The Effect of Positive and Negative Self-Talk Prompts on Free Throw Performance in Collegiate Basketball Players
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Authors
McIntosh, Caroline
Issue Date
2025-04
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Description/Abstract
This study examined the effect of positive and negative self-talk on free throw performance among collegiate basketball players. Self-talk refers to the internal dialogue athletes use to regulate focus, emotions, and behavior during performance. Prior research suggests that positive self-talk (e.g., “I can make this shot”) may enhance confidence and execution, while negative self-talk (e.g., “I suck at this”) can increase anxiety and disrupt performance (Galanis et al., 2022; Van Raalte et al., 1995; Van Raalte et al., 2015). Following IRB approval, eight participants were recruited from NCAA Division II men’s and women’s basketball teams. After completing baseline free throw attempts, participants performed two additional rounds using positive and negative self-talk prompts in a counterbalanced design. Chi-square analyses revealed no statistically significant differences in shooting performance across conditions. However, descriptive trends provided valuable insight. For example, the negative prompt “I will let my team down if I miss” resulted in the lowest shooting percentage (38%) among negative prompts, while “I am calm and focused” was the lowest among positive prompts (63%). Conversely, some negative prompts—such as “I suck at free throws”—yielded unexpectedly high success rates (100%), potentially due to athletes’ humorous or dismissive interpretation of the statements. These findings suggest that the content, tone, and delivery of self-talk may influence its effectiveness. While statistical significance was not achieved, the study highlights the nuanced ways athletes respond to cognitive prompts and offers direction for future research and applied sport psychology practice.