Seeing Things in a Different Light: Assessing the Effects of a Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention upon the Further Appraisals and Performance of Golfers

Abstract

The effects of a systematic cognitive-behavioral intervention program were examined upon the further appraisals (i.e., emotional orientation) of four golfers who interpreted their emotions as debilitative towards upcoming performance and the subsequent effect on actual performance. A systematic, theoretically underpinned, multiple-baseline single-subject design was employed, with four main phases adopted over a 34-week period: Phase I involved baseline monitoring of emotion and performance data; Phase II included the education and acquisition of the cognitive-behavioral technique; Phase III entailed the integration of technique within actual competitive performance; an immediate and 3-month post intervention phase was incorporated for social validation data. An instant intervention effect on emotional orientation was observed with interpretations changing from debilitative to facilitative or unimportant. Improved and more consistent subjective and objective performances were also reported. Social validation during (open-ended questionnaires) and post-intervention (interviews) indicated changes in performers’ focus from their emotions and negative thoughts towards the task in hand. Indeed, the intervention was suggested to promote a change in focus to play the best shot possible and confidence to perform during problem holes.