The study of self-talk in athletes is perhaps one of the most remarkable ventures of modern sport scholarship. Since the 1970s, researchers have developed a rich body of literature originating from early experimentation self-talk trials to improve elite athlete performance, and then evolving into cognitive-behavioral approaches helping to increase positive thinking and reduce negative thinking in athletes at all levels. A recent surge of theoretical and empirical work suggests modeling phrases experimentally in the lab or applying self-talk from individualistically focused cognitive-behavioral approaches cannot fully capture the ways in which athletes talk to themselves and experience their own self-talk (Van Raalte, Vincent, & Dickens, 2019). As evidenced by popular interest, there remains an ongoing dialogue around how people talk to themselves, and how talking to the self can benefit the diverse experiences of athletes and exercisers (see “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale and “The Power of Negative Thinking” by Bob Knight and Bob Hammel).
The latest wave of interest in self-talk challenges current scholarly conventions, and some questions remain. Researchers have tended to focus on one method (e.g., surveys) as opposed to multiple methods. Studies typically conveniently use mono-ethnic and cultural samples, and typically pursue laboratory approaches with an unclear application in the field and an uncertain purpose for diverse athletes and exercisers. Problems of generalizability and diversity within the literature are perhaps reinventing historical issues in the research, and limiting the impact of progress and connection to an ever-growing sport world.
This volume (proposed title: Many Voices in Sport and Exercise: Self-Talk from Diverse Perspectives and Approaches) provides readers with a synergistic opportunity to consider self- talk from multiple perspectives, enriching understanding, and providing the foundation for applied work and scholarship. The volume is aimed at the question, “What are the diverse ways of studying self-talk within various scholarly frameworks and applications, and how can these diverse approaches help to connect self-talk to a broader conversation on the inner mental experience in sport and exercise?” We seek theoretical and empirical contributions from diverse academic disciplines in order to capture self-talk in the critical moments and experiences of athletes and exercisers in their real environments.
Those interested may learn more at the full call, here.