The relations of cognitive strategies with injury, motivation, and performance among marathon runners: Results from two studies

Abstract

Two studies, one retrospective and the other prospective, investigated the relation of cognitive strategies (association, dissociation) with injury, motivation, and performance variables among marathon runners. Association was found to predict injury in runners at 4 month follow-up. It appears that association is favored by runners who are more competitive, participate in numerous races, and are heavily invested in running. Contrary to early theorizing, findings demonstrated that dissociation was not related to injury but was related to motivation and performance variables suggesting that dissociating runners tend to run slower, be less competitive, and be less invested in running. It is proposed that motivational and physiological factors account for the use of cognitive strategies among marathon runners.