Coming from Behind: On the Effect of Psychological Momentum on Sport Performance

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to test the predictions derived from 3 models of Psychological Momentum (PM) regarding the elusive PM-performance relationship. Participants competed in one of two 12-minute bogus bicycle races. They were randomly assigned to either a no-momentum race (i.e., tied) or a positive-momentum race (i.e., coming from behind to tie). Perceptions of PM and cycling performance were measured at 4 different points in time. Results from between- and within-subject analyses demonstrated that when participants lost the lead, their perceptions of PM decreased significantly. When participants regained the lead, their perceptions of PM increased significantly. Between- and within-subject analyses of variance also showed that experiencing PM led to increased performance. However, losing PM also led to performance enhancement, presumably through negative facilitation (Cornelius, Silva, Conroy, & Petersen, 1997). Results are discussed in light of models of PM, and avenues for future research are offered.

The Effect of a Second Runner on Pacing Strategy and RPE During a Running Time Trial

“…20 The inclusion of a second runner in the current study was intended to present an external factor that would increase the motivation of the athlete 21 and consequently increase their 5 km time trial performance. The influence of motivational factors on pacing strategies and performance is equivocal, and while some studies have shown positive effects, 16,22 others have not. 23 The results of this study have shown that the presence of a second runner did not influence overall performance of a 5 km time trial.…”

“…Perrault et al (1998) 16 have shown that when an athlete lost their lead to a competitor in a simulated cycle race, psychological momentum (influenced by changes in motivation, perceptions of control, energy, and confidence) was decreased, and was increased when the lead was regained, resulting in overall performance optimization. Therefore, previous findings suggest that when an opponent takes the lead, the athlete alters their behavior and increases their pace to regain control of the race.…”

“…In contrast, motivational factors may play a role in pacing, specifically, it has been shown that if an athlete leads an event, motivation is increased, RPE is reduced and performance is likely to be optimized. 3,16 Furthermore, emotional responses that are evoked in response to the presence of faster competitors or crowd support are suggested to influence RPE and pacing, which may be beneficial to performance. 3,17,18 To our knowledge, the presence of other athletes competing in the same athletic event on an athletes' pacing strategy has not been evaluated to date.…”

Nonverbal post-shot celebrations and their relationship with performance in elite handball

“…losing successive trials in a row or coming from behind resp. losing the lead), the results are likely inconclusive: There is evidence that negative PM scenarios lead to better performance (Briki et al, 2013;Perreault et al, 1998;Stanimirovic & Hanrahan, 2004), with only one study finding a relationship in the expected direction (i.e., a decrease in the negative scenario and an increase in the positive scenario, see Den Hartigh et al, 2014). Lastly, different studies revealed no relationship (Kerick, Iso-Ahola, & Hatfield, 2000;Shaw, Dzewaltowski, & McElroy, 1992) respectively prediction (Silva et al, 1992) between PM scenarios and subsequent performance.…”

“…But despite this conviction, there exists so far contradicting evidence about the impact of PM on performance: For example, Perreault, Vallerand, Montgomery, and Provencher (1998) showed that when participants perception of PM were highest, they pedalled faster; meanwhile other studies (Cornelius et al, 1997;Silva, Cornelius, & Finch, 1992;Stanimirovic & Hanrahan, 2004) did not reveal a link between perceptions of PM and performance. When investigating the impact of different PM scenarios (e.g., winning resp.…”