Effects of Motivational and Instructional Self-Talk on Performance and Stress in Soccer Forwards

NCT07382518 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2025556H
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study investigates the effects of different types of self-talk on performance and stress regulation in soccer forwards. Self-talk is a psychological technique in which athletes use specific verbal cues to guide their thoughts and actions during training and competition. Two commonly used forms are motivational self-talk, which focuses on confidence and effort, and instructional self-talk, which focuses on technical and tactical cues. Thirty-six male soccer forwards of different competitive levels participated in this study. Players were randomly assigned to a motivational self-talk group, an instructional self-talk group, or a control group. The intervention lasted six weeks. Before and after the intervention, participants completed assessments of soccer-specific technical skills, physical performance, and match tactical behavior. Psychological measures of self-efficacy and biological indicators of stress (salivary cortisol) were also collected. The purpose of this study is to determine whether different self-talk strategies produce different effects depending on players' competitive level and task demands. The findings are expected to provide practical guidance for the use of psychological training strategies in soccer and other team sports.

Conditions

Psychological Self-talk Interventions in Soccer Performance

Keywords

Self-talk; Soccer; Psychological intervention; Athletic performance; Stress regulation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Match-Based Technical and Tactical Performance

  Match-based technical and tactical performance was assessed during regular soccer match play using standardized match analysis procedures. This outcome represents players' overall technical and tactical performance exhibited in a real match context over the intervention period.

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Shooting Accuracy

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention

• Sport Self-Efficacy

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention

• Dribbling Run Performance

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention

• Loughborough Soccer Passing Test Performance

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention

• Salivary Cortisol Concentration

  Baseline and immediately after the 6-week intervention

Study Arms (3)

Motivational Self-Talk

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group received a motivational self-talk intervention designed to enhance confidence, effort, and persistence during soccer training and competition.

Behavioral: Motivational Self-Talk Training

Instructional Self-Talk

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group received an instructional self-talk intervention focusing on technical execution and tactical decision-making during soccer activities.

Behavioral: Instructional Self-Talk Training

Control

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the control group continued their regular soccer training without receiving any structured self-talk intervention.

Behavioral: No Self-Talk (Usual Training Control)

Interventions

Instructional Self-Talk Training BEHAVIORAL

Participants were instructed to apply task-specific instructional self-talk cues to guide technical execution and tactical decision-making during soccer training over a six-week intervention period.

Instructional Self-Talk

No Self-Talk (Usual Training Control) BEHAVIORAL

Participants in the control group continued their regular soccer training and match preparation without receiving any form of structured self-talk instruction. No motivational or instructional self-talk strategies were introduced during the intervention period.

Control

Motivational Self-Talk Training BEHAVIORAL

Participants received structured motivational self-talk training aimed at enhancing confidence, effort, and persistence during soccer training and match-related tasks. Individualized motivational cue words and phrases were developed and practiced under guidance, and participants were instructed to apply these cues consistently throughout the six-week intervention period.

Motivational Self-Talk

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Male university football players aged 18-25 years
• Full-time university students regularly engaged in organized football training and competition
• At least two years of systematic football training experience
• In good general health at the time of enrollment
• No musculoskeletal injuries or medical conditions affecting football performance within the previous 6 months
• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing
• Able to understand study procedures and complete soccer-specific performance and decision-making tasks
• Provided written informed consent prior to participation

You may not qualify if:

• History of neurological, psychiatric, or cognitive disorders that could influence decision-making or reaction time
• Current participation in structured psychological skills training programs (e.g., self-talk training, imagery, mindfulness training) outside routine football practice during the study period
• Use of medications or substances known to affect cognitive function
• Presence of any medical condition or injury contraindicating participation in football training or testing
• Failure to comply with the intervention protocol or outcome assessments

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Beijing Sport University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Beijing Sport University

Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: This study employed a triple-blind design. Participants were not informed of the specific self-talk strategy being evaluated and were told only that different psychological preparation approaches were being compared. Investigators responsible for training supervision and data collection were not involved in group allocation and were blinded to intervention assignment. Outcome assessors and data analysts were blinded to group identity throughout testing and analysis. Group allocation was coded using anonymized labels until completion of all statistical analyses.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Graduate Student

Model Details: Participants were randomly assigned to one of three parallel groups (motivational self-talk, instructional self-talk, or control) and received the assigned intervention concurrently throughout the intervention period.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 27, 2026
• First Posted: February 2, 2026
• Study Start: January 20, 2025
• Primary Completion: March 7, 2025
• Study Completion: April 5, 2025
• Last Updated: February 2, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CN (1)