Post on 26-Apr-2020
A Psychological Skills
Inventory for Sport
Kerry-Ann Wheaton
Thesis presented in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Human Movement Science
at the
University of Stellenbosch
Supervisor: Prof. J .R. Potgieter
December 1998
Declaration
I, the undersigned hereby declare that the work contained in
this thesis is my own original work and that I have not
previously in its entirety or in part submitted it at any other
university for a degree.
J~Signature
30.Cf.98Date
Summary
The purpose of this study was to develop a practical, reliable
psychological skills inventory to assess the psychological
skills of athletes. This primarily involved identifying the
relevant psychological skills that affect sport performance. A
variety of developmental procedures were applied in the
construction of this inventory, including the consultation of
sport psychology literature, identification of articles which
characterise successful athletes, analysis of research articles
pertaining to the psychological Skills, and review of available
psychological tests. The initial inventory consisted of 82
items which evaluated six psychological skills: achievement
motivation, goal setting, anxiety control, maintaining
confidence, concentration and mental rehearsal. The
inventory was completed by 304 students from the
Department of Human Movement Science at the University of
Stellenbosch. The respondents' data were divided into two
groups depending on their achievement in sport. The results
indicated that the inventory was able to differentiate between
successful and less successful athletes on the psychological
skills measured. Other aspects were statistically analysed,
namely language, age, and gender differences, correlation
between individual item and achievement level, and the
contri,bution of each item to its psychological skill. The final
inventory consists of 60 items, with ten items from each of
the six psychological skills. Information obtained from the
inventory can identify the strengths, weaknesses and
deficiencies in the psychological skills of athletes, so that a
psychological skills training programme can be developed.
Opsomming
Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n praktiese, betroubare
sielkundige inventaris te ontwerp om die sielkundige
vaardighede van sportlui vas te stel. Dit het hoofsaaklik
bestaan uit die identifisering van relevante sielkundige
vaardighede wat sportprestasie beinvloed. 'n Verskeidenheid
van prosedures was toegepas in die konstruksie van die
inventaris, insluitend konsultasie van sportsielkunde
literatuur, identifesering van artikels wat suksesvolle sportlui
beskryf, ontleding van narvorsingsartikels met betrekking tot
sielkundige vaardighede en 'n oorsigstudie van relevante siel
kundige toetse. Die aanvanklike inventaris het bestaan uit 82
items, wat ses sielkundige vaardighede getoets het, naamlik
prestasiemotivering, doelwitstelling, aktiveringsbeheer, hand
hawing van selfvertroue, konsentrasie en verstandelike
oefening. Die inventaris is deur 304 studente van die
Departement Menslike Bewegingskunde aan die Universiteit
van Stellenbosch voltooi. Die respondente se data is in twee
groepe, afhangende van hul prestasie in sport, verdeel. Die
resultate het aangedui dat die inventaris tussen suksesvolle
en minder suksesvolle atlete onderskei met betrekking tot die
sielkundige vaardighede wat gemeet is. Ander aspekte is
statisties ontleed, naamlik taal, ouderdom, geslag, korrelasie
tussen afsonderlike items en prestasievlak, asook die bydrae
van elke item tot sy sielkundige vaardigheid. Die finale
inventaris behels 60 items, met tien items van elk van die
sielkundige vaardighede. Inligting wat van die inventaris
verkry word, kan die sterkpunte en tekortominge van atlete
bepaal, wat as basis vir die ontwikkeling van 'n sielkundige
program kan dien.
Dedication
• To my family for supporting me in my studies
• To my supervisor, Prof Potgieter, for all his
knowledge and guidance
Contents
Chapter one
Statement of the problem
The importance of psychological skills in sport
The purpose in assessing psychological skills
The problem
Research protocol
Chapter two
Related literature
Introduction
Comparison of successful and less successful
Athletes
Peak performance
Existing instruments
Measurement of personality characteristics
Measurement of cognitive strategies
Measurement of achievement orientation
Locus of control
Measurement of anxiety
Measurement of confidence
Measurement of concentration
Measurement of imagery
Conclusion
Chapter three
Methodology
Test plan
Test construction procedure
p.
1
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2
3
3
5
5
7
12
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28
p.
Generating items 28
Measurement scales 30
Number of items and subjects 31
Dealing with preconceptions 31
Construction of tests 31
Validity 33
Reliability 34
Method 34
Chapter four
Identification of psychological skills to be included in the 36
inventory
Achievement motivation
Achievement motivation theories
Achievement motivation summary
Goal setting
Types of goals
Why goal setting works
Goal setting principles
Goal setting research
Goal setting summary
Anxiety control
Arousal
Anxiety
Stress
Performance characteristics
Relationship between arousal and athletic performance
Anxiety control summary
Maintaining confidence
Approaches to confidence
36
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66
p.
Benefits of confidence 71
Confidence summary 74
Concentration 76
Factors affecting concentration 79
Concentration summary 79
Mental rehearsal 80
Imagery perspectives 81
Imagery ability 83
Uses of imagery 83
Imagery research 86
Guidelines for using imagery 87
Mental rehearsal summary 88
Coping strategies 89
Self-talk 91
Preperformance routines 94
Coping strategy summary 95
Conclusion 96
Chapter five
Statistical analysis, conclusions and recommendations 97
Language differences 99
Age differences 99
Gender differences 99
Correlation between psychological skills 100
Achievement level differences 101
Correlation between individual items and achievement level 102
Contribution of each item to its psychological skill 103
Discussion 104
Conclusion 117
Recommendation
References
Appendices
A. Psychological skills inventory for sport
B. Anonymous three item questionnaire
C. Sielkundige vaardighede inventaris
D. Anonieme drie-item vraelys
E. Score sheet
F. Antwoordvel
p.
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Table
2.1
2.2
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
5.9
5.10
List of tables
Definitions of subscales of the ACSI-28 rating form
Attentional and interpersonal subscales of the TAIS
Test-retest correlations
Correlation between psychological skills
Spearman rank correlation between individual items and
achievement level
Item contributing most to each total psychological skill score
Spearman rank order correlations between individual items and
total achievement motivation score
Spearman rank order correlations between individual items and
total goal setting score
Spearman rank order correlations between individual items and
total anxiety control score
Spearman rank order correlations between individual items and
total maintaining confidence score
Spearman rank order correlations between individual items and
total concentration score
Spearman rank order correlations between individual items and
total mental rehearsal score
p.
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