Σας καλούμε στην δημόσια υποστήριξη του Υποψηφίου Διδάκτορα Γαλάνη Ευάγγελου, την επόμενη Τρίτη 27 Ιουνίου και ώρα 12.30 στην αίθουσα συνεδριάσεων του ΤΕΦΑΑ Π.Θ.
Θέμα: «Self-Talk Mechanisms»
(Μηχανισμοί Λειτουργίας Αυτο-ομλίας)
Επιβλέπων: Αντώνης Χατζηγεωργιάδης, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής ΤΕΦΑΑ ΠΘ

Η διατριβή είναι γραμμένη στα Αγγλικά και θα παρουσιαστεί στην Ελληνική γλώσσα.

Abstract

Self-talk interventions in sport have been receiving increased research attention in recent years. The findings have provided robust support that self-talk strategies enhance sport performance. Identifying the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of self-talk strategies is now among the top priorities for a comprehensive understanding of the self-talk phenomenon. Overall, the purpose of the present research was to forward the literature through the investigation of potential mechanisms that explain the facilitating effects of self-talk on performance. Towards this direction three studies were conducted. The first study is a systematic review that aims at providing an overview of the existing literature and guidance for further research developments on the self-talk mechanisms. Additionally, a prospective model of self-talk mechanisms in sport is introduced. The second study focuses on attentional mechanisms and aimed at examining the effects of self-talk strategies on different attention functions, namely, alertness, vigilance, focused, selective, divided, and spatial attention. To accomplish this purpose six separate experiments testing the effects of self-talk interventions on attention functions were conducted, using the Vienna Test System an instrument assessing neuropsychological functioning. The results showed that in all experiments the experimental groups displayed superior attentional performance compared to the control groups; a meta-analytic synthesis of the results showed a large effect size. Finally, the third study explored the effectiveness of self-talk strategies on task performance under conditions of external distraction. Two experiments in different setting were conducted: a lab experiment, where particpants were tested on a computer game following a short training period, and a field experiment, where basketball players were tested on free throw shooting, following a six-week intervention. The results showed that in both experiments participants using self-talk performed better than control participants, thus suggesting that self-talk can help countering the detrimental effects of external distractions on performance. Overall, the present investigation provides a working framework for the study of self-talk mechanisms and valuable empirical evidence regarding the attentional effects of self-talk as a key factor explaining the effectiveness of self-talk interventions. The present evidence provides exciting prospect for future research on self-talk mechanisms and the understanding of the self-talk phenomenon in general.