L.G. Maydokina, Ph.D.
O.V. Kudashkina, Ph.D.
Mordovian State Pedagogical Institute named after M.E. Evsev'ev, Saransk

Key words: self-regulation, psychological training, athlete, development.

Relevance. Currently, one of the fundamental problems in Russia is its acquisition of the status of innovative sports power via violent and rapid development of professional sport. The trust in hosting numerous international sport events (Olympics 2014, FIFA World Cup 2018 etc.), proves the importance of sport in the social and political life of the country. In light of these events a system of psychological training is to be built for the quality training of athletes, which is important for achievement of high results.

An opportunity of successful performance in large-scale competitions is to a great extent determined by the level of development of self-regulation - an important component of the system of psychological training of athletes. Each coach is to teach his trainee how to use different methods of self-regulation, avoid adverse emotional breakdowns, and prevent overexertion.

There are a lot of sources of psychological threat for an individual in sport including: "start fever", "pre-start apathy", increased anxiety and aggression, etc. These sources distract and unbalance athletes. The same sources stimulate the senses of fear, confusion, lack of confidence in own powers; they lead to personality deformation, development of psychological helplessness, inadequacy in evaluation of psychological threat. Despite their perfect physical fitness, most athletes are not able to cope with their negative emotions and often demonstrate negative results. Sharp negative emotional shifts are observed during and after competitions, and most athletes are not able to manage their state all by themselves, so it is important for a psychologist and a coach to support athletes in formation and development of self-regulation under sports activity conditions.

Both in the research works by the specialists in the sphere of sports theory (V.K. Bal'sevich, N.G. Ozolin, Zh.K. Kholodov, L.P. Matveev et al), and in the studies of sports psychologists (A.V. Rodinov, S.D. Neverkovich, V.N. Nepopalov, V.F. Sopov et al) much attention is given to the psychological factor in the training process and preparation of an athlete for competitions.

The purpose of the research was to develop and test psychological and educational facilities for development of an athlete's self-regulation.

Materials and methods. The diagnostic techniques used in the current research were as follows: the derived version of the methodology "Style of behavior self-regulation" (V.I. Morosanov); the questionnaire survey on the degree of self-regulation of emotional sphere, activity and behavior (G.S. Nikiforov, V.K. Vasil’ev, S.V. Firsova); the author's questionnaire "Awareness of the methods and techniques of self-regulation of mental state"; mathematical processing methods.

To study the level of development of athlete's self-regulation a study was conducted on the premises of the Regional Research and Practical Center of Physical Culture and Healthy Lifestyle, the structural subdivision of the Mordovian Base Center of Pedagogical Education of MordSPI [2], which involved junior athletes engaged in track and field athletics and single combat. The sampling included 155 people.

Results and discussion. The study consisted of 3 stages. At the ascertaining stage we detected the level of self-regulation, and the degree of self-control of emotional sphere, activity and behavior, examined the knowledge of the methods and techniques of self-regulation of mental state. The research results revealed a high percentage of individuals having an insufficient level of development of self-regulation and self-control of emotional sphere, activity and behavior, who find it difficult to apply the methods and techniques of self-regulation in practice, but at the same time are willing to learn and master effective ways of self-regulation of mental state. At the forming stage of the study, for the purpose of development of self-regulation, the program "Mental self-regulation in sport" [1] was elaborated and implemented in the experimental group, which was focused on the formation of the knowledge of mental self-regulation, abilities to anticipate and regulate negative mental states occurring during sports activity.

Among the main tasks of the program were: to extend and expand the knowledge of psychological training in sport; to form the knowledge of mental self-regulation in sport; to actualize and improve the skills to use psychological knowledge in sports activity; to form the skills to control own behavior and actions of other people during sports activity; to develop athlete’s self-regulation skills.

On completion of the program an athlete is to:

know: the foundations of psychological training in sport; the foundations of mental self-regulation in sport;

be able to: apply psychological knowledge in sports activity; use the methods and techniques of self-regulation in sport; control own behavior and actions of other people during sports activity; elaborate recommendations on how to overcome adverse psychological conditions in sport;

possess: the skills of regulation and self-regulation of adverse psychological conditions.

The program of the course includes the theoretical and practical parts, which are interdependent and interrelated. The theoretical part involves the formation of the psychological knowledge necessary for effective mastering of the skills of mental self-regulation (concept, types of pre-start emotional states, methods and techniques of self-regulation of psychological state, etc.). The practical part is focused on the development of particular skills and abilities necessary for the successful sports activity (the skill to control own emotional state in sport, the skill to regulate own aggression and so on).

We have designed a sample thematic plan of training sessions which included several modules: psychological training in sport, mental conditions in sport, peculiarities of mental self-regulation in sport.

There are several basic subjects in each module. Thus, in the first module the following issues are considered: general and special psychological training of an athlete, psychological peculiarities of a sports team, psychological expertise of a coach. The knowledge acquired while learning the current module will help prepare a student for qualitative assimilation of the succeeding subjects. In the second module we singled out the subjects related to mental conditions in sport, among which were: the concept and content of mental self-regulation, classification of the methods of mental self-regulation, mental conditions in sports activity. Special focus is on the third module; however, assimilation of the two preceding ones will help actualize and expand psychological knowledge and will prepare a subject of sports activity for learning the peculiarities of mental self-regulation in sport. The third module includes such subjects as mental self-regulation in sports activity, methods and techniques of self-regulation in sport, self-regulation of a pre-start emotional state, psycho-pedagogical support in development of self-regulation of a subject of sports activity, psycho-technologies of development of the self-regulation skills in a subject of sports activity. Training sessions held a special place in our work with athletes. Thanks to this form we could implement an individualized approach in the development of self-regulation, elaborate an individual system of self-regulation, and at the same time solve the issue of self-cognition, during which various aspects of own behavior and personality were studied.

At the control stage of the research the dynamics of development of self-regulation was determined in athletes. The obtained data provided the basis for evaluation of the effectiveness of the program of development of self-regulation in an athlete at the forming stage of the study. The dynamics of development of self-regulation of an athlete was determined using the same research methodologies as at the ascertaining stage. The results of the control test revealed the changes in the level of development of self-regulation of an athlete that occurred upon implementation of the specially designed program. The changes were registered both in the experimental and control groups. However, the rate and level of changes in these groups were different. The changes in the level of development of self-regulation, the degree of self-control of emotional sphere, activity and behavior are represented in Table 1.

Table 1. Indicators of the level of self-regulation, the degree of self-control of emotional sphere, activity and behavior of athletes

Comments: E1 – experimental group at the ascertaining stage; К1 – control group at the ascertaining stage; E2 – experimental group at the control stage; C2 – control group at the control stage

Basing on the analysis of the obtained data, it can be concluded that at the control stage most of the athletes from the experimental group had the average level of self-regulation (66.7% – track and field athletes and 69.2% – combatants), a considerable proportion of the respondents had the high level of development of self-regulation (26.7% – track and field athletes and 30.8% – combatants), the low level of development was registered in 6.7% of track and field athletes, but such level was not observed in the combatants.

In the control group at the control stage the changes that occurred were not so significant and were represented by the following indicators: the average level was recorded in 53.3% of track and field athletes and 61.5% of combatants, low level – in 26.7 % of track and field athletes and 15.4% of combatants, high level – in 20% of track and field athletes and 23.1% of combatants.

The analysis of the obtained data revealed that the number of athletes from the experimental group who had the high and average levels of development of self-regulation had increased. This proves that athletes are able to regulate their state and manage their behavior themselves, as well as adequately respond to the changes occurring in the internal and external conditions.

Using the questionnaire survey of G.S. Nikiforov, V.K. Vasil’ev, S.V. Firsova, a positive dynamics of development of self-control of emotional sphere, activity and behavior was determined in the athletes from the experimental group. According to the obtained data, it should be mentioned that some positive changes by the “self-control of emotional sphere” scale were traced in the experimental group. Thus, the high level of self-control was registered in 20% of track and field athletes and 30.8% of combatants, the average level of self-control – in 80% of track and field athletes and 61.5% of combatants, the low level of self-control by the given scale was not observed in the track and field athletes, however, in the combatants it equaled 7.7%.

In the control group the changes were not so significant: the high level was observed in 13.3% of track and field athletes and 23.1% of combatants, the average level – in 80 % of track and field athletes and 61.5% of combatants, the low level – in 6.7 % of track and field athletes and 15.4% of combatants.

The analysis of the indicators registered in the athletes from the experimental group by the “self-control of activity” scale reveals that 26.7% of track and field athletes and 30.8% of combatants had the high level of self-control, 73.4 % of track and field athletes and 61.5% of combatants had the average level of self-control, track and field athletes did not display the low level, however, it was observed in 7.7% of combatants.

In the control group the changes were not that significant: the high level was recorded in 20% of track and field athletes and 23.1% of combatants, average– in 66.7% of track and field athletes and 69.2% of combatants, low – in 13.3% of track and field athletes and 7.7% of combatants.

According to the results we obtained in the experimental group by the “behavior self-control” scale, the high level of self-control by the given scale was registered in 20% of track and field athletes and 30.8% of combatants, average - in 80% of track and field athletes and 61.5% of combatants. The low level of self-control was not typical for the track and field athletes, while in the combatants it equaled 7.7%.

The changes that occurred in the control group are not that significant: the high level was recorded in 13.3% of track and field athletes and 23.1% of combatants, average – in 80% of track and field athletes and 61.5% of combatants, low – in 6.7% of track and field athletes and 15.4% of combatants.

Consequently, the data obtained during the control experiment indicate a high percentage of individuals with the high and average levels of self-control of emotional sphere, activity and behavior among the athletes from the experimental group, both track and field athletes and combatants, and only a small part of the examined displayed the low level of development of self-control.

The statistical estimation of the significance of the identified changes was carried out using the Mann-Whitney U-test. To estimate the significance of differences of the obtained data we conducted a statistical verification of the changes in the level of development of self-regulation of athletes (track and field athletes and combatants) from the experimental and control groups at the ascertaining and control stages of the study.

Table 2. Statistical significance of the changes in the level of self-regulation, the degree of self-control in emotional sphere, activity and behavior of athletes

Comments: The critical values for the Mann-Whitney U-test for track and field athletes (n=15): where р=0,05 U_test = 75, where р=0,01 U_test = 56. The critical values for the Mann-Whitney U-test for combatants (n=13): where р=0,05 U_test = 51, при р=0,01 U_test = 39.

The analysis of the indicators and the significance of the data, represented in Table 2, revealed that in the control groups at the control stage of the study the empirical value of the U-test turned out to be higher than the critical value of the 5%-level of significance. This fact is evidence of the absence of the significance of differences of the indicators in the control groups before and after the forming experiment.

The data obtained at the control stage of the pilot testing showed that the U-test empirical values of the characteristics of the track and field athletes from the experimental group were lower than the 1%-level, which is evidence of their statistical significance. In the combatants from the experimental group the U-test empirical values of the characteristic under study – namely, self-regulation, were lower than the 1%-level, which indicates their statistical significance; as for such characteristics as self-control of emotional sphere, self-control of activity, behavior self-control, the U-test empirical values were lower than the critical value of the 5%-level, which is also evidence of their statistical significance.

Conclusions. Addressing the issue of development of self-regulation of a subject of sports activity is timely and relevant since high achievements in sport depend on developed self-regulatory system too. A subject capable of regulating his own mental state can fully realize the sports potential [1]. The study revealed the positive effect from the implemented program "Mental self-regulation in sport" on the development of athlete's self-regulation. The characterized program is of great scientific and theoretical and professional-practical value for the formation of psychological competency and self-regulation of an athlete. Having mastered the program, an athlete acquired the knowledge of psychological training and mental self-regulation in sport; skills to apply psychological knowledge in practice, use a variety of methods and techniques of self-regulation in sport, to manage his own behavior and actions of other people in sports activity; improved regulation and self-regulation skills regarding adverse mental conditions. Thus, the findings confirmed the effectiveness of the implemented program of athlete's self-regulation development.

References

1. Maydokina, L.G. The content of the areas of psycho-pedagogical support of the development of self-regulation of a subject of sports activity / L.G. Maydokina, O.V. Kudashkina // Gumanitarnye nauki i obrazovanie. – 2013. – № 2. – P. 52–56. (In Russian)
2. Shukshina, T.I. Mordovian basic center of pedagogical education as an innovative model of teacher training / T.I. Shukshina // Rossiyskiy nauchny zhurnal. – 2011. – № 4. – P. 76–85. (In Russian)

Corresponding author: lyda_maydokina84@mail.ru