It’s a MuSt win: The Effects of Self-Talk to Enhance Passing Performance Under Pressure in Elite Soccer Players

Abstract

Strategic self-talk is a powerful mental skill athletes can use to self-regulate the effects of pressure and enhance task performance. Multi-states (MuSt) theory considers the combination of emotion- and action-centred self-regulation to be the most effective strategy to optimise athletes’ performance and subjective experience. The aim of this study was to test the tenets of MuSt theory on a pressurised performance task, involving male junior soccer players (N = 20, M_age = 18.6) competing at the elite level in Finland. The task tested the players’ passing abilities over six-trials whilst they applied different MuSt based self-talk strategies in attempts to improve passing performance. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of strategic self-talk as a form of self-regulation. Specifically, the combination of emotion- and action-centred (i.e., MuSt) cue words proved to be the optimal strategy for coping with the demands of the task and enhancing passing performance. The study findings have relevant practical implications for players, coaches, and practitioners on the stepwise procedure of MuSt and the implementation of strategic cue words on performance processes. For athletes striving to consistently perform at their best under pressure, self-regulation is not only a requirement, it’s a “MuSt” win! Keywords: emotions; performance; action components; self-regulation; multi-states theory