PhD, Associate Professor M.A. Kuzmin¹
PhD, Associate Professor N.N. Smirnova²
O.V. Kostormin2
¹Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Moscow
²Saint-Petersburg Mining University, Saint-Petersburg

Keywords: differential sport psychology, psychological adaptation, mental conditioning, competitive conditions, personality traits, emotionality, motivation

Background. Presently the differential sport psychology is being actively developed as it helps, among other things, study group progress differences versus the personal traits of the athletes.

Objective of the study was to develop and offer an individual precompetitive mental conditioning technology customizable to the personality traits.

Methods and structure of the study. We run an analysis of the relevant scientific literature, factor analysis and used the M.A. Kuzmin and A.N. Nikolaev methods for the study purposes [2-4]. Having analyzed the individual mental adaptabilities of the athletes, we developed an individualized precompetitive mental conditioning technology to facilitate the competitive progresses with a special priority to the personal emotionality and motivations. We sampled for the study: athletes from different sports (n=563); cross-country skiers (n=138); basketball players (n=142); figure skaters (n=144); and martial artists (judo, n=139).

Results and discussion. Based on the findings of the factor analysis, the athletes were split up into three groups with their own problem-specific goals and personality traits. The new technology offers three sets of tools customizable for the group personality traits critical for the precompetitive mental conditioning purposes.

Group 1 includes highly-emotional highly-motivated active competitors. The group differs in its high emotional sensitivity and anxiety combined with the high competitive motivations, responsibility and must-win agenda. The group is exposed to hyper-motivations and performance disorders. The group was offered the following progress goals (1) optimize the precompetitive mental setting and scale down the anxiety; and (2) optimize the competitive motivations to prevent the hyper-motivation related disorders.

Goal 1 was attained by the relevant mental tests and emotional balancing practices [2, 5, 6]. Furthermore, the precompetitive mental conditioning tools included: daily sleep and activity control recommendations; monotonous slow working practices; relaxation tools; controlled choice techniques; and general mental controls/ culture improvement tools (to control anxiety). The relaxation and mental control improvement practices prioritized the relevant rehabilitation and attention control/ switchover methods.

Goal 2 was closely interrelated to the above since the emotionality self-control and anxiety/ tension mitigation efforts may often reduce the precompetitive motivations. Therefore, Goal 2 required the athletes to: review the nearest targets, ease the burden of responsibility, switch over attention from the goal to the process; and build up the self-confidence.         

Group 2 included the highly-emotional athletes with low precompetitive motivations. The group is specific in its exposure to negative emotions including fears and anxiety; with its high emotional sensitivity largely limiting the progress motivations. The group was offered the following progress goals: (1) optimize the precompetitive mental setting and scale down the anxiety; and (2) optimize the competitive motivations by a special priority to the must-win agenda.

The group mental conditioning methods were largely the same as for Group 1, with the progress motivations and success motivations building methods designed to:

• Test the competitive success motivations;
• Form the competitive motivations based on the prestart mental controls with support from the past individual progress/ success experiences;
• Form a must-win mindset with support from a rational psychotherapeutic service with the must-win agenda facilitated by a focus on the individual strength;
• Remind the athlete his/her responsibility to supporters, team and country to spur up the must-win motivations;
• Make an intensive warm up with encouraging musical illustrations;
• Set the near/ interim/ final goals; and
• Help by the individual indirect suggestion tools.

Group 3 includes the low-emotional and low-motivated athletes whose emotional stability and stress tolerance may be advantageous on the one hand; albeit the low motivations and poor mental fitness may limit their competitive progresses on the other hand. Therefore, the group mental conditioning service was geared to activate the athletes and build up their success motivations [1]. The group was offered the following progress goals: (1) optimize the precompetitive mental setting with a special priority to individualized activation; and (2) optimize the competitive motivations with a special emphasis on the must-win agenda.

Goal 1 was attained by:

• Intensive warm-ups;
• Emotionality control and spur-up tools, with the individual activation tasks;
• ‘Most successful event’ recalling practice; and
• Self-suggestive training.

And Goal 2 of the group was attained by the same motivational methods and tools as recommended for Group 2.

Conclusion. The individualized precompetitive mental conditioning method was found beneficial as it helps step up the athletes’ competitive motivations, must-win agendas, adaptability and stress tolerance for competitive success.

References

1. Izotov E.A., Smirnova N.N. Ideomotor training to facilitate darts player's precompetitive mobilization rate. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2017. no. 5. pp. 53-55.
2. Kuzmin M.A. Differential sport psychology. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2018, no. 4, pp. 5–7.
3. Kuzmin M.A. Psychological adaptation to conditions of martial arts competitions. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2017, no. 5, pp. 37–39.
4. Kuzmin M.A., Zarodnyuk G.V., Larionova M.N. Psychological adaptation in cyclic sports. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2019. no, 4. pp. 96-98.
5. Rudenko G.V., Dubrovskaya Yu.A., Bobrov I.V. Individual psychophysiological potential test model. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2018, no. 4, pp. 8-10.
6. Savelyev D.S., Sidorenko S.A. Effects of competitive martial arts on first-year students' psychophysiology. Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kultury. 2017. no. 5. pp. 43-45.

Corresponding author: Kuzmin-maxsim@yandex.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to develop and offer an individual precompetitive mental conditioning technology customizable to the personality traits.

Methods and structure of the study. We run an analysis of the relevant scientific literature, factor analysis and used the M.A. Kuzmin and A.N. Nikolaev methods for the study purposes [2-4]. Having analyzed the individual mental adaptabilities of the athletes, we developed an individualized precompetitive mental conditioning technology to facilitate the competitive progresses with a special priority to the personal emotionality and motivations. We sampled for the study: athletes from different sports (n=563); cross-country skiers (n=138); basketball players (n=142); figure skaters (n=144); and martial artists (judo, n=139).

Results and conclusions. Three groups of athletes were formed: Group 1 – athletes characterized by high emotionality and high level of motivation, Group 2 – those characterized by high emotionality and low level of motivation, and Group 3 – those characterized by low emotionality and low level of motivation.

For each group of athletes, we developed the tasks aimed to accelerate and improve their psychological adaptation to competitive conditions with due regard to the athletes’ psychological qualities.

The individualized precompetitive mental conditioning method was found beneficial as it helps step up the athletes’ competitive motivations, must-win agendas, adaptability and stress tolerance for competitive success.