A qualitative analysis of catastrophic performances and the associated thoughts, feelings, and emotions

Abstract

Catastrophe models describe patterns of performance change less uniform than sometimes suggested in the anxiety literature. This qualitative study adopted a theory fitting approach to examine the precise nature of performance drops with eight elite male athletes who had all experienced a 'catastrophic' performance. Data was analysed inductively to allow themes and categories to emerge. Results illustrated three areas of focus for intervention strategies, namely, increasing self-confidence, controlling anxiety, and increasing perceptions of control. Kingston’s contribution was in analysing the data, presenting the results and editing the final manuscript.