Post-Event Reflection: A Tool to Facilitate Self-Awareness, Self-Monitoring, and Self-Regulation in Athletes

Abstract

The underlying basis of many psychological interventions is self-awareness. Systematic self-reflection enhances self-awareness, which improves self-monitoring, self-correction, and ultimately self-regulation (Kirschenbaum, 1997). Theoretically, the capability to self-reflect following performance has motivational, cognitive, and behavioral effects (Ellis, Carette, Anseel, & Lievens, 2014), increases intrinsic motivation, and results in more internal and controllable attributions (Allen, Jones, & Sheffield, 2010). This paper introduces a tool—the Post-Event Reflection (PER)—that practitioners can use to assist athletes in processing their performances in a productive, improvement-focused manner. The PER’s conceptual and empirical rationale, practical implementation and implications, benefits, and challenges are presented.

Keywords:

• mental performance
• mental skills
• routine
• sport psychology

Author note

Graig M. Chow, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University; Matteo Luzzeri, Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University.