SELF-CONFIDENCE: THE KEY TO SPORT SUCCESS

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SELF-CONFIDENCE THE KEY TO SPORT SUCCESS

• Damon Burton
• University of Idaho

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What is self-confidence?
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SELF- CONFIDENCE DEFINED

• True Self-Confidence is a realistic belief or
  expectation of achieving success.
• Self-Confidence is
• not what you hope to do but what you
  realistically expect to do
• not what you tell others but your innermost
  thoughts about your realistic capabilities,
• not pride in past deeds but a realistic judgment
  about what you are able to do

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SELF CONFIDENCE TERMINOLOGY
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SELF-EFFICACY DEFINED

• Self-efficacy is a realistic belief or
  expectation about achieving success on a specific
  task in a specific situation.
• For example, I can pole vault 166 in this
  meet. or I will hit this game-winning shot.
• Self-efficacy is least impacted by personality
  because it is highly specific, unstable and based
  on situational factors such as task difficulty,
  preparation, recent successes/failures and
  playing conditions.

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RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TYPES OF CONFIDENCE

• Confidence is developed bottom up. Athletes
  should attempt to enhance self-efficacy by
  accumulating success experiences in specific
  situations.
• Next, as self-efficacy experiences increase ,
  state self-confidence improves.
• Finally, an accumulation of state self-confidence
  experiences eventually boosts trait
  self-confidence.
• For example, an athlete may have high
  self-efficacy of rebounding well in an upcoming
  game but be worried about her ability to play
  good defense on the opponents star player.
• Making some good stops increases defensive
  self-efficacy during the game. A strong overall
  defensive game enhances state self confidence to
  play well overall in the next game, while 6 good
  games in a row boosts trait basketball self
  confidence.

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HIERARCHICAL MODEL OF CONFIDENCE
Self-Esteem
Global Level
Domain Level
Physical
Mental
Social
Artistic
Attractive Body
Context Level
Sport Competence
Physical Strength
Physical Condition
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Does self-confidence enhance performance?
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SELF-CONFIDENCE ENHANCES PERFORMANCE

• Mahoney Avener (1976) 1976 Olympic qualifiers
  were more confident than nonqualifiers.
• Feltz (1988) review found moderate to strong
  relationships between confidence and performance
  (i.e., mean r .54).
• Research finds a reciprocal relationship between
  self-confidence and performance.

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HOW SELF-CONFIDENCE IMPACTS PERFORMANCE

• lowers anxiety by creating positive expectations
  of success,
• increases motivation by raising perceived
  competence,
• enhances concentration by eliminating distraction
  from negative thoughts and personal putdowns.

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What are the three types of self-confidence?
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CONFIDENCE-PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP

• Diffidence Optimal SC
  Overconfidence
• PERF
• SELF-CONFIDENCE

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OPTIMALSELF-CONFIDENCE

• Competence -- possess the knowledge, strategies,
  skills and abilities necessary for success,
• Preparation sufficiently prepared so you can
  successfully perform those skills and strategies
  in a particular competitive situation.
• Villanovas 1984 upset of Georgetown in the NCAA
  Championship Game.

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DIFFIDENT ATHLETES . . .

• confuse what is with what they wish would be
  or with what ought to be,
• see themselves as losers and act accordingly,
• mistakes devastate their competence,
• self doubts fuel self-fulfilling prophecies that
  create a vicious negative spiral,
• focus on their shortcomings and overlook their
  accomplishments, and
• are underachievers whose confidence limits their
  development

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TYPES OF OVERCONFIDENCE

• inflated confidence, and
• false confidence.

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INFLATED CONFIDENCE

• People who believe they are better than they
  really are and have an inflated opinion of
  themselves and their skills.
• They overestimate their abilities while
  underestimating their opponents skills.
• Pampering from parents/coaches, playing weak
  competition, and excessive media hype are its
  primary causes.
• Often they are competent but dont prepare
  adequately.

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FALSE CONFIDENCE

• act confident on the outside but inside fear
  failure and are really diffident,
• pretend to be brash, cocky and arrogant,
• difficulty admitting errors and filled with
  excuses,
• difficult to coach because they wont accept
  responsibility for mistakes, and
• normally prepare hard but lack the competence to
  be successful.

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What is the difference between performance and
outcome confidence?
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PERFORMANCE- VERSUS OUTCOME CONFIDENCE

• Performance Confidence performers belief that
  they can execute the skills and strategies
  necessary to perform well and attain their goals.
• Outcome Confidence performers belief that they
  will socially compare well and win the
  competition.

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WHY IS PERFORMANCE CONFIDENCE BETTER?

• Performance standards are more flexible so they
  can be raised or lowered to consistently achieve
  optimal difficulty necessary to keep motivation
  high.
• Success is also more controllable, enhancing
  self-determination, and thus prompting performers
  to take credit for their successes as indicative
  of increased competence.

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What are some specific strategies you use to
boost your self-confidence?
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CONFIDENCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

• general confidence development strategies,
• six confidence development tips for
  practitioners, and
• strategies for developing and maintaining
  confidence during competition.

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ENHANCING SELF-CONFIDENCE
Performance Accomplishments
Behaviors
Vicarious Experiences
Performance
Self- Confidence
Verbal Persuasion
Thoughts
Physiological Arousal Control
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ENHANCING SELF-CONFIDENCE
Hierarchical Model Interventions
Performance Accomplishments 1.
Vicarious Experiences 1. 2.
Verbal Persuasion 1. 2.
Physiological Arousal 1. 2.
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GENERAL CONFIDENCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

• performance accomplishment
• goal-setting,
• vicarious experiences,
• modeling/demonstrations Namaths Jets,
• imagery Russell déjà vu,
• verbal persuasion,
• reinforcement enhances feelings of competence,
• self talk confidence script,
• arousal control.

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CONFIDENCE-DEVELOPMENT TIPS FOR PRACTITIONERS

• develop a systematic goal setting program and log
  and graph progress,
• create a personal Hall-of-Fame,
• design a systematic conditioning program and
  maximize preparation,
• use effective modeling strategies,
• replay past successes and imagine future
  triumphs, and
• emphasize confidence-building thoughts.

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How do you maintain your self-confidence during
competition?
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DEVELOPING MAINTAINING COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE

• appraise situations as challenges rather than
  threats,
• develop readiness, performance and recovery plans
  to deal with problems,
• emphasize problem-focused coping strategies to
  reduce threat,
• use emotion-focused coping techniques to feel
  less threatened, and
• focus on more controllable process and
  performance goals.

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What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?
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SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY

• Self-Fulfilling Prophecies occur when
  coaches/teachers expectations prompt
  athletes/students to behave or perform in a way
  that conforms with those expectancies.
• Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) found that a group
  teachers believed were academic late bloomers
  made greater educational gains than did a control
  group for whom they had neutral expectancies.
• Expectancies of teachers, coaches and parents can
  significantly raise or lower performers
  self-confidence.

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What are the four (4) steps of the
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Process?
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SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY MODEL
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SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY PROCESS

• STEP 1 Coaches Develop Expectations
• STEP 2 Coaches Expectations Influence their
  Treatment of Athletes (i.e., frequency,
  duration, and quality of interactions)
• STEP 3 Athletes Learning and Performance
  Is Impacted by Differential Treatment
• STEP 4 -- Athletes Behavior Conforms to
  Coaches Expectations

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STEP 1 COACHES FORM EXPECTATIONS

• Person Cues
• race,
• gender
• socioeconomic status,
• size,
• body type, and
• style of dress.
• Performance Information
• conditioning and skills tests,
• previous performance history,
• evaluation of others, and
• tryout information.

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STEP 2 DIFFERENTIAL EXPECTANCIES IMPACT COACHING
BEHAVIORS

• type, frequency and warmth of interactions,
• nature of instructional behaviors (e.g., skills
  taught, difficulty of skills, and persistence)
• nature of feedback behaviors (e.g., valence,
  specificity, and corrective content)
• attributions for success and failure.

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STEP 3 COACHES BEHAVIOR IMPACTS ATHLETES
PERFORMANCE

• quantity and quality of learning,
• quality of competitive cognitions and
  performance, and
• long-term development.

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STEP 4 ATHLETES PERFORMANCE CONFORMS WITH
COACHES EXPECTATIONS

• Athletes most susceptible to Self-Fulfilling
  Prophecy effects are . . .
• younger,
• less experienced,
• lower in self-esteem,
• more coachable, and
• value success more.

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How do we maximize positive Self-Fulfilling
Prophecy effects?
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HOW TO MAXIMIZE POSITIVE SFP EFFECTS

• Determine what sources of information are used to
  form expectations.
• Realize initial expectancies may be inaccurate,
  requiring adjustment as performers skill changes.
• Equalize skill-development time across athletes.
• Provide all performers sufficient time to fully
  master skills.
• Respond to errors with corrective instruction.
• Focus on product as a means to attain product.
• Develop good coach-athlete relationships.
• Create a performance-oriented team climate.