ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to examine
the position of psychological factors as a correlate of athletic performance
among student-athletes in Ambrose Alli University. Five research questions were
raised to guide the study. The descriptive research survey design was adopted
for the study. The population for this study is comprised of undergraduate
students of Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Edo State. A sample size of 100
respondents was selected for the study. The study found that the psychological
factors influencing the athletics performance of students at Ambrose Alli
University are stress and anxiety, motivation, and level of tension associated
with the particular sports or event. The
study also found that the factors influencing athletes' level of motivation
depend on the events, the rewards at stake, and the heights that athletes have
yet to achieve in that sport. Also, the study found that the link between
motivation and athletic performance can be seen in a lack of external
motivation, an athlete’s unique dominant drive, and the prize at stake. There
is a relationship between motivation and the level of athletic performance.
Following the above the researcher recommends that psychological skills
training should be integrated into athletes' training programs. This can
include techniques such as goal setting, visualization, relaxation, self-talk,
and attention control; athletes should also be taught stress management
techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and
mindfulness meditation to help them cope with pressure and anxiety. Lastly,
coaches should encourage athletes to develop pre-performance routines that
include relaxation and visualization exercises to promote calmness and focus.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page- - - - - - - I
Certification- - - - - - - - iii
Dedication- - - - - - - - iv
Acknowledgement- - - - - - - v
Abstract- - - - - - - - viii
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study- - - - - - 1
Statement of problem - - - - - - 6
Purpose of the Study- - - - - - - 6
Research Question - - - - - - 7
Significance of the Study - - - - - 7
Scope of the Study - - - - - - - 8
Limitation to the study - - - - - 9
Dissertation structure/outline - - - - - 9
CHAPTER
TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Theoretical Framework
Concept of Athletics in Sport - - - - - 10
Benefits of Athletics - - - - - - 15
Concept of Sport Psychology - - - - - 17
Sports Psychology and Personality Traits - - - 21
Sports Psychology and Physical Performance - - - 24
Psychological
Factors Influencing Athletic Performance- - 26
Summary of Reviewed Literature - - - - - 41
CHAPTER
THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design of the study - - - - - 42
Population of the study- - - - - - 43
Sample and Sampling Technique- - - - - 44
Research Instrument- - - - - - - 44
Validity - - - - - - - - 44
Reliability- - - - - - - - 44
Administration of the Instrument - - - - 45
Method of Data Collection - - - - - - 45
Method of Data analysis - - - - - - 45
CHAPTER
FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
Demographic Analysis of Respondent - - - 46
Discussion of Findings - - - - - 56
CHAPTER
FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary - - - - - - - 58
Conclusion- -- - - - - - - 59
Recommendations - - - - - - - 60
References- - - - - - - - 62
Appendix- - - - - - - - 67
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Psychological factors
involved in athletic performance have always been a topic of great interest to
Athletes, coaches and sports psychologists alike. The continuous rise in this
interest level has led to a complementary rise in the application of
psychological strategies to improve performance in sports over the past few
decades and coaches are now beginning to realize the significance of
psychological factors in enhancing player performance (Sarı, Right, &
Demir, 2020). The impact of psychological factors on sports performance has
been observed in sports science literature from various angles underlining
certain important factors and qualities that are deemed necessary for an
athlete to thrive in sports. This ranges from emotional stability, motivation,
adaptability, competitive development and self-knowledge
(Goddard, Roberts, Byron-Daniel & Lindsay, 2021).
According to Abdullah, Musa, Maliki, Kosni, and Suppiah, (2016),
emotional stability in sports and athleticism refers to an athlete’s
self-awareness and ability to manage frustration and negative emotions thereby
enabling them to put up optimum performances with minimal drawbacks. Explaining
the virtue of motivation, adaptability, competitive development and
self-knowledge, Shalley and Perry-Smith (2020) assert that motivation or
inner force refers to an athlete’s passion, drive, and willingness to pay the
price required to achieve their goals. This factor according to them is what
fuels consistent effort and resilience, propelling athletes toward peak
performance. In the same vein they referred to adaptation ability as an
athlete’s capacity to learn, adapt to varying circumstances, and remain humble
displaying the desirable quality of flexibility in adjusting to different
situations contributing to overall performance.
In an unintended uniformity
in defining competitive development, San Martín and Herrero (2012) backs up Shalley and Perry-Smith
(2020) by defining competitive development as the ability of athletes to
translate learned skills and lessons into actual competition scenarios, which
is usually expressed in the managing of positive emotions, determination, and
the ability to excel under pressure fall within this category. Goddard (2020)
identifying self-knowledge as a crucial tool for optimizing sports performance,
asserted that when athletes truly understand themselves—acknowledging their
strengths, weaknesses, and emotional patterns—it becomes very easy to
effectively manage their emotions and channel them toward desired performance
outcomes. The combination of all these factors in sports participation is what Mustafa Sarkar and David Fletcher
(2014) referred to as psychological resilience. Psychological resilience
is important in sports because athletes must utilize and optimize a range of
mental qualities to withstand the pressures that they experience. This
according to Sonesson,
Kvist, Ardern, Österberg and Silbernagel, (2017) explains why there has been an
upsurge in the demand and adoption of psychological interventions among
organized sports clubs and state/national sports teams in recent years. The use of psychological
interventions in competitive sports to enhance performance has become
increasingly popular (Goddard, Claire-Marie, James
& Lindsay, 2021).
However, the effectiveness of these interventions has been questioned by some
sports psychologists. In general, educationally based-psychological
interventions have produced significant increases in performance. In one of the
earliest works on the link between psychological factors and sports
performance, Weinberg, and Comar, (1994) following a systematic review of 45
empirical studies found that 38 of the 45 studies examined (85%) had found
positive performance effects, although causality could only be inferred in 20
of these studies.
In the last decade, studies
on the link between psychological factors and athletic performance seem to be
more concentrated in the area of injury coping and recovery (Ogiamien & Izuagbe, 2016),
with particular emphasis on the likely psychological experiences athletes
are subjected to during injury and recovery periods, as well as the likely
implications on their performance in the event of return to action. Jowett and Felton (2013) asserted
that there is a strong link between psychological factors and the recovery/rehabilitation period
following a sports injury. Several studies have even emerged with empirical
evidence supporting the claim that positive psychological responses are
associated with a higher rate of returning to sports following athletic injury (Opara,
2012; Yıldırım, 2013; Nicholls, & Polman 2017), with some (Ardern, Taylor, Feller, & Webster, 2013)
even proposing that psychological responses of athletes should be taken into
account by clinicians during rehabilitation. The causal-effect link between psychological factors
and sports performance has become so strong in academic discourse that a theory
was developed to summarize the form of relationship that exists between these
two. There are certain moments during a competition that appear to carry
great psychological significance when the momentum starts to shift in one
direction or another. These Situations require sports persons to remain
completely focused and calm in the face of difficult circumstances. Determining
the personality profile and psychological state of Sports persons is the most
important topic of research in psychological studies in the field of sports.
Existing evidence shows that athletic success and participation in physical
activity can be predicted by personality traits and psychological state (Mahoney,
Gabriel, & Perkins, 2017).
While participation in
athletics has many benefits, the very nature of competition can provoke augment
or expose psychological issues in athletes (Weinberg & Gould, 2015).
Certain personality traits can aid in athletic success, yet these same traits
can also be associated with mental health disorders (Kelsey, 2014).
Importantly, the athletic culture may have an impact on performance and
psychological health through its effect on existing personality traits and
mental health disorders. There are many
studies on the development of psychological characteristics (Mahoney, Gabriel,
Perkins, 2017; Sonesson, et
al. 2017; Sarı, Right, & Demir, 2020). It has been emphasized by
sports psychologists that psychological skill training plays an important role
in the development of the psychological characteristics of athletes. It is seen
that some basic factors come to the fore in the development of basic
psychological characteristics (Galic, Protic, Zvan, & Kondric, 2014). Although
physical and motor skills have been an important performance indicator for
athletes recently, they are not considered sufficient for athletes to achieve
higher performance results. One of the important determinants of sportive
performance is psychological characteristics. To achieve a high level of
performance, it is necessary to develop psychological characteristics (Kaplan
& Andre, 2021). From the preceding paragraphs, it has been established that
psychological characteristics are crucial to improved athletic performance.
Hence there is a need to assess the relationship between psychological factors
and athletics performance among tertiary institutions. Therefore, this study is
instituted to examine psychological factors as a correlate of athletic performance
among student-athletes in Ambrose Alli University.
Statement of the Problem
The performance of athletes
in Ambrose Alli University, over the last decade has been fairly inconsistent.
In the annual Nigerian University Games (NUGA) held across the country, the
University has experienced low performance in the last 5 years with just 3 gold
medals to show for its yearly appearance in the competition in the last 7 years
(AAU Sports Division, 2023). This dwindling performance, upon
interaction with a few of these athletes, has been largely attributed to
various psychological factors that are weighing heavily on the athletes
representing the institution.
There are arrays of studies
establishing the link between psychological factors and sports performance.
While these studies have shown that psychological factors such as self-efficacy
and stress can impact athletic performance (Ekechukwu & Nwankwo 2016), it
is unclear whether these factors have the same impact on student-athletes as
they do on professional athletes.
While the line between
professional sports and collegiate athletic performance is becoming less and
less visible (Kaplan & Andre, 2021), various case-sensitive (or specific)
factors may produce variations in experiences between professional athletes and
college athletes. This is why it is important to mirror the established
findings of studies linking psychological factors and sports performance at the
professional level with that of athletes at the college or university level.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is
to examine the psychological factors influencing athletic performance of student-athletes in Ambrose Alli University. The study will
explore how factors such as motivation, confidence, and anxiety influence
performance in competitive sports. The following specific objectives will be
addressed in the course of the study:
1.
To identify the
psychological factors influencing the athletic performance of students at
Ambrose Alli University.
2.
To examine the influence of
motivation on athletes’ performance at Ambrose Alli University.
3.
To investigate the
relationship between motivation and athletic performance
4.
To examine the relationship
between anxiety and athletic performance.
5.
To examine the relationship
between stress and athletic performance.
Research Question
The following research
questions were raised to guide the study;
1. What are the psychological factors
influencing athletic performance among student-athletes in Ambrose
Alli University?
2. How does motivation affect the performance
of athletes in Ambrose Alli University?
3. Is there a relationship between stress and the performance of
student-athletes at Ambrose Alli University?
4.
Is there a relationship between anxiety and athletes’ performance at Ambrose Alli University?
5. Is there a relationship between motivation and athletes’
performance at Ambrose Alli University?
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
The scope of the study would
cover student-athletes at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. The study would be delimited to a variety of
sports, both team and individual, to explore how psychological factors
influence performance across different types of sports. The study would also
explore the role of the coach and other support personnel in developing and
supporting the psychological factors that are important for performance.
Significance of the Study
The significance of this
study would be to provide a better understanding of the psychological factors
that influence athletic performance among student-athletes. This knowledge could
be used to develop interventions to improve performance and promote mental
health and well-being among athletes. The findings could also be used to inform
the training of coaches and other support staff, to ensure that they are
providing the best possible support for athletes. The findings of the study
will also help to form a necessary reference point in the formulation of
grass-root sports policy, particularly in universities. Finally, the work is
likely to benefit the general populace by providing empirical links between
such psychological variables as stress, motivation, anxiety, etc., and sports
performance.
Dissertation Outline
• Chapter 1: Introduction.
The chapter provides background knowledge on the psychological factors
in sports and exercise; with particular emphasis on these factors as predictors
of athletes’ performance. The chapter also deals with other major foundational
issues such as the statement of the problem, clarification of objectives,
research questions, study significance, limitations and delimitations of the
study.
•
Chapter 2: Literature Review. This chapter explores the relevant
literature and scholarly works around the concept of psychology, sports
psychology and its impact on sports performance.
Chapter 3: Techniques. Chapter 3
contains a detailed explanation of the study's design, methodology, and
data-gathering processes, in addition to the steps for data analysis and result
generation.
• Chapter 4: Results/
Discussion. Using tables, graphs, and figures, this chapter focuses on the
presentation and interpretation of assembled data during the study.
Chapter
5: Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendation.
This chapter is dedicated to the integration of the study findings
with the existing body of knowledge, summarizes the work, and makes conclusive
remarks on the findings and their implications for policy development and
economic practices.
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