Cognition

Cognitive Style And Athletic Performance Part II: Self Talk

Published on: 6th May, 2003

by Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.
Self talk can be defined as a conversation we have with ourselves whether it is audible or not. There are various kinds of self-talks that can be identified: One type gets athletes to direct attention (“focus”); a second type labels self and others (“what a loser”); a third judges performance (“you call [...]

FEATURE: Cognitive Style AND Athletic Performance Part I: Distortions

Published on: 6th March, 2003

by Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.
The pressures of competitive sport offer ideal situations for creating irrational or distorted cognitive styles. What athletes say to themselves may not positively contribute to success. It may, in fact, lead to failure. Some athletes and their coaches believe that the best performance comes from No conscious thinking [...]

MENTAL TRAINING: Stop Those Unwanted Thoughts, Quick!

Published on: 5th February, 2002

By Paul Schienberg, PhD
You’re on the 18th green and playing the best round of golf that you have ever played. It looks like you are about to break the magical mark of 80 for the first time ever. It is not uncommon to have a thought like “I’m going to miss this putt.” Usually, when [...]

Attributions – Why Did I Do That Coach?

Published on: 1st March, 2001

By Paul Schienberg, PhD
One characteristic that connects us humans is the desire to assign meaning and causality to events that occur in our lives. These are called attributions. Only those who have reached some extreme level of spiritual development have “given up these quests.” Let me save you some time! We are not one of [...]