre-event body language and knowledge of a performer’s playing record had on ratings of tennis performance. Participants (N = 123) were allocated to one of four experimental groups (good body language/bad body language vs. positive playing record/negative playing record) and viewed a live player warming up and completing a series of tennis shots. Information outlining the player’s recent win/loss record was coupled with body language condition during a period of warm-up footage. Likert-type scales were employed to record impressions of the player and judgements as to the quality of the play. ANCOVA revealed that the player was viewed more favourably having displayed positive as opposed to negative body language (p<.001). Participants presented with a positive playing record (p = .001) formed a more favourable impression and rated the players performance more positively (p = 0.001). The study corroborates and extends the findings of recent work incorporating live models in expectancy effects investigations

An Examination of the Challenge and Threat State and Sport Performance Relationship While Controlling for Past Performance

A challenge state is associated with superior performance compared to a threat state in a variety of performance domains (e.g., sport, aviation, education). However, in the challenge and threat (C/T) literature, between-subjects variability in past performance is often inconsistently controlled for. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of C/T states on performance using two methods to control for past performance. Experiment 1 used previous performance statistics in a between-subjects design and Experiment 2 used a within-subject design. In Experiment 1, regression analysis showed that cardiovascular correlates of C/T states predicted cricket batting performance in 45 amateur cricketers. In Experiment 2, between- and within-subject analysis found that past performance was the only predictor of subsequent golf putting performance in 40 noncompetitive golfers. Taken together, the findings challenge the role that C/T states play in predicting performance under pressure after controlling for past performance

The TRAMS: The Team-Referent Attributions Measure in Sport

Objectives: To provide initial evidence for the construct, concurrent, and predictive validity of the Team-Referent Attributions Measure in Sport (the TRAMS). Design: Cross-sectional in Studies 1 and 2, and multiple time points in Study 3. Method: Study 1 required participants (N = 500) to complete the TRAMS for their "least successful" and "most successful" performances in the preceding three months. In Study 2, after performance, participants (N = 515) completed the TRAMS and the Causal Dimension Scale for Teams (CDS-T; Greenlees et al., 2005). Study 3 required participants (N = 165) to complete a measure of pre-competition collective-efficacy prior to performance (Day 1, Time 1), the TRAMS following performance (Day 1, Time 2), and a measure of subsequent collective-efficacy prior to subsequent performance (Day 7-9, Time 3). Results: Study 1 supported the factor structure of the TRAMS across least successful and most successful conditions. Study 2 provided further support for the factor structure of the TRAMS, together with evidence of concurrent validity with subscales of the CDS-T. Study 3 revealed, following team defeat, interactions between controllability and generalisability dimensions: Controllability had a significant effect upon subsequent collective-efficacy when causes of team defeat were also perceived to generalise across situations and/or across teams. Following team victory, stable attributions were positively associated with subsequent collective-efficacy. Conclusions: This article provides initial evidence for the validity of the TRAMS and demonstrates for team-referent attributions the theoretical advantages of examining a broader conceptualisation of generalisability attributions and interactive effects of attributions

A grounded theory of inspirational coach leadership

The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory of the process of inspirational coach leadership in sport. A Straussian grounded theory methodology was used. Semi‐structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with athletes (n = 22) and coaches (n = 15). Data were analyzed through a process of open and axial coding, and theoretical integration. Through the process of analysis, data were broken down into smaller units (concepts), relationships between concepts were identified, and a substantive grounded theory was developed. The grounded theory of inspirational coach leadership was built around the core category of “athlete(s) inspired through changed awareness of their capabilities.” The core category was underpinned by three categories: (a) establishment of mutual trust and respect with athletes, whereby coaches need to establish trust with athletes in order to inspire athletes; (b) conditions under which inspiration has the potential to occur, which highlighted that athletes are inspired in situations where they are vulnerable or ignorant regarding their potential; and (c) coach acts to change athlete's awareness of their capabilities, which denotes the specific behaviors coaches should display to inspire athletes in such conditions. The theory also highlights that a range of contextual factors relating to the coach, athletes, and performance‐environment interact to impact upon the process. The theory predicts that consistency between coach behavior and the conditions in which inspiration can occur will lead to athlete inspiration, but only if the coach has established a foundation of trust and respect with the athlete

The mental toughness questionniare-48: A re-examination of factorial validity

The Mental Toughness Questionnaire-48 (MTQ48; Clough, Earle, & Sewell, 2002) is the most utilised instrument to measure mental toughness in sport (Gucciardi, Wanton, & Mallett, 2012). To date, preliminary research (Gucciardi et al., 2012; Perry et al., 2013) examining the factorial validity of the MTQ48 in athlete samples has yielded equivocal findings. The aim of this paper was to re-examine the factorial validity of the four- and six-factor models of the MTQ48 in moderate (n = 480) and large (n = 1184) independent student athlete samples. Using confirmatory factor analyses, findings revealed little support for the hypothesised models of the MTQ48 in both samples. The results support those found by Gucciardi et al. and suggest that, in its current form, the MTQ48 may not be a valid measure of the 4/6Cs model of mental toughness when using student athletes

Day 1. Free Communications – Psychology (Session 2): The influence of body language and expected competency on gaze behaviour while forming an initial impression of a tennis player.

D1.S3.4(4). BASES Conference 2015 (Burton-on-Trent), 1-2 December. British Association of Sport and Exercise Science

Elite Youth Soccer Players’ Sources and Types of Soccer Confidence

Sport confidence is a psychological characteristic considered vital for youth soccer players to possess. However, only limited research has explored the types and sources of sport confidence important to elite youth performers in professional soccer academies. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 academy footballers (aged 10 or 11). Abductive hierarchical content analysis identified types of confidence to include achievement, skill execution, psychological factors, superiority to opposition and tactical awareness. Key sources of confidence identified by players were performance accomplishments, coaching, social support, and preparation. Even though the dimensions reported were similar to previous research, a number of unique sub-themes of confidence sources emerged, including pre-training/competition emotions, coach and team-mate feedback. The results demonstrate the importance of considering maturation levels and context when seeking to understand and develop confidence in youth performers

A theoretical framework and research agenda for studying team attributions in sport

The attributions made for group outcomes have attracted a great deal of interest in recent years. In this article we bring together much of the current research on attribution theory in sport and outline a new conceptual framework and research agenda for investigating the attributions of team members. The proposed framework draws on multiple conceptual approaches including models of attribution, group dynamics and stress responses to provide a detailed hypothetical description of athletes' physiological, cognitive and affective responses to group competition. In describing this model we outline important antecedents of team attributions before hypothesising how attributions can impact hormonal and cardiovascular responses of athletes, together with cognitive (goals, choices, expectations), affective (self-esteem, emotions), and behavioural (approach-avoidance actions) responses of groups and group members. We conclude by outlining important methodological considerations and implications for structured context specific attribution-based interventions

“You really could be something quite special”: a qualitative exploration of athletes' experiences of being inspired in sport

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to provide an explicit examination of inspiration in sport. In Study 1, we explored (a) what inspires athletes in sport, and (b) the consequences of being inspired. The aims of Study 2 were to explore (a) the contexts in which leaders inspired athletes, (b) leader behaviours and actions that inspire athletes, and (c) the consequences of being inspired by leaders. Design: Two qualitative descriptive studies were conducted in order to explore athletes' experiences of being inspired. Method: In Study 1, 95 athletes wrote about an experience of being inspired in sport. Study 2 utilised semi-structured interviews to explore 17 athletes' experiences of being inspired by leadership. Data were analysed via inductive thematic analysis. Results: In Study 1, athletes' responses revealed three sources of inspiration: personal performance, accomplishments, and thoughts; role models; and leadership. Findings from Study 2 indicated that athletes were inspired by a range of leadership behaviours (e.g., demonstrations of belief) in a variety of, mainly negative, situations (e.g., following poor performance). Broadly, findings from both studies revealed inspiration to impact on athletes' awareness of their capabilities, confidence, motivation, and behaviour. Conclusions: Overall, the findings indicate that an experience of inspiration can be evoked by a range of sources (most prominently leadership) and can have a powerful effect on athletes and their performance. Further research is required to understand how and why leaders can exert an inspirational impact on athletes