An examination into the sources of confidence used in the injury process.

Abstract

This investigation examined how athletes source confidence in the injury process and discussed if time influenced this. Previous research looked at the separate stages of the injury process instead of as a whole process therefore providing the rationale for this investigation. 60 male (N=39) and female (N=21) elite (N=41) and non-elite (N=19) athletes completed two separate questionnaires; Trait Robustness of Sport Confidence Inventory (Beatie et al., 2001) and the Modified Sources of Sport-Confidence Questionnaire (Magyar & Duda, 2000). Significant differences were identified between certain sources of confidence (mastery, vicarious experience and social support) as important to athletes the longer they spend in the injury process. Results supported the need to increase the amount of social support, vicarious experience and mastery when an athlete experiences injury and these are depended on more, the longer the athletes spend in the injury process. This implies that different strategies should be adopted depending on how long the athlete spends being injured. More research needs to be undertaken into looking at the injury process as a whole instead of as individual stages. Future research should investigate why these sources were identified as having an impact on confidence the further the athlete spent in the injury process, as well as providing strategies for practitioners to use the longer the athletes spend in the injury process to address confidence restoration.