The Effect of Self-Talk on Self-Efficacy and Performance in a Handball Throwing Test

Abstract

Self-talk is one of the techniques for psychological intervention that athletes use in various situations. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of an instructional self-talk technique on self-confidence and performance during the execution of a test in handball. The participants of this study were 46 physical education students who divided into one experimental (which used the technique of self-talk with certain thoughts during the performance), and one control group. Each group performed 5 sets of throws to
a target on the wall from a distance of 9m. The results showed no significant differences between the two groups either to the level of performance neither to the level of confidence. Furthermore, 63% of the subjects reported that they liked to use the technique of self-talk in each trial. The results are discussed in relation with the influence of confidence and the self-talk strategy to the performance, and the effects of the type of test, the number of the repetitions, and the level of the athletes.