Study: Preparing to Take the Field: A Temporal Exploration of Stress, Emotion, and Coping in Elite Cricket

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the stress, emotion, and coping (SEC) experiences of elite cricketers leading up to and on the day of their first competitive fixture of the season. Four elite male cricketers (M = 21.25, SD = 1.5) completed Stress and Emotion Diaries (SEDs) for the 7-day period leading up to and on the day of their first competitive fixture of the season. We then interviewed the cricketers to explore the content of the SEDs in more detail. We used semistructured interviews to glean insight into the stressors, cognitions, emotions, coping strategies, and behaviors. Inductive and deductive content data analysis provided a holistic and temporal exploration of the SEC process underpinned by the cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotions (Lazarus, 1999). The results highlighted the ongoing and continuous nature of the SEC process while illustrating the coping strategies the cricketers used leading up to and on the day of competition.

Author: Adam Miles

Adam Miles is a PhD candidate in Sport Psychology at the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand. His research focuses primarily on the psychosocial effects of participation in sport. In particular, his current research involves developing, implementing, and evaluating the effectiveness of a life skills intervention with elite athletes. He has also investigated issues such as stress, emotion, and coping in elite sport and the mediating effects of self-talk during skilled motor performance.

Links:

Study: http://journals.humankinetics.com/doi/abs/10.1123/tsp.2014-0142

Author: http://www.otago.ac.nz/sopeses/staff/postgraduate/adam_miles.html