Psychological States Underlying Excellent Performance in Sport: Toward an Integrated Model of Flow and Clutch States

Abstract

This study investigated the psychological states underlying excellent performance in 26 athletes (M age = 29 years, SD = 7.7) across a range of sports (team, net/wall, sprint, endurance, adventure) and standards (world class to recreational). Participants were primarily interviewed on average 4 days after excellent performances. The data were analyzed thematically. Distinct states of flow and clutch were reported, each of which occurred through separate contexts and processes, while athletes also transitioned between states during performance. These findings extend current knowledge of the psychology of excellent performance and are discussed in terms of implications for future research and applied practice.

A Review of Scientific Progress in Flow in Sport and Exercise: Normal Science, Crisis, and a Progressive Shift

“…When stronger methodologies, which capture more recent data about specific flow states, are employed a different picture emerges. Swann et al (2016Swann et al ( , 2017a and have conducted "event-focused" interviews as soon as possible after a specific performance (on average four days later in these studies), through which the perspective of flow and clutch states emerged.…”

“…Specifically, clutch states are characterized by complete and deliberate focus on the task, whereas flow is characterized by effortless attention; clutch states involve heightened awareness of the situation and its demands, whereas flow involves positive feedback and feelings that "everything is going to plan"; and clutch states involve intense effort, in contrast to flow which is characterized by an effortless, automatic experience. Common to both states, however, are the experiences of enjoyment, enhanced motivation, perceived control, altered perceptions of time and the environment, absorption, and confidence (Swann et al, 2017a). These findings have been summarized as a "tentative solution" (i.e., a starting point for further testing and refinement; Popper, 1959) in an Integrated Model of Flow and Clutch States (Swann et al, 2017a), which also described the contexts, processes of occurrence, and outcomes of each state (see Figure 1).…”

“…Common to both states, however, are the experiences of enjoyment, enhanced motivation, perceived control, altered perceptions of time and the environment, absorption, and confidence (Swann et al, 2017a). These findings have been summarized as a "tentative solution" (i.e., a starting point for further testing and refinement; Popper, 1959) in an Integrated Model of Flow and Clutch States (Swann et al, 2017a), which also described the contexts, processes of occurrence, and outcomes of each state (see Figure 1). To date this work has been primarily qualitative, andsimilar to Csikszentmihalyi"s (1975) initial workemerged through inductive analyses.…”

Psychological Profile, Competitive Anxiety, Moods and Self-Efficacy in Beach Handball Players

“…The analysis of psychological factors that may influence the performance of athletes has been a subject of study in recent decades in numerous disciplines [1][2][3]. There is a growing understanding of how aspects such as competitive anxiety, motivation, moods, flow states, and self-efficacy relate to each other [4,5].…”

Psychological Profiling of Triathlon and Road Cycling Athletes

“…Nowadays it is well known that psychological variables are quite significant aspects in sports performance, both in elite and amateur athletes (Morris, 2000; MacNamara et al, 2010; Castilla and Ramos, 2012; Abdullah et al, 2016; Swann et al, 2017). The role of psychological characteristics is relevant not only due to its direct impact on athlete’s performance (e.g., coping with or choking under stress), but also as a mediator between the athlete’s physical, technical, and tactical skills and his/her performance in competition, whether positively or negatively (Mahamud et al, 2005; Anderson et al, 2014; Arthur et al, 2017).…”