Researchers: Karolyn Joseph, Jennifer King, Peppi Hearne, & Charles Higgins
Australian Catholic University MacKillop North Sydney.

This research was conducted during the taught unit ‘Exercise Psychology – HMSC236’ and was supervised by Dr. Stephen Burke.
 

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative effectiveness of the progressive relaxation technique in relation to the performance of a fundamental motor skill. Twenty-three participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Experimental Progressive Relaxation Group and Control Group. The subjects were tested performing a modified "Tree Stand", and re-tested seven days later. Testing involved the measurement of time in relation to skill performance, perceived anxiety, and perception of task difficulty and on actual performance. Self-report data was obtained from the subjects by utilising the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2). The first test served as a baseline measure and the second provided the treatment post-measure. Significant differences were found between the pre-treatment and post-treatment measures of time (seconds) between the Experimental and Control group.

KEY WORDS: progressive relaxation, performance anxiety, fundamental motor skill.

Introduction

Sports psychologists are interested in techniques that potentially enhance sporting performance. It is also valid to note that there are many factors that can hinder and enhance performance. These factors need to be defined and their relationship to performance established in order to gain a thorough understanding of how to guide and assist athletes to perform to the best of their abilities. Some of the psychological factors that affect performance include arousal, anxiety before a performance, and stress.

There have been several theories developed in order to explain the relationship between arousal and anxiety and their affect on performance. These theories include:
1) The Inverted-U Hypothesis
This theory suggests that a low level of arousal will determine a low level of performance.
2) Catastrophe Model
Hardy’s catastrophe hypothesis states that physiological arousal is related to performance in an inverted-U manner, but only if the athlete is not worried or has low cognitive state anxiety.

Progressive relaxation’s main aim is to tense and relax specific muscle groups all over the body in an attempt to reduce muscle tension, which, in turn, reduces mental tension of the body. This technique was designed by Edmund Jacobson (1938) in an attempt to make people aware of the difference between tense muscles and relaxed ones, and to teach them to be able to let go of this tension.

Materials and Method

A group of 23 male (N = 8 ) and female (N = 15) individuals aged between 20 and 30 years were selected to participate in this study. The selection incorporated three groups of 6, 9 and 8 individuals included in groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Each participant was tested under controlled environmental conditions at different locations.

The subjects were made aware of the general purpose of the study. A consent form was then read and signed by each respective participant. These subjects were then randomly assigned to one of two groups: Experimental Progressive Relaxation Group or the Control Group. At the conclusion of the study, 12 and 11 subjects included in the Control and Experimental Groups respectively had completed the required measurements.

The subjects were instructed to answer all questions as honestly as they could, based on how they felt at that moment. The instrument was used before performing both tests.

The testing environment was kept controlled by the researchers following a strict testing procedure in order to control the body form variables.

The modified tree stand used in this study was developed from the Yoga Tree stand balance. This balance involves the ability of the subject to stand on a nominated supporting leg, whilst placing and holding the foot of the non- preferred leg on the upper inner thigh region of the preferred leg.

There was no treatment administered to the control group (N = 12). However, the subject was required to complete a CSAI-2 instrument prior to testing.
The Experimental Group (N= 11) was first familiarised with relaxation procedures in conclusion to the first day of testing. Each individual in the group was supplied with a progressive relaxation audiocassette, which they were required to listen to twice during the seven days between testing dates.

Results

The mean of the differences in the scores between the pre-treatment values and the post-treatment values was  ? = 10.0045 for the experimental group and  ? = 4.5525 for the control group. This demonstrates that the experimental group displayed a greater increase in performance values between pre-treatment and post-treatment compared to the performance increase experienced by the control group.

By utilising the Paired t-test, significant differences were calculated between relevant values for the control and experimental groups. Time 1 (pre-treatment measure) and Time 2 (post-treatment measure) were one paired sample that was analysed. It was found that the control group displayed no significant differences between Time 1 and Time 2. The experimental group’s test for significant difference between sample scores, resulted in a significant difference between Time 1 and Time 2 measures at the 0.01 level. This demonstrates that there was a significantly greater improvement in performance achieved by members of the experimental group as compared to the control groups’ subject's performance scores.

A Paired t-test was conducted on the following paired samples:
Cognitive value 1/Cognitive value 2;
   Somatic value 1/Somatic value 2;
   State self-confidence value 1/State self-confidence value 2.
This was performed to test for significant differences between value 1 and value 2 of the three A-state measures of the control and experimental groups. It was found that no significant differences were apparent for any of the three characteristics at either the p = 0.01 or 0.05 level of significance.

Discussion and Conclusions

It was the intent of this study to provide documentation of the relative effectiveness of a progressive relaxation technique in relation to the performance of a fundamental motor skill. It was hypothesised that the experimental group would achieve a greater improvement in performance when compared to the control group. A second hypothesis was that the experimental group would decrease their cognitive A-state and somatic A-state anxiety responses and increase self-confidence prior to the execution of the motor skill.

From the paired t-test conducted on baseline measures, it was concluded that the total subject samples were extracted from the same population. This justifies the study on the basis that the participants performed at a level that clarified that their pre-treatment abilities were of no significant difference.
 
The results validated the hypotheses. Subjects in the experimental group improved their performance in relation to baseline measures when compared to post-treatment.  This result therefore had a greater level of significance compared to the results obtained from the control group when comparing these two measures.

It can therefore be stated, purely in relation to this study, that the difference in the level of significance between the time measures recorded for the control and experimental groups is due to the use of the progressive relaxation technique employed on the audio cassette. The relationship between arousal and anxiety remained poised so that the subjects could peak in their individual level of performance. Griffiths, Steel, Vaccaro, Allen and Karpman (1985) and Gould and Udry (1993) also concluded this.

The results supported the inverted-U hypothesis, which states that as arousal rises, performance levels will also increase up to an optimal point or peak, where the athletes best performance will occur.

Cognitive and somatic A-state values influenced performance differently. It has been proven that somatic A-state reaches its peak at the onset of competition and would  dissipate once the competition began. The male subject sample scored greater cognitive A-state values than somatic A-state values.

References

Gail, K., Hrycuiko, D., Martin, G. L., & Kendall, T. (1990). The effects of an imagery rehearsal, relaxation, and self-talk package on basketball game performance. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(2), 157-166.

Griffiths, T. J., Steel, D. H., Vaccaro, P., Allen, R., & Karpman, M. (1985). The effects of relaxation and cognitive rehearsal on the anxiety levels and performance of scuba students. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 16(2), 113-119.

Onestak, D. M. (1991). The effects of progressive relaxation, mental practice, and hypnosis on athletic performance: a review. Journal of Sport Behaviour, 14(4), 247-282.

Schedlowski, M., & Tewes, U. (1992). Physiological arousal and perception of bodily state during parachute jumping. Psychophysiology, 29(1), 95-103.

Weinberg, R. S., & Comar, W. (1994). The effectiveness of psychological interventions in competitive sport. Sport Medicine, 18(6), 406-418.
 

Email correspondence: S.Burke@mackillop.acu.edu.au