Biofeedback and Its Use in the Sport Context

English Section

Chinese Section

香港運動心理學會研討會暨執委會就職典禮2003

Mental Preparation to Enhance Performance
in Sports

Dr. Lee Hing Chu and Ms. Polina Cheng
Hong Kong Sports Development Board

Sport psychology is the scientific study of people and their behaviors in sport contexts and the practical application of that knowledge. Specifically it seeks to (a) understand how psychological factors affect an individual’s physical performance, and learn the mental aspects of peak performance; (b) understand how participation in sports affects a person’s psychological development, health and sense of well-being.

The work of sport psychologists at the Hong Kong Sports Institute includes consultation, counseling, assessment, mental skills training with elite athletes and on-field support in training camps and at the site of the competition. In addition, psychologists teach, conduct workshops and do applied research.

Mental skills training is important for performance enhancement for the mind and body interact to influence each other. Basic mental skills which are related to performance enhancement include relaxation, positive thinking, goal-setting, imagery, preparation and planning to win and team work. Each of the skills is briefly discussed below:

Commonly used relaxation techniques include deep abdominal breathing (Williams & Harris, 1998), progressive muscle relaxation (Jacobson, 1938; Ost, 1988) and biofeedback. Athletes also report that listening to music, watching television and reading seem to help them relax.
Self-confidence is the foundation of positive thinking and is built from factors like a general belief in oneself and past experiences. It is a belief system that says “I can” and “I know I can.”
A winner is an athlete who sets goals, commits to them and then pursues them with all his/her ability. Goals should be realistic, specific, and challenging (Gould, 1998; Murphy, 1996). Athletes set short-term and long-term goals for competitions.
Mental imagery is a skill most athletes have found useful in enhancing their performance (Vealey & Walter, 1993) when used in conjunction with physical practice. It also increases concentration and confidence and enables a person to relax.
Team work is the ability to work together as a team toward a common vision. To develop team harmony, team members learn to listen to each other, consider their feelings, trust others and accept their differences. It is important that members have a common goal and are committed to reach that goal.
In addition, mental preparation and planning to win also enhances performance in race situations. Mental preparation and planning to win includes doing a race week schedule, pre-race plan and refocusing strategies as well as a detailed race plan. Both physical and mental factors are taken into consideration when preparing for these plans.

A case study of a squash athlete was used to illustrate the ways in which mental skills training has helped to enhance her performance at the Asian Games 2002.

References

Gould, D. (1998). Goal setting for peak performance. In J. Williams (Ed.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to physical performance, (2nd ed., pp.182-196). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.
Jacobson, E. (1938). Progressive relaxation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Murphy, S. (1996). The achievement zone. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Ost, L.G. (1988). Applied relaxation: Description of an effective coping technique. Scandinavian Journal of Behavior Therapy, 17, 83-96.
Vealey , R., & Walter, S. (1993). Imagery training for performance enhancement and

personal development. In J. Williams (Ed.), Applied sport psychology: Personal

growth to physical performance, (2^nd ed., pp. 200-224). Mountain View, CA:

Mayfield.
Williams, J.M., & Harris, D.V. (1998). Relaxation and energizing technique for

regulation of arousal. In J.M. Williams (Ed.), Applied sport psychology: Personal

growth to physical performance (3^rd ed., pp. 219-236). Mountain View, CA:

Mayfield.