Competition stress and emotions in sport performers: The role of further appraisals
Author
Neil, Rich
Hanton, Sheldon
Mellalieu, Stephen D.
Fletcher, David
Date
2011Type
Article
Publisher
Elsevier
ISSN
1469-0292
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Objective
This study examined the appraisals, emotional reactions, further appraisals and behavioural responses of athletes to the performance and organizational stressors they encountered within the competition environment.
Design and method
Twelve sport performers (6 elite, 6 non-elite) were interviewed with regard to the experiences that they had identified in a previous study (i.e., Mellalieu, Neil, Hanton, & Fletcher, 2009).
Results and conclusions
The present findings provide insight into the transaction of athletes with their environment via their appraisals and illuminate the relationship between these initial appraisals, emotions, further appraisals, and subsequent behavior. Specifically, in some situations it was found that the appraisals and the negative emotions experienced were interpreted as debilitative for upcoming performance and, consequently, affected the athletes’ behavior due to a lack of control over these thoughts and symptoms. In contrast, examples were cited where stressors gave rise to negative appraisals and emotions, but through a further appraisal of their experience, the athletes were able to interpret the thoughts and feelings as facilitative for upcoming performance through an increase in focus and/or effort. Implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed. © 2011 Elsevier Lt. All rights reserved.
Journal/conference proceeding
Psychology of Sport & Exercise
Citation
Neil, R., Hanton, S., Mellalieu, S.D. and Fletcher, D. (2011) 'Competition stress and emotions in sport performers: The role of further appraisals', Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 12(4), pp.460-470.
Description
This article was published in Psychology of Sport & Exercise in 2011, available at
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.02.001
Collections
- Sport Research Groups [1089]
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