Ovidius University Annals, Series Physical Education and Sport/Science, Movement and Health (Sep 2012)
STUDY REGARDING THE DYNAMICS OF AFFECTIVE MANIFESTATIONS IN MIDDLE DISTANCE AND LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS, IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS OF MENTAL STRESS
Abstract
AbstractIntroduction. High performance in track and field is constantly conditioned by the athletes' reaction to different stress factors. The analysis of mental stress on athletes in different situations has made certain specialists to say that the psychological effect of a stress agent (seen as a response of the athlete) is less predictable than the physiological effect, one reason being the complex and difficult nature of objectively predicting the response provoked by the effect of the stress factor, considering the fact that high performance athletes react differently to the pressure of complex situations during training and competitions. Methodology. The research was conducted on 12 subjects with different experience in high performance track and field/athletics, and in this specific event. The subjects were given three psychological tests, within a period of six months, during three different stress situations: two tests (initial and final) before two major competitions (the national championships - selection competitions), and an intermediate testing (halfway between the two competitions, when the subjects were in full training process for the second competition). During these six months the previously planned training program was followed, but with a larger emphasis (in comparison with other training periods) on the psychological training of the athletes.Results. The statistical analysis of the values for the studied variables has shown the existence of significant differences only in the manifestations associated with certain psychological states of the ones we studied, during different tests. Conclusions The affective manifestations of the middle distance-long distance runners during different situations of mental stress present an oscillatory dynamics with a slightly descendant curve, showing a complexity of the psycho-affective states and reactions.
