Investigating the Experiences of Track Athletes during a Season-long Psychological Skills and Biofeedback Training Program

• Main Author: Stelfox, Kara B
• Other Authors: Werthner, Penny
• Language: en
• Published: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa 2012
• Subjects: psychological skills training; biofeedback; focus; arousal control; debriefing; track athletes; qualitative research
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10393/23572; http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-6249

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of five track athletes (three men and two women, aged 18-33 yrs) during a season-long PST-Biofeedback training program designed to help them learn how to self-regulate physiologically, psychologically, and emotionally. Three key psychological skills were emphasized: focus (Janelle, 2002; Nideffer & Sagal, 2006), arousal control through biofeedback training (e.g., Bar-Eli, Dreshman, Blumenstein, & Weinstein, 2002), and debriefing (Hogg, 2002; McArdle, Martin, Lennon, & Moore, 2010). The program, which consisted of one-on-one initial and final semi-structured interviews with PST-biofeedback sessions in between, was individualized to meet each athlete’s needs and progress during the study. Results indicated that the athletes found the program helpful; they perceived an improvement in their ability to focus, debrief, and control arousal in the lab; and, to varying degrees, they transferred those skills into training and competition. The athletes also perceived an improvement in their sport performances.