First-person experience of optimal sport competition performance of elite team athletes

Researchers in many domains (i.e. personality, self-confidence, self-efficacy, anxiety, motivation) have investigated optimal performance. Unfortunately, no clear and unambiguous explanation can be given of such performance. In our study, we used a first-person phenomenological qualitative method of research (explicative interview), which can provide an insight into the complexity of human experience. We interviewed 14 elite team athletes about their experience of a recent competitive optimal sport performance. The qualitative analysis showed that achieving an optimal performance is a dynamic process during which different factors, that establish complex relations, are important. Optimal performance started with a preceding challenging situation in which no solution to the problem could be found quickly and in response to which situational anxiety developed. However, athletes decided on an active approach and took responsibility for their action. Trust seems a crucial factor for doing this; trust was initially oriented towards oneself and one’s teammates, and only later it became general. Alongside, a certain level of personal unimportance emerged and goal orientation changed to process orientation. The findings suggest the relevance of certain psychological factors for optimal performance and provide practical avenues for sport psychology professionals to assist athletes in experiencing it

Pregled nekaterih fenomenov v športni psihologiji z doživljajskega vidika

Although many quantitative studies have been carried out on various aspects of sport, it seems our understanding of them has not advanced considerably. Because of that there has been a greater acceptance of qualitative methods and with that also the value of employing phenomenological approaches in the academic discipline of sport psychology has increased in recent years. Phenomenological psychology can allow us to look more closely to athletes’ experiences and therefore plays a mediating role between applied and theoretical aspects of sport psychology. We find its special importance at phenomena connected to peak performance and different stages of consciousness

Pregled nekaterih fenomenov v športni psihologiji z doživljajskega vidika

Although many quantitative studies have been carried out on various aspects of sport, it seems our understanding of them has not advanced considerably. Because of that there has been a greater acceptance of qualitative methods and with that also the value of employing phenomenological approaches in the academic discipline of sport psychology has increased in recent years. Phenomenological psychology can allow us to look more closely to athletes’ experiences and therefore plays a mediating role between applied and theoretical aspects of sport psychology. We find its special importance at phenomena connected to peak performance and different stages of consciousness

Elite sport and sustainable psychological well-being

There is conflicting evidence that sport plays a protective role in the development of psychopathological disorders and contributes to the sustainability of mental health. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of mental disorders among elite Slovenian athletes. We were interested in the prevalence of depression, anxiety, suicide risk, substance abuse, and eating disorders among athletes of both sexes and among athletes of individual and team sports aged 18 years or older. A total of 97 elite athletes participated in the study. We used PAI and EDI-3 questionnaires, and the study also included a control group of 90 non-athletes, matched in gender and age to the target group of elite athletes. Testing was conducted in 2020 and 2021. The comparison between elite athletes and the normative group showed a similar expression of depressive and anxious symptomatology. The athletes have a more pronounced drive for thinness and are more expansive, self-confident, and confident of their abilities compared to the control group. A total of 14% of the athletes show self-confidence to the point of self-grandiosity. Male athletes are more likely to use alcohol and other psychoactive substances and are also more impulsive and risk-taking, while female athletes are at higher risk of developing eating disorders. The study suggests that the prevalence of mental disorders in elite athletes is as high as in the general population. There is an urgent need to sustainably ensure the psychological well-being of athletes

COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown: Associations with personality and stress components

The present study examines the role of personality traits, interpersonal relationships, and sociodemographic factors on perceived stress, related to COVID-19, and compliance with measures to mitigate the spread of the virus. Data were collected in the midst of the ‘first wave’ lockdown, with the survey completed in full by 963 participants. Importantly, we measured stress, directly related to the pandemic, rather than general stress, and were able to distinguish between symptoms of emotional, behavioural, cognitive, physical stress, and alienation with high concordance. We also included personality scoring with standardized T-scores, allowing for cross-study comparison, and a broader questionnaire on the participants’ support for COVID-19 mitigation measures. Results indicated that neuroticism, introversion, and conscientiousness, common conflicts with loved ones, and some demographics (female gender, middle age, existing chronic health problems) correspond to elevated stress. Neuroticism and conscientiousness were positively associated with total stress and some of its components, while extraversion was negatively correlated to total stress, its emotional and physical components, and alienation. Surprisingly, increased stress was not related to greater measure adherence. The present results shed new light on how personality, interpersonal relationships, and sociodemographic factors influence people’s stress response during a pandemic

ADHERENCE TO COVID-19 MITIGATION MEASURES IN SLOVENIA: THE ROLE OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND PERSONALITY FACTORS

Objective: To investigate the perception and adherence to mitigation measures during the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Slovenia by examining their trends across several sociodemographic categories and personality dimensions. Methods: Descriptive and correlative analyses were used to examine which sociodemographic and personality factors were associated with participants’ attitudes and adherence to measures. Results: More than 90% of participants considered the following four measures as important and practiced them always/often: keeping a safe interpersonal distance, regular and thorough hand washing/disinfection, adherence to the rules of cough hygiene, and regular indoor ventilation. The strongest predictors of confidence in the preventive measures and their implementation were the participants’ concern of infection and concern of infecting their loved ones, followed by gender (with higher measure adherence in women) and age (with higher measure adherence in participants under 30 and over 60 years of age). Education, settlement size, field and type of employment, household type, own medical problems, and the age and health of the participants’ loved ones had a smaller influence on the perceived importance and implementation of guidelines. Adherence to measures was positively related to the participants’ score in conscientiousness and, in lesser extent, openness. Agreeableness, energy, and emotional stability correlated positively with adherence to basic guidelines. Conclusions: Study provides information useful for developing and adapting future public health policies and interventions in Slovenia