Digital Library
Close Browse articles from a journal
 
<< previous    next >>
     Journal description
       All volumes of the corresponding journal
         All issues of the corresponding volume
           All articles of the corresponding issues
                                       Details for article 28 of 54 found articles
 
 
  Psychological Characteristics and Their Development in Olympic Champions
 
 
Title: Psychological Characteristics and Their Development in Olympic Champions
Author: Gould, Daniel
Dieffenbach, Kristen
Moffett, Aaron
Appeared in: Journal of applied sport psychology
Paging: Volume 14 (2002) nr. 3 pages 172-204
Year: 2002-09-01
Contents: This study was designed to examine psychological characteristics and their development in Olympic champions. Ten U.S. Olympic champions (winners of 32 Olympic medals) were interviewed, as were one of their coaches ( n = 10), and a parent, guardian, or significant other ( n = 10). A battery of psychological inventories was also administered to the athletes. It was found that the athletes were characterized by: (a) the ability to cope with and control anxiety; (b) confidence; (c) mental toughness/resiliency; (d) sport intelligence; (e) the ability to focus and block out distractions; (f) competitiveness; (g) a hard-work ethic; (h) the ability to set and achieve goals; (i) coachability; (j) high levels of dispositional hope; (k) optimism; and (l) adaptive perfectionism. Results also revealed that a number of individuals and institutions influenced the athletes' psychological development including the community, family, the individual himself or herself, non-sport personnel, sport environment personnel, and the sport process. Coach and family influences were particularly important. Ways in which these sources influenced the athletes were both direct, like teaching or emphasizing certain psychological lessons, and indirect, involving modeling or unintentionally creating certain psychological environments. Psychological characteristic findings verified current sport psychological research on psychological characteristics associated with peak performance (Williams & Krane, 2001). They also suggest that adaptive perfectionism, dispositional hope, and high levels of optimism are new variables to consider. Results are also discussed relative to Bloom's (1985), Cote's (1999) and Csikzentmihalyi, Rathunde, Whalen, and Wong's (1993) talent development research. Practical implications focus on implementing parenting and coaching practices related to the development of psychological characteristics associated with athletic success.
Publisher: Routledge
Source file: Elektronische Wetenschappelijke Tijdschriften
 
 

                             Details for article 28 of 54 found articles
 
<< previous    next >>
 
 Koninklijke Bibliotheek - National Library of the Netherlands