Date of Award

12-2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Michael Hazel

Abstract

Appropriate use of self-talk and cognitive strategy has been shown to improve individual performance on a variety of tasks by increasing confidence, focus, and awareness. Likewise, depending on its use, self-talk and cognitive strategy has also been shown to be detrimental to performance. Little research has been undertaken to explore the relationship between self-talk and cognitive strategy and the factors that precipitate changes between the two. To fill this gap, this study examined long distance runners to determine the factors that cause change in self-talk and cognitive strategy as well as the relationship between the two if change occurs. Additionally, this study examined the self-talk preferences athletes make throughout the course of a competition. This study determined that multiple factors influence self-talk and cognitive strategy such as athlete fatigue, performance-to-goal discrepancies, spectators and coaches, and other competitors. The only possible cause and effect relationship between self-talk and cognitive strategy was between motivational self-talk and both associative and dissociative cognitive strategies in the latter portion of a competition. It was determined that runners preferred motivational self-talk over the majority of the competition except in the middle when instructional self-talk was utilized the most. By identifying factors that cause self-talk change, individuals can attempt to mitigate those factors in order maintain their preferred type of self-talk that is most beneficial.

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