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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 2

Publication Date: February 25, 2024

DOI:10.14738/assrj.112.16508.

Aouani, H., & Amara, S. (2024). Effect of Goal Setting on Psychological State and Swimming Performance in Competitive Swimming.

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(2). 486-495.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Effect of Goal Setting on Psychological State and Swimming

Performance in Competitive Swimming

Hajer Aouani

Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of

La Manouba, Tunis 2010, Tunisia and Research Unit (UR17JS01) Sports

Performance, Health & Society, Higher Institute of Sport and Physical

Education of Ksar Saîd, Universite de la Manouba, Tunis 2010, Tunisia

Sofiene Amara

Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of

La Manouba, Tunis 2010, Tunisia and Research Unit (UR17JS01) Sports

Performance, Health & Society, Higher Institute of Sport and Physical

Education of Ksar Saîd, Universite de la Manouba, Tunis 2010, Tunisia

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to study the effect of setting a personal goal to achieve on

psychological parameters (cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confidence)

and on the chronometric performance of 50m butterfly in young swimmers. aged

between 12 and 13 years old during the 2019/2020 sports season. The population

was divided into three groups, the first group1 (G1) underwent competition

preparation without a set goal (method1), the second group2 (G2) was oriented

towards a vague goal “Do your best” (method2), whereas, the third group was asked

to respond to a difficult-to-achieve goal according to a goal-setting interval (GBI)

(method3). The results indicate that method 1 and method 3 increased the level of

cognitive and somatic anxiety in swimmers in these two groups (p < 0.05).

Furthermore, the self-confidence score was low in group 1 compared to the other

two groups. Our results also show that chronometric performance was improved (p

< 0.05) better by method 3 than by method 2, while performance remained

unchanged in group 1. The difficult goal setting by IFB improved the chronometric

performance, but at the same time increased the values of cognitive and somatic

anxiety, for this reason the mental trainers and the technical staff were invited to

develop associated mental preparation models to this method of goal setting to help

swimmers psychologically.

Keywords: goal setting, cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, self-confidence

INTRODUCTION

The early adolescent phase (12-13 years old) constitutes a very important period in the training

process of young swimmers. However, studies have shown that to reach an elite level, the

swimmer must train approximately ten years or 10,000 hours. Indeed, young swimmers train

in and out of the water with a training volume of between 10-15 hours per week depending on

the level of individual performance (Vitor et al, 2010; Sharp et al, 2000). In this context, the

development of physical condition in young swimmers depends on the improvement of

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Aouani, H., & Amara, S. (2024). Effect of Goal Setting on Psychological State and Swimming Performance in Competitive Swimming. Advances in

Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(2). 486-495.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.112.16508

different physical qualities, namely: endurance, resistance and speed in and out of the water, in

addition agility, l balance, coordination, muscular strength and flexibility (Billat, 2017; Cazorla

et al, 1985; Weineck et al, 1992). Likewise, swimming parameters are among the fundamental

factors to develop to achieve optimal performance. Likewise, young swimmers (12-13 years

old) participate in competitions from 50m to 800m. For this reason, training with its different

aspects (frequency, volume, intensity, etc.) and competition have effects on the psychological

and social state of the swimmer.

However, several authors have studied and analyzed the psychological state in amateur and

competitive athletes (Leonardo et al, 2017; Flatt et al, 2016; Elbe et al, 2015; Kennedy et al,

2013). Vacher et al, 2018 studied the trajectories of swimmers in terms of psychological

parameters (recovery from general and sport-specific stress) and physiological parameters

(cardiac variability) during 3 months of training after the national competition in national

swimmers aged 18 and over.

Flatt et al, 2016 assessed the cardiac parasympathetic pathway and psychological responses

during a competition preparation period. These authors indicated that swimmers' sensations

can be monitored during this training phase with a brief questionnaire on well-being derived

from a Smartphone application in sprint swimmers aged 21 ± 1.6 years.

However, Elbe et al, 2016 had indicated that a 12-week training program with increased

intensity and decreased volume could decrease general stress and increase recovery levels,

whereas sport-specific stress and sport-specific recovery remained unchanged in elderly elite

swimmers (18.27 ± 2.80 years).

In the same context, Kennedy et al, 2013 analyzed the factors influencing the fatigue status in

Canadian university swimmers, moreover, psychological parameters (stress, mental fatigue)

and physiological parameters (heart rate, energy level) were processed in the form of

quantitative and qualitative data, these authors demonstrated that after intensive training and

the depression phase, the values of heart rate, form and energy level were improved, while,

flexibility of a training program could positively influence the state of fatigue in swimmers.

However, Taylor et al, 1997 studied the effect of a training program with an increase in volume

on sleep quality, psychological and other physiological parameters.

The anxiety factor is one of the factors that has been studied by several authors in athletes.

Recent investigation developed by Athanasios et al, 2019 had studied the relationship between

psychophysiological parameters and performance in swimmers with different training levels.

Measurements included state of anxiety, rate of perceived effort, muscle oxygenation of the

legs, heart rate and vertical jump capacity in relation to a 50m test at maximum speed in

breaststroke swimming.

However, Leonardo et al, 2017 had studied the relationship between anxiety and heart rate

variability during the Brazilian national competition, thirty minutes before the 400 m freestyle,

the athletes answered the questionnaire on the inventory of competitive anxiety (CSAI-2R).

These authors indicated that there is a relationship between cognitive anxiety and summative

anxiety with heart rate in swimmers aged between 15 and 16 years old. On the other hand,

Hauton et al, 2013 studied the relationships between anxiety symptoms, self-esteem and

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 11, Issue 2, February-2024

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

performance in elite swimmers aged between 21 and 22 years old, this study explained the

effect of anxiety on sports performance, and the techniques used by swimmers to control the

state of anxiety. In another investigation, Lemon et al, 2007 examined the relationship between

pre-competitive, subjective and objective anxiety (related to cognitive state) with competitive

performance in young, aged swimmers. between 12 and 13 years old. The study partially

supported the self-serving bias hypothesis; winners used the ego-enhancing attribution

strategy, but losers did not use an ego-protecting attribution style.

Young swimmers, with the help of the coach, set goals to achieve during the competition; to our

knowledge, investigations studying the effects of setting a goal to achieve on psychometric and

physical parameters in young swimmers remained very weak.

For this, our objective was to study the influence of setting a goal to achieve on psychological

state (cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confidence) and chronometric performance

in 50m Butterfly in young people. swimmers aged between 12 and 13 years old during the

2018/2019 season.

Hypothesis: based on the fact that the high difficulty of the objectives set to achieve could

increase the pre-competitive anxiety score in young swimmers and improve the chronometric

performance of 50m butterfly.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Participants

Thirty national swimmers (Boys: n = 17; Girls: n = 13) (Table 1), belonging to the Tunisian

swimming club, participated in this study. In this randomized controlled trial, swimmers were

divided into three groups and were subjected to the same training conditions during three

successive sporting seasons. First group (G1, n = 10) was asked to manage very difficult goals,

second group (G2, n = 10) was asked to manage easy and vague goals, and the third group (G3,

n = 10) was a control group without objective. Furthermore, the setting of objectives to be

achieved were established by the team's technical staff.

Experimental Protocol

During the pre-competitive phase (two weeks before the competition), we first measured the

anthropometric parameters (height; body mass; body mass index and wingspan).

Subsequently, we randomly divided the population into three groups and set the personal

objective to be achieved for each swimmer according to the group which belongs except the

swimmers of (G1) who followed the preparation for the competition without an objective to

achieve, and each G2 and G3 athlete was asked to direct all efforts and physical and mental

abilities to achieve the goals set on the day of the competition. However, G2 and G3 swimmers

were informed of these objectives to be achieved 2 weeks before the competition (during the

pre-competitive phase)

All the swimmers from 3 groups having undergone two evaluations of the 50m butterfly

chronometric performance, the first (Test) was established two weeks before the competition

(during the pre-competitive phase) and before setting the objectives to be achieved, while, the

second evaluation (Retest) was established on the day of the competition. Whereas,

psychological parameters were assessed 1 hour before the competition.