Stress Exposure Training; Phase 1: Information Provision

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Stress can play a major factor in the performance of athletes in game day situations. Stress can lead to a number of undesirable consequences, including heightened anxiety and decrements in performance2. Unfortunately, many athletes are unprepared to handle the high-stress conditions that game day brings. Most coaches and athletes neglect to train for stressful situations that occur in a game. As discussed in my earlier blog Stress Exposure Training, stress exposure training can provide athletes with the tools they need to be able to perform under stressful conditions1. This blog will discuss the first phase of stress exposure training, Information Provision.

Purpose of Information Provision:

The first phase of stress exposure training is Information Provision. The primary goal of this phase is to provide preparatory information to the athlete 2. It has been shown that those who receive preparatory information prior to performing under high-stress conditions, show less anxiety and greater confidence in their ability to perform the task. These individuals also make fewer performance errors under stress 1.

Types of Preparatory Information:

There are three primary types of preparatory information that should be incorporated in the Information Provision phase of training. These three types include sensory information, procedural information, and instrumental information1.

• Sensory Information-

This type of information is provided to the athlete in order to prepare them for the physiological and emotional responses their body will experience when under stress1. If the athlete has prior knowledge of how the body will react while under stress, they will be better able to operate under this stress.

• Procedural Information-

The goal of providing procedural information is to prepare the athlete for any possible situation that may occur during the game. Procedural information should describe the events, settings, types of stressors and effects that these stresses may have on performance1.

• Instrumental Information-

Instrumental Information should describe how to deal with the negative effects of stress1. This type of information provides the athlete with ways to counter the effect of the stress they will encounter on game day.

The first phase of stress exposure training is Information Provision. The goal of this phase is to provide information to the athlete that will prepare them for stresses that game day will present. The three types of information include, sensory, procedural, and instrumental.

References

1 Driskell, T., Sclafani, S., & Driskell, J. E. (2014). Reducing the Effects of Game Day Pressures through Stress Exposure Training. Journal Of Sport Psychology In Action, 5(1), 28-43.

2 Inzana, C. M., Driskell, J. E., Salas, E., & Johnston, J. H. (1996). Effects of Preparatory Information on Enhancing Performance Under Stress. Journal Of Applied Psychology, 81(4), 429-435.