Rumination and Performance in Dynamic Team Sports
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2
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2
Michael Roy , Daniel Memmert , Anastasia Frees , Joseph Radzevick , Jean Pretz and Benjamin Noël
Introduction
Study 1
People high in rumination are
good at tasks that require
persistence while people low
in rumination are good at tasks
that require flexibility
(Altamirano et al., 2010). Here
we examine real world
implications of rumination in
professional athletes.
and Gettysburg
3
College
Study 1
Study 2
Participants included 25
professional soccer players,
46 club-level players and 30
non-athletes (all German
men). All groups completed
the rumination scale and also
reported their years of
experience at the current level.
20
y = -0.29x + 11.98
R² = 0.15
Participants included 21 members of
the USA women’s national field
hockey team and 78 women who
were matched for age as a control
group. Both groups completed the
rumination scale and the field
hockey players also completed case
scenarios. Responses to two case
scenarios specific to field hockey
were used to measure player’s
focus on either previous play or
future play.
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10
5
0
0
5
10
15
20
25
Years Playing Professionally
Study 2:
Focus After a Negative Play
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5
Differences in Rumination
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Focus of Thought
Previous Play
16
Future Play
Almost Never
Almost Always
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Rumination (95% CI)
Rumination is a thought style
where people get stuck in
repetitive, negative thoughts
(Nolen-Hoeksema et al.,
2008). There are two types of
rumination: brooding and
reflective. Brooding rumination
is the reflection on a past
event and is often associated
with strong emotion (Roberts
et al.,1998). Reflective
rumination is repetitive focus
on a past event in a analytical,
or problem solving manner
(Burwell et al., 2007). In our
previous research, we found
that being high in rumination
was associated with success
for musicians (Jones, Roy &
Verkuilen, 2014). It may be
that, like musicians, athletes
benefit from the persistence
that is associated with high
rumination. Alternatively,
athletes might benefit from the
goal switching ability that is
associated with low rumination
(Altamirano et al., 2010).
German Sports University, Cologne
2
Germany
Reflective Rumination
Elizabethtown
1
College
Discussion
12
Professional
Club
Control
14.3
10
13.6
14.6
14.3
13.6
13.9
12.3
11.2
11
8
9.5
6
Reflective
Brooding
Study 1: Football
Reflective
Brooding
Study 2: Field Hockey
In 2 studies we found that professional male
soccer players from Germany and female field
hockey players on the US national team
displayed lower levels of reflective rumination
than did non-athletes. Further, low levels of
reflective rumination were associated with
better performance in soccer players. In
addition, field hockey players in Study 2
reported that they would be unlikely to think
about past or future plays during a match.
Results indicate that musicians might benefit
from the increased persistence associated
with being high in rumination but athletes
might benefit from the flexibility that is
associated with being low in rumination.