Mood
Getting into the right state of mind is critical for optimal performance. In general, mood can be described as positive or negative, and the research into the relationship between mood and performance suggests that a positive mood is better.
Mood influences your performance
Excitement, joy, and happiness are associated with better concentration, confidence, and motivation, whereas negative moods are associated with anger and frustration. When you are happy and enjoy what you are doing, it is easier for you to focus on the task at hand as you become more engrossed in the activity. In contrast when you unhappy you can be easily distracted and disengaged.
Totterdell (1999) studied the association between mood and performance in elite cricket players. 53 participants from 4 different teams, played in a cricket match lasting 3 or 4 days (not all in the same match), and were asked to rate their moods at different times during the game (before play, lunch, tea break, and at the end of play).
The researchers were interested to learn whether their mood at the start of a session would effect how they performed during each section of play. Performance was measured by self-ratings of how they played, and objective measures such as bowling and batting averages.
They researchers found that players performed better when feeling happy, focused, energetic, enthusiastic and confident.
Cricketers played better when feeling happy, focused, energetic, enthusiastic and confident.
Body language can influence mood
A study conducted by Nair, Sagar, Sollers, Consedine, and Broadbent (2015) at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, suggested positive body language resulted in participants feeling more enthusiastic, excited, and strong. In contrast, negative body language led to participants feeling more fearful, hostile, and nervous.
A well-known study conducted by Strack, Martin, and Stepper (1988) looked at whether mimicking a smile would influence a person’s sense of humour. A group was instructed to hold a pen between their teeth (facilitating the muscles associated with smiling), while the other group was told to hold a pen between their lips (inhibiting the muscles we use when smiling).
The participants were then shown a series of funny cartoons and asked to rate how funny they thought the cartoons were. If body language has no influence over our feelings, then there should be no difference in how the two groups reacted to the cartoons. Interestingly, the results showed that the participants in the ‘smile’ group rated the cartoons funnier, compared to the ‘non-smiling’ group.
The moral of the story
Smiling has the ability to activate positive emotions, and help reduce the impact of stress. So smile, and smile often. The adage of ‘grin and bear it’ has proven value and should not be ignored. It could be very helpful in maintaining a positive mood under times of competition stress.
Enjoyment is a big reason why athletes participate in sport. The more we enjoy something the more likely we are to repeat it. If we display negative body language too much and associate negative mood with an activity, it is possible that over time we will choose to avoid the activity. e.g. drop out of the sport altogether. We see many junior athletes drop out of sport at any early age, and teaching them to manage their emotions, with strategies such as body language training, may be a strategy to help reduce this.
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