Investigating the Role of Cognitive Capacities in Predicting the Motor Performance of Female Gymnasts with regard to the Effect of Psychological Pressure

Document Type : Scientific- research

Authors

1 Associated Professor Motor Behavior and Sport Psychology Department, Physical Education and Sports Science Faculty, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran,

2 Associated Professor Motor Behavior and Sport Psychology Department, Physical Education and Sports Science Faculty, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

3 PHD Student, Motor Behavior and Sport Psychology Department, Physical Education and Sports Science Faculty, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Abstract:
The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of cognitive capacities in predicting the motor performance of female gymnasts with regard to the effect of psychological pressure. For this purpose, 40 skilled female gymnasts (10-12 years old) from Tabriz city were selected as available method and their motor performance was investigated after evaluating the level of cognitive capacities (working memory, attention and mental rotation) in two conditions of psychological pressure (low pressure and high pressure). To create high-pressure conditions, the performance of gymnasts was examined in the presence of evaluators (two referees and one coach). Descriptive and inferential statistics (linear regression) were used to analyze the data. The findings of the research showed that cognitive capacities (working memory, attention and mental rotation) can predict the performance of gymnasts in stressful psychological conditions and therefore it was observed that the motor performance of gymnasts in stressful psychological conditions decreases. So it can be concluded that cognitive capacities may affect the performance of athletes in stressful psychological conditions and cause their sports success or failure.
Keywords: Choking Under Pressure, Sports Performance, Gymnastics, Cognition
 
Introduction: Victory and success in any competition depends on psychological skills besides physical abilities (Alyahyan & Dustegor, 2020). High sports performance requires high cognitive capacities such as attention, decision-making and working memory in order to function at optimal levels in high-stress and high-pressure environments (Walton et al, 2018). Although gymnastics is a non-contact sport, it is a highly traumatic sport that is associated with heavy landings and may cause injuries due to falls and collisions with training equipment (Mohammed Ashour, 2019). Therefore, it can be a source of fear, anxiety and psychological pressure for athletes in this field. This challenging factor can emphasize the feeling of intense psychological pressure to succeed or the embarrassment of a poor performance in a competition and expose the gymnast to a variety of stressful factors. (White, Bennie & McKenna, 2015). It seems appropriate physical and psychological capacities may change the athlete's understanding of the conditions governing training or competitions and affect the athlete's movement performance. In this way, the high level of cognitive capacities in athletes and the mediation of these cognitive or psychological factors through neural and hormonal interactions in the brain and body of the athlete may have caused the athlete to deal optimally with the conditions of anxiety, stress and mental pressure. and guarantee his success to some extent. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the role of cognitive capacities in predicting the motor performance of female gymnasts with regard to the effect of psychological pressure.
Methods & Materials: For this purpose, 40 skilled female gymnasts (10-12 years old) from Tabriz city were selected as available and their motor performance, after evaluating the level of cognitive capacities (working memory, attention and mental rotation) in two conditions of psychological pressure (low pressure and high pressure) were investigated. The executive routine was selected by the trainer and designed to get the maximum score according to the subject's skill and meet all the necessary conditions. According to the performance of the gymnasts, in terms of proper use of the ground space, change of direction and amount of movement, show movements, height and distance of jumps and the way of landing in two sections, the score of difficulty of movements (D) and the score of artistic performance (E) Scored movements (British Gymnastics Association). According to the rules of the International Gymnastics Federation, the floor routine does not last more than 90 seconds and must cover the entire area. Motor performance, the execution of a gymnastics routine (including jumps, rotations, back flips, bridges, etc.), belongs to the ground movements of gymnastics. In the low-pressure mode, people were told to show their performance with emphasis on accuracy and beauty, which was done without the presence of the evaluator. But in order to create high-pressure conditions, people were told that in order to participate in national competitions, they should improve their performance in order to be among the first to be sent for competitions. Also, their performance is evaluated by three evaluators (two referees and one coach). It should be mentioned that in order to create more psychological pressure in these conditions, the competition was accompanied by the presence of spectators (family and peer group) (Taheri et al., 2016). The cognitive tests used in this research are: Corsi Block Test for working memory, D2 test for attention and Coglab Mental Rotation test. Descriptive and inferential statistics (linear regression) were used to analyze the data.
Results: To check the main hypothesis of the research, multiple linear regression test (inter method) was used. The presuppositions related to the regression test in cognitive variables (working memory, attention and mental rotation) were examined. The findings of the research showed that cognitive capacities (working memory, attention and mental rotation) can predict the performance of gymnasts in stressful psychological conditions and it was observed that the motor performance of gymnasts in stressful psychological conditions decreases. According to the regression test results and regression coefficients, cognitive variables such as working memory (P=0.001), attention (P=0.001) and mental rotation (P=0.004) with a significant value that is smaller than is 0.05, the most important predictors for the dependent variable of performance were high psychological pressure.
Discussion: The findings of the research showed that the capacity of cognitive factors such as working memory, attention and concentration in gymnasts under conditions of high psychological pressure significantly predicted motor performance (P≤0.005). Thus, it can be said that the capacity of cognitive factors in stressful psychological conditions can affect the performance of athletes and cause the success or failure of athletes. Also, according to the results obtained from the findings, the performance of experienced gymnasts in high psychological pressure faced a decreasing trend, but in low mental conditions, they showed better performance and the scores recorded for the subjects compared to High pressure conditions have been higher. Therefore, it is better for sports coaches to be familiar with the factors that cause psychological pressure and teach their athletes how to manage it with different psychological skills and prepare them for different competitive situations.
 

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References

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