Grange, Pippa (2005) The Stress Is Unbearable, I Hope it Lasts: Case Studies in Reversal Theory. Other Degree thesis, Victoria University.

Abstract

The relationship between stress and performance in sport is a central topic of investigation for sport psychology and has been quantitatively explored in depth over the last 3 decades. The ability to cope effectively with stress is suggested to be one of the most important determinants in athletic performance (Patmore, 1990). Stress, however, means different things to different people. Apart from individual differences in preferred arousal levels, or the conditions and circumstances one athlete finds stressful in comparison to another athlete, psychological responses to stress contribute to athletes' perceptions about what is happening to them, and within them, during sports performance. Looking at the way athletes experience the dynamic shifts of emotions in sport may contribute to understanding the stress-performance relationship. This research uses a qualitative case-study approach to examine the competitive lives of five elite triathletes, with particular attention being paid to the perceptions the athletes have of their levels of control over their stress experiences. The concepts of reversal theory are used as one way of analysing and interpreting the data

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