SELF-CONFIDENCE: THE KEY TO SPORT SUCCESS

1. SELF-CONFIDENCE: THE KEY TO SPORT SUCCESS Damon Burton and Bernie Holliday Vandal Sport Psychology Services University of Idaho

2. What is self-confidence?

3. SELF- CONFIDENCE DEFINED • True Self-Confidence– is a realistic belief or expectation of achieving success. • Self-Confidence is NOT: • What you hope todobut what you realistically expect to do. • What you tell othersbut your innermost thoughts about your realistic capabilities. • Pride in past deedsbut a realistic judgment about what you are able to do.

4. Does self-confidence enhance performance?

5. SELF-CONFIDENCE ENHANCES PERFORMANCE • Mahoney & Avener (1976) 1976 Olympic qualifiers were more confident than nonqualifiers. • Feltz’ (1988) review found moderate to strong relationships between confidence and performance (i.e., mean r = .54). • Research finds a reciprocal relationship between self-confidence and performance. DQ 1: Explain the last bullet on this slide with an example.

6. HOW SELF-CONFIDENCE IMPACTS PERFORMANCE • Lowers anxiety by creating positive expectations of success. • Increases motivation by raising perceived competence. • Enhances concentration by eliminating distraction from negative thoughts and personal putdowns.

7. What are the three types of self-confidence?

8. CONFIDENCE-PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP Diffidence Optimal SC Overconfidence PERF SELF-CONFIDENCE

9. OPTIMALSELF-CONFIDENCE • Competence-- possess the knowledge, strategies, skills and abilities necessary for success. • Preparation– sufficiently prepared so you can successfully perform those skills and strategies in a particular competitive situation. • Villanova’s 1984 upset of Georgetown in the NCAA Championship Game.

10. DIFFIDENT ATHLETES . . . • Confuse “what is” with what they “wish would be” or with what “ought to be.” • See themselves as losers and act accordingly. • Mistakes devastate their competence. • Self doubts fuel self-fulfilling prophecies that create a vicious negative spiral. • Focus on their shortcomings and overlook their accomplishments. • Are underachievers whose confidence limits their development.

11. TYPES OF OVERCONFIDENCE • Inflated confidence. • False confidence.

12. INFLATED CONFIDENCE • People who believe they are better than they really are and have an inflated opinion of themselves and their skills. • They overestimate their abilities while underestimating their opponents’ skills. • Pampering from parents/coaches, playing weak competition, and excessive media hype are its primary causes. • Often they are competent but don’t prepare adequately.

13. FALSE CONFIDENCE • Act confident on the outside but inside fear failure and are really diffident. • Pretend to be brash, cocky and arrogant. • Difficulty admitting errors and filled with excuses. • Difficult to coach because they won’t accept responsibility for mistakes. • Normally prepare hard but lack the competence to be successful. DQ 2: Give an example of an athlete that has exhibited either type of overconfidence.

14. What is the difference between performance and outcome confidence?

15. PERFORMANCE- VERSUS OUTCOME CONFIDENCE • Performance Confidence – performers’ belief that they can execute the skills and strategies necessary to perform well and attain their goals. • Outcome Confidence – performers’ belief that they will socially compare well and win the competition.

16. What are some specific strategies you use to boost your self-confidence?

17. CONFIDENCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES • General confidence development strategies. • Six confidence development tips for practitioners. • Strategies for developing and maintaining confidence during competition.

18. ENHANCING SELF-CONFIDENCE Performance Accomplishments Behaviors Vicarious Experiences Performance Self- Confidence Verbal Persuasion Thoughts Physiological Arousal Control DQ 3: Use an example to show your understanding of this slide.

19. ENHANCING SELF-CONFIDENCE

20. GENERAL CONFIDENCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES • Performance accomplishment: • Goal-setting. • Vicarious experiences: • Modeling/demonstrations – Namath’s Jets. • Imagery – Russell “déjà vu.” • Verbal persuasion: • Reinforcement – enhances feelings of competence. • Self talk – confidence script. • Arousal control: • Relaxation. • Energization.

21. CONFIDENCE-DEVELOPMENT TIPS FOR PRACTITIONERS • Develop a systematic goal setting program and log and graph progress. • Create a personal Hall-of-Fame. • Design a systematic conditioning program and maximize preparation. • Use effective modeling strategies. • Replay past successes and imagine future triumphs. • Emphasize confidence-building thoughts.

22. How do you maintain your self-confidence during competition?

23. DEVELOPING & MAINTAINING COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE • Appraise situations as challenges rather than threats. • Develop readiness, performance and recovery plans to deal with problems. • Emphasize problem-focused coping strategies to reduce threat. • Use emotion-focused coping techniques to feel less threatened. • Focus on more controllable process and performance goals.

24. What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?

25. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY • Self-Fulfilling Prophecies – occur when coaches’/teachers’ expectations prompt athletes/students to behave or perform in a way that conforms with those expectancies. • Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) found that a group teachers believed were “academic late bloomers” made greater educational gains than did a control group for whom they had neutral expectancies. • Expectancies of teachers, coaches and parents can significantly raise or lower performers’ self-confidence.

26. What are the four (4) steps of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Process?

27. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY MODEL

28. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY PROCESS • STEP 1 – Coaches Develop Expectations. • STEP 2 – Coaches’ Expectations Influence their Treatment of Athletes (i.e., frequency, duration, and quality of interactions). • STEP 3 – Athletes’ Learning and Performance Is Impacted by Differential Treatment. • STEP 4 -- Athletes’ Behavior Conforms to Coaches’ Expectations.

29. STEP 1: COACHES FORM EXPECTATIONS • Person Cues • Race. • Gender. • Socioeconomic status. • Size. • Body type. • Style of dress. • Performance Information • Conditioning and skills tests. • Previous performance history. • Evaluation of others. • Tryout information.

30. STEP 2: DIFFERENTIAL EXPECTANCIES IMPACT COACHING BEHAVIORS • Type, frequency and warmth of interactions. • Nature of instructional behaviors (e.g., skills taught, difficulty of skills, and persistence). • Nature of feedback behaviors (e.g., valence, specificity, and corrective content). • Attributions for success and failure.

31. STEP 3: COACHES’ BEHAVIOR IMPACTS ATHLETES’ PERFORMANCE • Quantity and quality of learning. • Quality of competitive cognitions and performance. • Long-term development.

32. STEP 4: ATHLETES’ PERFORMANCE CONFORMS WITH COACHES’ EXPECTATIONS • Athletes most susceptible to Self-Fulfilling Prophecy effects are . . . • Younger. • Less experienced. • Lower in self-esteem. • More coachable. • Value success more. DQ 4: Use an example to show your understanding of the SFP.

33. How do we maximize positive Self-Fulfilling Prophecy effects?

34. HOW TO MAXIMIZE POSITIVE SFP EFFECTS • Determine what sources of information are used to form expectations. • Realize initial expectancies may be inaccurate, requiring adjustment as performers skill changes. • Equalize skill-development time across athletes. • Provide all performers sufficient time to fully master skills. • Respond to errors with corrective instruction. • Focus on product as a means to attain product. • Develop good coach-athlete relationships. • Create a performance-oriented team climate.