Advocacy Through Legislation

Answer

                                  Advocacy Through Legislation

Identify a problem or concern in your state, community, or organization that has the capacity to be advocated through legislation. Research the issue and complete the sections below. For each topic that requires the listing of criteria, a minimum of two criteria should be identified and discussed. Add more rows as is appropriate for the topic/proposal.

do

Mental Skills Training Annotated Bibliography

There has been unprecedented growth in using mental skills to encourage the deliberate practice of visualization, breathing, mindfulness, and self-talk yield performance improvement in the golf game. Reportedly, physical conditioning alone is not adequate and thus golfers who desire to achieve correct mindset to compete and succeed in their sporting activities usually practice correct mental skills. Thus, systematic and consistent practice of visualization, breathing, mindfulness, and self-talk yield skills will not only increase enjoyment amongst golfers, but will also improve their performance and make them achieve greater self-satisfaction in their sporting tasks.

Beauchamp, P. H., Halliwell, W. R., Fournier, J. F., & Koestner, R. (1996). Effects of cognitive-behavioral psychological skills training on the motivation, preparation, and putting performance of novice golfers. The Sport Psychologist, 10(2), 157-170.

This study compared impacts of a cognitive behavioral program with the physical skills of novice golfers. It sought to test putting skill. The participants in the cognitive behavioral group revealed a greater appreciation and less negative attitude towards the task leading to better results. This study is relevant to the selected topic since it informs aspiring golfers on skills they need to put well. It also informs golfers on the need for the importance of motivation in their sporting task.

Beilock, S. L., Afremow, J. A., Rabe, A. L., & Carr, T. H. (2001). “Don’t miss!” The debilitating effects of suppressive imagery on golf putting performance. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 23(3), 200-221.

            This study examined effects of suppressive imagery, frequency of the stated suppression, and efforts to substitute negative error-ridden images with positive ones on golf putting performance. The study findings revealed that regular use of suppressive imagery lowers performance and that trying to replace negative image with corrective ones hardly make the image better. These results imply excessive thoughts on a certain flow in a person’s performance can flop or degrading the performance further. The article is important to the selected topic because it enables the researcher to understand behavior impacts of negative images and consequences of actively trying to suppress the stated images to develop appropriate measures to guide performance related images.

Bell, J. J., & Hardy, J. (2009). Effects of attentional focus on skilled performance in golf. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 21(2), 163-177.

Studies have shown that adopting a peripheral focus on attention is necessary for learning complex motor activities. As such, this article extended this knowledge by comparing the effectiveness of distal external, internal, and proximal external in a sample of experienced performers in a natural environment. It also investigated the adoption of attention foci under circumstances of anxiety. The findings of the study indicated that irrespective of anxiety condition, participants assigned to a distal external focus of attention had accurate performance while those assigned to an internal focus of attention had inaccurate performance. These findings revealed that skilled performers should adopt a distal external focus during competitions. This article is relevant for the present study in many ways. First, it informs the researcher on the negative impacts of internally based instructional practices on subsequent performance. As such, it will be used write the literature on the need for performers to focus their attention distally as much as they can.

Bull, S. J. (1991). Personal and situational influences on adherence to mental skills training. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13(2), 121-132.

This article identifies situational and personal variables that affect an athlete from adhering to a mental training program. The findings of the study demonstrated the role that self-motivation plays in predicting adherence to mental training. According to these outcomes, adherence levels were relatively low but differed from one athlete to the other. The results justified the need for individualization of training programs and revealed time constraints are critical factors that affect the adherence process. The article is relevant to the selected topic in that it informs the researcher about factors that athletes should undertake to adhere to mental training programs in order to achieve breathing, mindfulness, visualization and self-talk skills they need to improve their performance in sporting activities.

Cumming, J., & Hall, C. (2002). Deliberate imagery practice: the development of imagery skills in competitive athletes. Journal of Sports Sciences, 20(2), 137-145.

The study investigated mental surgery within the perspective of intentional practice framework. The participants completed the Deliberate Imagery Practice Questionnaire to establish how they view the importance of imagery together with the deliberate practice frameworks of concentration, relevancy and enjoyment. The results showed that national athletes viewed imagery as essential factor that improves their performance as compared to recreational athletes who noticed insignificant effects of viewed imagery on performance. The study established that the number of imagery practices that athletes undertake is monotonically linked to their competitive standard. All athletes stated that imagery is critical because it improves their performance as it requires high level of concertation and it is enjoyable to perform. The relevance of this article to the chosen topic is that it helps the researcher to establish specific imagery activities that athletes should perform to improve their mental skills golf.

Donaldson, V. W. (2000). A clinical study of visualization on depressed white blood cell count in medical patients. Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, 25(2), 117-128.

This study examined impacts of using mental surgery as a type of therapy on immune system response on medical patients suffering from depressed white blood cell count. The patients had different medical challenges including diagnosis of AIDS, cancer, and viral infections. Studies have indicated that stress can interfere with the normal functioning of the immune system and that visualization or guided mental imagery can create relaxation and possibly relieve pressure and distress o the immune system. All the patients who participated in this study were given imagery instructions that entailed listening to a cassette tape when their eyes are closed and they are either sitting upright or lying down. The study reported a considerable reduction in white blood cell count despite the fact that patients strictly followed all the directions given. During the study, the researchers did not show the patients the outcomes after the post-tests. Given that patients did not have any understanding that it was not working at first, they were more motivated and certain that imagery treatment was progressing correctly. This tactic is relevant to the present study because it informs the researcher the need to encourage and reassure the athletes the need to believe that they will improve with regular exercise.

Finn, J. (2008). An introduction to using mental skills to enhance performance in golf: Beyond the bounds of positive and negative thinking. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 3(1_suppl), 255-269.

            Studies have revealed that psychology plays a critical role in golf. Thus, this article describes and unifies the inherent correlation between golf and psychology. It also explains the set of mental skills that coaches, players, and club professionals can adopt on their daily practices to improve performance in golf. According to this article, mental skills particularly relaxation, imagery self-talk, and goal setting can affect anxiety, concentration, motivation, and confidence thereby influencing the performance of a golfer. This article is important for the selected topic since it informs the researcher about the relationship between golf and psychology and introduces fundamental mental skills that golfers can use increase their mental competencies both on and off the gulf-course.

Finn, J. (2009). Using mental skills to improve golfing performance: a theory-based case study for golf coaches. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 4(1_suppl), 223-245.

The way golfers perceive the golf course considerably affect their performance. This article describes mental skills interventions, especially how these interventions can be tailored to the needs of an individual golfer and ways in which the interventions can be adopted, analyzed, and assessed to improve the performance of professional or skilled golfers. The article outlines present state of formal mental skills education among golf coaches, introduces chosen theories that support mental skills interventions, and explains the roles that golf coaches play in offering these interventions. The article reveals some mental skills interventions are complex and, therefore, golfers, coaches, and professional bodies must collaborate with skilled sport psychologists to apply, analyze, assess, and establish effective mental skill interventions. This article is important in that it improves the researcher’s understanding of performance enhancing approaches and maximizes their ability to ensure that mental skills work in golf thereby assisting golf players to think successfully regarding the golf course.

Hardy, J., Hall, C. R., Gibbs, C., & Greenslade, C. (2005). Self-talk and gross motor skill performance: An experimental approach. Athletic insight, 7(2), 72-85.

            The purpose of this article was to investigate the impacts of motivational and instructional self-talk on the achievement of a sit-up activity. Past studies indicated that there are no performance differences between instructional and motivational self-talk groups. Therefore, using a sample size of 44 undergraduates, study revealed that there is a positive relationship between self-talk dimensions and self-efficacy. Findings also reported a positive association between self-efficacy and performance. The positive findings concerning the positive correlation between self-efficacy and self-talk indicates that although verbal persuasion is not the most powerful source of efficacious information to golfers, it can be an essential adjunct approach.

Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Zourbanos, N., Galanis, E., & Theodorakis, Y. (2011). Self-talk and sports performance: A meta-analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(4), 348-356.

            Based on the idea that people’s thoughts influence their actions, various self-talk strategies have been established to direct and improve human performance. Therefore, this article offers a meta-analytic review of the impacts of self-talk interventions on the performance of task in sport and potential factors that may increase the effectiveness of self-talk. The study findings revealed that self-talk interventions are more effective for activities involving considerably fine, as opposed to motor demands, and for novel as opposed to well learned activities. Further, instructional self-talk are more effective for acceptable tasks as compared to motivational self-talk and that instructional self-talk are more effective for acceptable tasks as compared to gross tasks. The study further established that interventions such as self-talk training are quite effective as compared to those different from self-talk training. This article is important for the current study since it explains the effectiveness of self-talk in athletics and encourages the adoption of self-talk as an approach to reinforce learning and improve performance.

Kirschenbaum, D. S., O'connor, E. A., & Owens, D. (1999). Positive illusions in golf: Empirical and conceptual analyses. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 11(1), 1-27.

This study investigated the apparent occurrence and effect of cognitive biases such as positive illusion during planning by golfers. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, 174 golfers were included in the study where their tee shots were compared. Findings indicated that about 80% of the golfers might have planned poorly during their initial tee shots. In the second phase, about 184 golfers were randomly informed to use their personal planning strategy or follow a conservative or realistic plan. Findings indicated that about 1.83% of the participants depicted a questionable planning when choosing clubs for their preliminary tee shots. These findings indicate that several golfers of different skill levels may use adopt positive illusion when planning their shots. This article is relevant for the present study since it proposes techniques that a golfer can use to deal with potential harmful effects of cognitive biases and gain mindfulness, breathing, visualization, and self-talk skills.

McCaffrey, N., & Orlick, T. (1989). Mental factors related to excellence among top professional golfers. International Journal of Sport Psychology.

McCaffrey and Orlick (1989) examined mental readiness approaches that prominent professional golfers use. They conducted comprehensive interviews with 23 participants who were professional golfers. Their findings revealed that several mental factors are associated with good performance among professional golfers. These factors included goal setting, commitment, mental readiness for quality practice, distraction control, practice and tournament planning, imagery training, tournament focus control, and tournament evaluation. This article contributes to the existing knowledge regarding specific skills that make professional golfers to excel in their tasks.

Moore, W. E., & Stevenson, J. R. (1991). Understanding trust in the performance of complex automatic sport skills. The Sport Psychologist, 5(3), 281-289.

Given that self confidence in sport is essential but delicate makes it an interesting and important area that should be examined in sport psychology. Therefore, this article analyzes the conceptual and research literature on self-confidence in professional sports to offer an insight and evaluates the state of knowledge within this area. The article reveals that for one to excel in complex automatic sporting activities, he or she must have high levels of self-confidence and trust. Therefore, by explaining various techniques that can be adopted to measure the concept of self confidence in sport, this article is valuable to the present study. It will help understand techniques that golfers can use to develop trust in the performance of their tasks.

Sappington, R., & Longshore, K. (2015). Systematically reviewing the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for enhanced athletic performance. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 9(3), 232-262.

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review study on mindfulness based approaches in athletes to establish the effectiveness of these interventions in improving performance in sports and establish the methodological quality of studies already conducted. By conducting a detailed search for pertinent database, the study produced 19 trials in line with the inclusion criteria that the investigators adopted. The study findings supported the effectiveness of mindfulness based strategies for improving performance. This article supports the present study by contributing to the existing knowledge of the role that mindfulness based strategies play in the performance of athletes especially golfers.

Stevenson, J., Stephenson, P., Hoffman, M., Jager, T., VanEngen, E., & Pinter, M. (2007). Effect of Training for Trust in Putting Performance of Skilled Golfers: A Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 2(1_suppl), 67-85.

Stevenson et al. (2007) tested the impacts of trust training and education on putting performance of experienced golfers using vision occlusion googles and randomized controlled research design within a controlled putting environment. The study indicated that golfers who have a strong trust in their stroke had higher possibility of making the put. It was also reported that visual occlusion did influence the ability of skilled golfers to state whether they fully trusted their stroke. Stevenson et al. (2007) also revealed that FSS are insufficient predicators of whether a golfer has a full trust on his or her putting stroke, implying that trust and flow in motor skill execution are completely different concepts.  The relevance of this article is that is informs the researcher about the need for skilled golfers to trust their putting performances.

Taylor, J. A., & Shaw, D. F. (2002). The effects of outcome imagery on golf-putting performance. Journal of Sports Sciences, 20(8), 607-613.

The central purpose of this study was to establish impacts of negative and positive result imagery on golf putting performance. Taylor and Shaw (2002) noted that players with low and high ability executed a gold putting activity in three imagery circumstances that include a negative outcome imagery situation, a positive outcome imagery condition, and a non-imagery control situation. The study revealed that negative outcome imagery hindered putting performance and that performance conducted in the positive outcome imagery situation was relatively similar to that conducted in the control condition. Findings also indicated that negative outcome imagery is harmful to performance and confidence. These findings imply that golfers need to desist from visualizing negative images as this would lower their performance and confidence.

Theodorakis, Y., Weinberg, R., Natsis, P., Douma, I., & Kazakas, P. (2000). The effects of motivational versus instructional self-talk on improving motor performance. The sport psychologist, 14(3), 253-271.

            This article described the effectiveness of various self-talk approaches on improving performance in various motor tasks. The researchers carried out four laboratory experiments to establish the impacts of instructional versus motivational self-talk approaches on various tasks including badminton service test, soccer accuracy test, knee extension, and sit up task. Outcomes of the first two experiments revealed that only the participants who were placed on the instructional group witnessed a significant improvement in their performance as compared to those in the control and motivational groups. In the third experiment, it was reported that there is no significant difference among the three groups despite the fact that every group showed a considerable improvement in almost all trials. More importantly, findings from the fourth experiment indicated a significant improvement for both instructional and motivational groups as compared to the control group. These findings implied that in case the task needs fine motor movements, an instructional approach is the best option while when the task majorly needs endurance and strength, both instructional and motivational approaches are effective.

Thomas, P. R., & Fogarty, G. J. (1997). Psychological skills training in golf: The role of individual differences in cognitive preferences. The Sport Psychologist, 11(1), 86-106.

In this article, the authors investigated the individual differences in mental preferences by assessing the impacts of self-talk and imagery training on the performance levels and psychological skills of unskilled golfers. The findings of the study reported a considerable improvement on five psychomotor and psychological skills determined by the GPS. These skills included mental preparation, negative cognitions and emotions, putting skills, automaticity, and seeking improvement. The findings further indicated that the response of golfers to SIQ and rating to their self-talk and imagery approaches improved after training. This article is important to selected topic since it techniques that golfers can use to improve their psychological and psychomotor skills, as well as, their self-talk imager strategies.

Van Raalte, J. L., Brewer, B. W., Rivera, P. M., & Petitpas, A. J. (1994). The relationship between observable self-talk and competitive junior tennis players' match performances. Journal of sport and exercise psychology, 16(4), 400-415.

This article describes the impacts of self-talk in professional sport performance. Using a small sample size of 24 junior tennis players, the researchers observed and recorded the players’ gestures, self-talk and match scores. The findings of the study revealed that negative self-talk was linked to losing and those players who believed and used self-talk garnered more points as compared to their counterparts who did not. Clearly, these findings reveal that self-talk has a significant effect on the performance in the competitive sport. This journal is relevant to the selected topic because it provides insight into the benefit of using self-talk, as well as, the possible motivational and harmful impacts of negative self-talk on the outcome of sporting task.

Wollman, N. (1986). Research on imagery and motor performance: Three methodological suggestions. Journal of Sport Psychology, 8(2), 135-138.

The article expounds on the information from a research conducted by Neil Wollman regarding the impacts of mental practice on sports, as well as, other motor skill performance. The article reveals that imagery a major contributing factor to the sport’s success. The importance of this article to the selected topic is that it describes critical factors that modify or improve imagery’s elusive success.