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Date of Award
2016
Document Type
Campus Access Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences
Advisor 1
Shane Mueller
Committee Member 1
Kelly Steelman
Committee Member 2
John Durocher
Abstract
Previous studies involving mental aspects of athletic performance have covered a broad range of topics, including choking, competitiveness, mental toughness, and mental control. I hypothesize that mental control is a major aspect of what allows athletes to succeed during competition. To test this hypothesis, we conducted two studies. The first study was an exploratory series of twelve incident-based interviews to examine the mental control strategies of athletes from a variety of sporting backgrounds, ranging from collegiate to world level. Analysis revealed that athletes frequently reported incidents of mental engagement, mental distraction, and mental distancing during competition, suggesting that those with effective mental coping strategies may be better positioned to succeed during competition. This suggests that in order for athletes to compete at a consistently high level, some form of mental control is performed prior to or during the events.
Recommended Citation
van der Merwe, Alexander S., "THE MENTAL GAME: SUPERSTITIONS, RITUALS, AND MENTAL CONTROL IN COMPETITIVE ATHLETES", Campus Access Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2016.