Self-Talk, The Key To Cognitive Control In Sports

Prof. Dr. Nadhim Al-Wattar

Mosul University/Iraq

In life, we have many languages, Ido not mean the spoken ones, Imean the silent languages.

Among these languages are themind language, thought, spirit andthe language of dealing with others.

In sports, we have to have animportant language which it is selftalk.!!!!!

Self‐talk is a mental skill and astyle that can be gained throughlearning and training.

It is included within a group ofuses that affect in the athlete'sadoption for the training programand lowering the psychologicalstress

Positive Thinking                            Negative Thinking

Self‐talk is one of thecognitive techniques which areused to help the athletes incorrecting their negativethoughts and change thesethoughts to beliefs that areaccompanied by behavioralemotive control.

Self talk uses:

1. Self‐talk is used for skill acquisition.

self talk is a type of mentalplanning which helps inlearning many kinetic skills.

This talk depends on thenature of the player andlevel of the player

in addition to learningstage and the nature of theskill.

2. Self‐talk for changing bad habits.

It is used as an active method in changing the wrong habits in the learned skill.

3. Self‐talk for focusing attention:

self‐talk can help athletescontrol their attention.

It is easy that their attentionto be distracted during thegame or training but it is alsoeasy to focus attention by asimple verbal word.

4. Self‐talk for creating effect or mood:

Researchers found that simplewords can employ effort to reachimportant changes in performance.

Each word has an active effectwhich is connected to themovement content.

Using certain words can provokefeelings.

5. Self‐talk for changing effect or mood:

the self‐talk can help angry athletes to refocus theirenergy to use it correctly.

6. Self‐talk for controlling effect:

self‐talk is an active method to save energy and resistance.

The athletes use self‐talk not only to direct movement but also tosupport it.

7. Self‐talk for building self‐efficacy

it is the individual'sexpectation to succeedin a certain task or toface a certainchallenge.

Training methods of self‐talk:

Thinking strategies which includes:

1. Thoughts stopping,

2.Thoughts changing,

Cognitive Intervention insports

Anxiety‐Relief Conditioning,

(relax and come down)

Rational thinking

We should ask the players to write a pyramid ofthe things they fear and to start with the leastthing that scares them to the most one.

Training stage:This STAGE includesteaching the athletes themethods of conditioningwith the tension andproblems through knowingtheir fears and thesituations that lead tomaking them nervous,

SELF Talk effect

Modeling , self‐observation, incompatible thoughts andbehavior

Cognition Concerning Change:

Attention is paid for the following basicprocesses:

a. Cognitive construction

b. internal talk

c. produced behavior styles

Reforming the CognitiveBehavioral

Training on resisting tension and anxiety or stressinoculation training.

Proposed Psychological Heuristic Program by Using Cognitive Behavioral Intervention in Psychological  Stress Management 

to the Parachute  jumbers  in Australia

self‐talk trainingself‐talk creates motivation for an individual and helps them to classify thierskills and direct thıer mind towards the requires skill

Positive self‐talk can be used to change some particular beliefs through:

these experiences should be always called

identifying a particular situation that he passed to be a symbol for him to call this experience

discussing with the jumpers the emotive aspects associated with these situations

Repeat training on calling these situations