Effects of a Psychological Skill Training Program on Anxiety Levels in Top Karate Athletes

Abstract

Introduction To achieve an improvement in self-regulation, and consequently competitive performance, it is necessary to evaluate psychological skills training programs. It was hypothesized that the introduction of autogenic training and guided imagery could bring about positive changes in anxiety and self-confidence, as compared to regular training and competitive activities. Objective To investigate the effects of a psychological skills training program on the optimization of anxiety and self-confidence. Methods Twenty-four athletes from the Serbian national karate team were divided into experimental (EXP) and control (CON) groups. During eight weeks, both groups underwent an identical karate training and competing program. The program was adapted for top karate athletes according to their daily routines and the specific demands of the activity. In addition, the EXP group underwent the psychological skills training program, based on autogenic training and guided imagery. The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 was used to measure the multidimensional construct of the state of anxiety, and the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3 to assess individual ability to imagine movements. Results Repeated measures ANOVA results indicated a difference in anxiety levels between the EXP and CON groups after the intervention. Further analysis indicated a decrease in cognitive anxiety and an increase in self-confidence among participants from the EXP group. Conclusion The applied psychological skills program had a positive effect on anxiety optimization and self-confidence levels in top karate athletes. As emotional self-regulation is also crucial for athletes of other sports, the implementation of this intervention can be recommended, provided that it is adapted to the specific characteristics of each sport. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies – Investigating treatments results.

Intervention of Autogenous Training Techniques for Psychological Preparedness of Sports School Students

“…The analysis of the research data undoubtedly indicates that the implementation of psychological skills programmes makes a significant contribution to the performance of the athletes in competitions and to the development of athletes' personalities (Dehghani & Ebrahimi, 2017;Razali et al, 2017;Vesković et al, 2019). At the same time, studies also indicate that short-term intervention does not provide reliable results, however, the acquired knowledge on the benefits of psychological skills programmes and the positive experience gained in the process of acquiring various mental techniques provide athletes with additional motivation for further development of psychological skills (Kudlackova, 2011;Bryant, 2017;Mohebi et al, 2022).…”

Psychological Influence of Self-Management on Exercise Self-Confidence, Satisfaction, and Commitment of Martial Arts Practitioners in Korea: A Meta-Analytic Approach

“…Concurring with this inference, studies have shown that the application of self-management strategy learning programs (i.e., to teach athletes how to utilize such strategies) can effectively improve the performance and psychological states of athletes in different sporting situations. For example, Vesković et al (2019) investigated the effects of two psychological strategies on anxiety and self-confidence levels in Karate athletes and found improved self-confidence and decreased cognitive anxiety among elite Karate players who underwent modified autogenic and imagery trainings compared to those who did not. O'Brien et al (2009), on the other hand, examined whether a goalsetting program could improve sports performance behaviors, competition outcomes, competitive anxiety, and self-confidence of elite and non-elite boxers; they found that, during and after the implementation of the goal-setting program, the boxers showed the following outcomes: improvements in their success rates of landed and defended punches; in their percentage of fights won; in their self-confidence; and their experienced anxieties were interpreted as facilitative rather than debilitative.…”

Analysis of Progressive Muscle Relaxation on Psychophysiological Variables in Basketball Athletes

“…Thus, it is necessary to identify appropriate strategies and intervention programs during a competitive season to contribute to reducing the levels of anxiety and stress and improving sports performance [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. This study aimed to analyze the effects of Jacobson’s Progressive Muscle Relaxation on psychophysiological variables in male basketball athletes.…”