Psychological Factors and Performance in Golf

About the project

This study investigates whether and how increases in momentary negative thinking may impact performance in golf among Icelandic golfers.

In sports that require high technical precision, such as golf, attentional focus on the task at hand is essential for optimal performance. Previous studies have suggested that negative thought processes may impair performance in sport and other contexts. However, this relationship has not been tested experimentally, where athletic performance is objectively measured in controlled and realistic performance environments.

A total of 84 elite, professional, and competitive low-handicap golfers participated in the study. The project consists of two main components:

  1. Questionnaires, completed at home, assessing psychological and cognitive variables, such as rumination, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and performance anxiety.
  2. An experimental session conducted at an indoor training facility, where golfers completed a one-hour performance test in a golf simulator under controlled conditions.

Procedures

Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group. In the experimental group, participants were guided through a (goal-cueing) task in which they identified and reflected on a recent and personally relevant problem or goal-discrepancy. In the control group, participants completed a neutral task that involved describing their daily routines. The main aim of the project is to determine whether performance in the experimental group decreases significantly compared to the control group.

In addition to performance measures, video recordings of pre-shot routines are analysed to explore whether and how changes in thinking patterns may be reflected in behaviour and preparation before shots.

Aims of the Research

  • To examine whether and how increases in momentary negative thinking impact objectively measured performance in golf.
  • To advance understanding of factors that may be associated with changes in cognitive processing and performance in sport.
  • To support the development of approaches and methods that help coaches and athletes strengthen attentional focus and consistency in competition.

Members

Students Participating in the research 

  • Saga Traustadóttir, MSc in Clinical Psychology, Reykjavik University
  • Kári Þór Arnason, MSc in Clinical Psychology, Reykjavik University
  • Silja Fanney Steinsdóttir, BSc in Psychology, University of Akureyri 

Samstarfsaðilar

  • University of Akureyri
  • Reykjavík university
  • Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
  • Golf Association of Iceland
  • PGA Iceland

Final Theses