Showing items 1 - 20 of 33

Your selections:

Competitive pressure and decision-making accuracy in a video-based simulation of soccer

  • Authors: Mesagno, Christopher , Spittle, Michael , McNeil, Dominic
  • Date: 2008
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Paper presented at 43rd Annual Conference of the Australian Psychological Society, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, Tasmania : 23rd-26th September 2008
  • Full Text: false
  • Description: Perceptual-cognitive skills and decision-making in sport have typically been explored using videobased protocols in settings where participants are not exposed to the type of competitive pressures that characterise a game situation. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the influence of competitive pressure, or competitive anxiety, on decision-making accuracy. Seventy-seven (Male=44, Female=33) undergraduate students with mean age of 20.16 years (SD = 3.18) were randomly assigned to an experimental (n=56) or control group (n=21) and completed a video–based perceptual decision-making test of 25 temporally occluded offensive soccer plays. Participants in the experimental group completed the test with and without competitive pressure conditions. Pressure was manipulated by introducing a competition for a monetary prize. Participants in the control condition completed the test twice without competition. All participants completed a state anxiety measure prior to each test. The competition produced significantly higher cognitive anxiety than no competition; however, this was not reflected in any significant differences in decisionmaking accuracy. Although not statistically significant, more experienced performers tended to score more accurately with competitive pressure.
  • Description: 2003007671

Facebook use and its relationship with sport anxiety

  • Authors: Encel, Kim , Mesagno, Christopher , Brown, Helen
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Sports Sciences Vol. 35, no. 8 (2017), p. 756–761
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) use has increased considerably since its inception; however, research examining the relationship between social media use and sport has not progressed as rapidly. The purpose of the current study was to explore the prevalence rates of Facebook use among athletes around and during sport competitions and to investigate the relationships between sport anxiety and Facebook use. Two hundred and ninety-eight athletes of varying levels completed measures for sport anxiety and Facebook use, which included descriptive information about Facebook use prior to, during and following competitions. Results indicated that 31.9% of athletes had used Facebook during a competition and 68.1% had accessed Facebook within 2 h prior to competition. Time spent on Facebook prior to competition was significantly (and positively) correlated with the concentration disruption component of sport anxiety. Furthermore, regression analyses revealed that having push notifications enabled on an athletes' phone predicted 4.4% of the variability in sport anxiety. The percentage of athletes who accessed Facebook within 2 h of, or during, a competition is somewhat alarming considering the importance of psychological preparation in sport, which may compromise optimal psychological readiness and may lead to increased sport anxiety.

Fear of negative evaluation is an antecedent to choking under pressure

Distribution of practice trials in the learning and retention of an applied sport skill

Definition of choking in sport: Re-conceptualization and debate

  • Authors: Mesagno, Christopher , Hill, Denise
  • Date: 2013
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Sport Psychology Vol. 44, no. 4 (July-August 2013 2013), p. 267-277
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: In sport, choking under pressure is a negative athletic experience that may have psychologically damaging effects. The media recognizes that choking is a dramatic drop in performance, whereas researchers have labeled choking as any decrease in performance under pressure. This discrepancy between the media's and researchers' perception of choking leads to ambiguity among terms and confusion among researchers, applied practitioners, and the general public. Thus, the current position paper will: critically analyze current choking definitions and explore why they are not appropriate operational definitions; explain the current underperformance and choking terminology debate; offer an alternative choking definition that should be debated; and also identify ways that researchers can improve the robustness of choking investigations. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate debate and improve the quality of future choking research.

Self-presentation origins of choking: Evidence from separate pressure manipulations

  • Authors: Mesagno, Christopher , Harvey, Jack , Janelle, Christopher
  • Date: 2011
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology Vol. 33, no. 3 (2011), p. 441-459
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Whether self-presentation is involved in the choking process remains unknown. The purpose of the current study was to determine the role of self-presentation concerns on the frequency of choking within the context of a recently proposed self-presentation model. Experienced field hockey players (N = 45) were randomly assigned to one of five groups (i.e., performance-contingent monetary incentive, video camera placebo, video camera self-presentation, audience, or combined pressure), before taking penalty strokes in low- and high-pressure phases. Results indicated that groups exposed to self-presentation manipulations experienced choking, whereas those receiving motivational pressure treatments decreased anxiety and increased performance under pressure. Furthermore, cognitive state anxiety mediated the relationship between the self-presentation group and performance. These findings provide quantitative support for the proposed self-presentation model of choking, while also holding implications for anxiety manipulations in future sport psychology research. © 2011 Human Kinetics, Inc.

Activation of self-focus and self-presentation traits under private, mixed, and public pressure

  • Authors: Geukes, Katharina , Mesagno, Christopher , Hanrahan, Stephanie , Kellmann, Michael
  • Date: 2013
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology Vol. 35, no. 1 (2013), p. 50-59
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Trait activation theorists suggest that situational demands activate traits in (pressure) situations. In a comparison of situational demands of private (monetary incentive, cover story), mixed (monetary incentive, small audience), and public (large audience, video taping) high-pressure situations, we hypothesized that situational demands of private and mixed high-pressure conditions would activate self-focus traits and those of a public high-pressure condition would activate self-presentation traits. Female handball players (N = 120) completed personality questionnaires and then performed a throwing task in a low-pressure condition and one of three high-pressure conditions (n = 40). Increased anxiety levels from low to high pressure indicated successful pressure manipulations. A self-focus trait negatively predicted performance in private and mixed high-pressure conditions, and self-presentation traits positively predicted performance in the public high-pressure condition. Thus, pressure situations differed in their trait-activating situational demands. Experimental research investigating the trait-performance relationship should therefore use simulations of real competitions over laboratory-based scenarios. © 2013 Human Kinetics, Inc.
  • Description: 2003010828

“I did not ‘choke’!” : Introducing a preliminary self-presentation model of “choking” in sport

  • Authors: Mesagno, Christopher
  • Date: 2008
  • Type: Text , Conference paper
  • Relation: Paper presented at 43rd Annual Conference of the Australian Psychological Society, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, Tasmania : 23rd-26th September 2008 p. 219-223
  • Full Text: false
  • Description: Based on recently proposed definitions, “choking under pressure” (i.e., choking) is defined as a critical deterioration in the execution of habitual processes as a result of an elevation in anxiety levels under perceived pressure, leading to substandard performance. Researchers have provided descriptive choking models (i.e., self-focus and distraction models) with the self-focus model receiving the most empirical support, however, no one has offered explanatory models that may answer the question “why does choking occur?” Thus, the present paper is an amalgamation of three interconnected studies that, in part, examined the psychological characteristics of “choking-susceptible” athletes using qualitative interviews, which helped to develop an explanatory model of choking. A total of 174 experienced athletes completed three psychological inventories to purposively sample 14 choking-susceptible athletes who participated in a series of single-case designs that included both low- and high-pressure phases. After the experimental phase, participants were interviewed about their experience and content analyses were conducted. Common choking-related themes were increased public self-awareness, fear of evaluation/failure, and self-monitoring techniques. Further qualitative cross-case analyses provided evidence for a preliminary self-presentation model of choking that link public self-awareness, anxiety, and conveying a positive self-presentation, which will be discussed.
  • Description: 2003006464

Choking under pressure debate: Is there chaos in the brickyard?

Development of a valid and reliable video-based decision-making test for Australian football umpires

  • Authors: Larkin, Paul , Mesagno, Christopher , Berry, Jason , Spittle, Michael
  • Date: 2014
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 17, no. 5 (2014), p. 552-555
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: OBJECTIVES: To develop a valid and reliable video-based decision-making test to examine and monitor the decision-making performance of Australian football umpires. DESIGN: Validation assessments with test re-test reliability. METHODS: A video-based decision-making test was developed from a pool of 156 video-based decision-making situations. Australian football umpires (n=56) and players (n=45) participated in two separate phases of analysis. In phase one, players completed a test re-test reliability assessment with a 100 video-clips. Results indicated 24 clips were a reliable measure of decision-making performance. In phase two, umpires completed a test re-test protocol with 80 clips, 24 of which were the reliable clips identified by the player cohort in phase one. These 24 clips provided a measure of construct validity. Face and content validity were assessed by skill acquisition specialists, expert umpire coaches, and umpires. RESULTS: From each of phase one and two of the reliability assessment, 24 clips were found to have a kappa value greater than 0.30, providing a total of 48 reliable video-clips. Construct validity was supported, with the umpire group performing significantly better than the player group on the 24 clips presented to both groups on each testing occasion. Face and content validity were also demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation demonstrated the ability prospectively to determine reliability and validity of the video-based decision-making test designed specifically for Australian football umpires. Establishing the validity and reliability of the video clips ensures future investigations can accurately and consistently measure the decision-making performance of Australian football umpires.

Personality and performance in real-world competitions : Testing trait activation of fear of negative evaluation, dispositional reinvestment, and athletic identity in the field

  • Authors: Geukes, Katharina , Harvey, Jack , Trezise, Alexandra , Mesagno, Christopher
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Psychology of Sport and Exercise Vol. 30, no. (2017), p. 101-109
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Objectives Based on the trait activation principle, researchers have tested whether personality traits are capable of predicting sport performance (under pressure). Typically, however, these investigations followed experimental approaches in the laboratory and only rarely in the field. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to test for the generalizability of findings gained in these experimental studies and to investigate potential trait activation for real-world performance in competitions. Based on prior studies on the prediction of performance under pressure, the selected personality traits involved fear of negative evaluation, dispositional reinvestment, and athletic identity. Design Personality traits were used as predictors for low-pressure and high-pressure basketball free-throw performance. Method First, 53 basketball players completed trait questionnaires. Second, directly prior to performance assessments, participants reported on perceived importance, their somatic and cognitive state anxiety, and confidence. Third, free-throw performance was assessed in a low-pressure condition (i.e., successful free-throw percentage for 30 attempts) and repeatedly in 12 high-pressure conditions within real basketball matches (i.e., successful free-throw percentage for total attempts). Results Two main findings were identified: First, none of the traits predicted performance under low pressure. Second, under high-pressure, only fear of negative evaluation as well as state anxiety were significantly negatively associated with performance in competitions. Conclusion These results extend existing literature and add applied and ecologically valid empirical support for the relevance of anxiety-related traits (i.e., fear of negative evaluation) and states for performance under pressure in real-world competitions, emphasizing the importance of self-presentational considerations in athletes when the stakes are high. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

A comparative investigation of test anxiety, coping strategies and perfectionism between Australian and United States students

  • Authors: Kavanagh, Bianca , Ziino, Sarah , Mesagno, Christopher
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: North American Journal of Psychology Vol. 18, no. 3 (2016), p. 555-569
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: The purpose of this study was to ascertain if cross-cultural differences in test anxiety and personality characteristics (e.g., coping strategies, and perfectionism) associated with test anxiety exist between Australian and US students. University students from Australia (n = 89) and the United States of America (n = 143) completed test anxiety, coping strategy and perfectionism questionnaires. Results indicated no difference in test anxiety between the Australian and US samples, with females generally reporting higher test anxiety than males. Test anxiety was positively correlated with avoidant coping and socially prescribed perfectionism in both countries. This study was the first to compare Australian and US students on test anxiety, and provides indirect evidence that recent US test anxiety research may be generalised to the Australian population. © NAJP.

Examining the accuracy and in-game performance effects between pre- and post-performance routines : A mixed methods study

  • Authors: Mesagno, Christopher , Hill, Denise , Larkin, Paul
  • Date: 2015
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Psychology of Sport and Exercise Vol. 19, no. (2015), p. 85-94
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Objectives: Researchers have identified that pre-performance routines improve performance under pressure, yet have not investigated the effects of post-performance routines. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether the type of performance routine training could improve tenpin bowling accuracy and in-game performance. Design: A mixed-method design was adopted, whereby the impact of a performance routine intervention on performance accuracy and in-game performance was examined. This was followed by participants completing semi-structured interviews which explored the perceived effect of those routines. Method: Thirty-six experienced tenpin bowlers completed 30 accuracy shots pre- and post-intervention training, with league scores obtained for in-game performance comparison. Four groups (i.e., pre-performance routine [PPR], post-performance routine [POST], combined pre-post routine, and a control group) practiced 12 games across four weeks while listening to the group specific routine instruction on an IPod. Results: It was noted that accuracy improved (albeit non-significantly) for the PPR and combined pre-post routine group, but not the other groups. Critically, all intervention groups (PPR, POST & COMBO) improved in-game performance. The qualitative data indicated that both the PPR and POST was perceived to influence positively performance, attentional and emotional control, self-awareness, self-confidence, motivation. The PPR was also considered to enhance a state of readiness, and perceived control. Conclusions: Results indicate that the PPR training enhanced accuracy and in-game performance, with the POST training acting as a supportive role for in-game performance as evidenced by the qualitative and quantitative data. Future research should continue to investigate the effects of POSTs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Video-based training to improve perceptual-cognitive decision-making performance of Australian football umpires

  • Authors: Larkin, Paul , Mesagno, Christopher , Berry, Jason , Spittle, Michael , Harvey, Jack
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Sports Sciences Vol. 36, no. 3 (2017), p. 239-246
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Decision-making is a central component of the in-game performance of Australian football umpires; however, current umpire training focuses largely on physiological development with decision-making skills development conducted via explicit lecture-style meetings with limited practice devoted to making actual decisions. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of a video-based training programme, aimed to provide a greater amount of contextualised visual experiences without explicit instruction, to improve decision-making skills of umpires. Australian football umpires (n = 52) were recruited from metropolitan and regional Division 1 competitions. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group and classified according to previous umpire game experience (i.e., experienced; less experienced). The intervention group completed a 12-week video-based decision-making training programme, with decision-making performance assessed at pre-training, and 1-week retention and 3-week retention periods. The control group did not complete any video-based training. Results indicated a significant Group (intervention; Control) x Test interaction (F(1, 100) = 3.98; P = 0.02, partial 2 = 0.074), with follow-up pairwise comparisons indicating significant within-group differences over time for the intervention group. In addition, decision-making performance of the less experienced umpires in the intervention group significantly improved (F(2, 40) = 5.03, P = 0.01, partial 2 = 0.201). Thus, video-based training programmes may be a viable adjunct to current training programmes to hasten decision-making development, especially for less experienced umpires.

An evaluation of video-based training programs for perceptual-cognitive skill development. A systematic review of current sport-based knowledge

  • Authors: Larkin, Paul , Mesagno, Christopher , Spittle, Michael , Berry, Jason
  • Date: 2015
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Sport Psychology Vol. 46, no. 6 (2015), p. 555-586
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: In this review we identified sport-based perceptual-cognitive training literature to systematically evaluate current video-based methodologies and their resultant effectiveness to improve perceptual-cognitive performance (i.e., decision-making). A comprehensive literature search of electronic databases from 1994-2013 was conducted to identify relevant studies. We identified 139 articles, of which 25 met all the inclusion criteria. Study design and test measures of the 25 articles were assessed against a classification scale to rate methodological quality. The methodological quality of the 25 studies varied, with quasi-experimental the most common design. Additionally, studies varied in the skill level of participants and the amount of video-based information presented during the training. We conclude that videobased training programs can be used to enhance perceptual-cognitive performance and outline several recommendations for future video-based perceptual-cognitive training programs particularly with respect to the validity and reliability of the instruments used to measure perceptual-cognitive performance.

Alleviating choking : The sounds of distraction

  • Authors: Mesagno, Christopher , Marchant, Daryl , Morris, Tony
  • Date: 2009
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Applied Sport Psychology Vol. 21, no. 2 (2009), p. 131-147
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Choking is defined as a critical deterioration in the execution of habitual processes as a result of an elevation in anxiety levels under perceived pressure, leading to substandard performance. In the current study, music was used in a dual-task paradigm to facilitate performance under pressure. Three choking-susceptible experienced female basketball players were purposively sampled from 41 screened players. Participants completed 240 basketball free throws in a single-case A1-B1-A2-B2 design (A phases = low-pressure and B phases = high-pressure), with the music intervention occurring during the B2 phase. Following completion of the phases, an interview was conducted to examine perceptions of choking and cognitions associated with the effects of the music lyrics. Participants improved performance in the B2 phase, and explained that choking resulted from an increase in public self-awareness (S-A). The music intervention decreased S-A, and enabled participants to minimize explicit monitoring of execution and reduce general distractibility.

A comparison of different pre-performance routines as possible choking interventions

  • Authors: Mesagno, Christopher , Mullane-Grant, Thomas
  • Date: 2010
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Applied Sport Psychology Vol. 22, no. 3 (2010), p. 343-360
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: The purpose of the current study was to ascertain which aspect of a pre-performance routine (PPR) is most beneficial to alleviate choking. Participants included 60 experienced Australian football players in Australia, who attempted 20 kicks at a scoring zone in low- and high-pressure phases. Participants were assigned to one of five groups, with four groups undertaking intervention training and the pressure control group receiving no training, prior to the high-pressure phase. Results indicated that state anxiety increased during the high-pressure phase. Intervention groups responded to the increased anxiety with improved performance, while the pressure control group decreased performance. Thus, results add support to existing literature that a non-automated PPR, with psychological and behavioral components, decreases the likelihood of choking. Applied implications for consulting with potential choking-susceptible athletes are discussed. © Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

Choking under pressure : The role of fear of negative evaluation

  • Authors: Mesagno, Christopher , Harvey, Jack , Janelle, Christopher
  • Date: 2011
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Psychology of Sport and Exercise Vol.13 , no.1 (2012), p.60-68
  • Full Text:
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Objective: Conceptual models and predictors of choking under pressure (i.e., choking) have been proposed, but the role of fear of negative evaluation remains largely unknown. The purpose of the current study was to determine the degree to which fear of negative evaluation (FNE) may predispose athletes to choking. Design and method: 138 Experienced basketball players participated in a pre-selection stage, which involved completing a set of questionnaires that included the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-II (BFNE-II) questionnaire. Based on the scores from the BFNE-II, 34 athletes, categorized as either low- or high-FNE, were selected to perform basketball shots from five different areas of the court under low- and high-pressure phases. Shooting performance was evaluated based on the total number of successful shots out of 50 attempts. Results: Results indicated that the high-FNE athletes displayed a significant increase in anxiety and a significant decrease in performance from low- to high-pressure phases. The low-FNE group exhibited only minimal changes in anxiety throughout the study and was able to maintain performance under pressure. Further mediation analysis investigating significant difference in performance between FNE groups within the high-pressure phase indicated that that cognitive anxiety was a partial mediator between FNE group and performance, but somatic anxiety was not. Conclusions: Findings extend the existing choking literature by providing empirical support for the role of FNE in the context of the self-presentation model of choking. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Assessment of decision-making performance and in-game physical exertion of Australian football umpires

  • Authors: Larkin, Paul , O'Brien, Brendan , Mesagno, Christopher , Berry, Jason , Harvey, Jack , Spittle, Michael
  • Date: 2014
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Sports Sciences Vol. 32, no. 15 (2014), p. 1446-1453
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of in-game physical exertion on decision-making performance of Australian football umpires. Fifteen Australian football umpires (Mage = 36, s = 13.5 years; Mgames umpired = 235.2, s = 151.3) volunteered to participate in the study. During five competitive Australian football pre-season games, measures of in-game physical exertion (blood lactate levels, global positioning system [GPS]) and decision-making performance (video-based test) were obtained. There were no significant correlations between physical exertion in a particular quarter and decision-making performance in either the same quarter or any other quarter. Video-based decision-making performance was effected by time in game χ2(3) = 24.24, P = 0.001, with Quarter 4 performance significantly better than both Quarter 2 and Quarter 3. In-game physical exertion (blood lactate) significantly decreased over the course of the game χ2(3) = 11.58, P = 0.009. Results indicate no definable link between in-game physical exertion and decision-making performance. It is, however, presumed that decision-making performance may be affected by the time or context of the game. Future research is warranted to explore the relationship between physical exertion and decision-making performance to potentially inform Australian football umpire training programmes that replicate in-game physical and decision-making demands.

Testing an interactionist perspective on the relationship between personality traits and performance under public pressure

  • Authors: Geukes, Katharina , Mesagno, Christopher , Hanrahan, Stephanie , Kellmann, Michael
  • Date: 2012
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Psychology of Sport and Exercise Vol. 13, no. 3 (2012), p. 243-250
  • Full Text: false
  • Reviewed:
  • Description: Objectives: The interactionist principle of trait activation [. Tett & Gutermann (2000). Situation trait relevance, trait expression, and cross-situational consistency: testing a principle of trait activation. Journal of Research in Personality, 34, 397-423.] explains human behavior through the stimulation of traits by trait-relevant situational cues (i.e., situation-trait relevance). In applied (real-world) high-pressure situations, audiences provide the situational demand of public evaluation. Therefore, traits that are related to public evaluation are appraised as situation-relevant. The purpose of the current study was to test if situation-relevant traits (i.e., narcissism, public self-consciousness) predict performance in applied high-pressure situations, while situation-irrelevant traits (i.e., private self-consciousness) do not contribute to the performance explanation. Design/Method: Experienced handball players (N = 55) completed personality questionnaires and performed a throwing task in low and high-pressure conditions, whereby the high-pressure condition involved 1500-2000 spectators during halftime breaks of professional handball games. Results: Findings supported the assumptions about situation-trait relevancies and indicated that narcissism and public self-consciousness were relevant to high-pressure performance (i.e., positively associated), whereas private self-consciousness was found to be irrelevant. No predictors were correlated to low-pressure performance. Conclusions: Results emphasize that trait activation is a promising explanation for the relevance of personality characteristics to performance under pressure. A systematic consideration of situational demands of high-pressure situations will result in adequate appraisals of situation-trait relevance and help predict performance with trait scores. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.