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Sport
Psychology(psy407)
VU
Lesson
28
THE
ROLE OF HYPNOSIS IN
SPORT
Like
imagery, hypnosis is a cognitive-behavioral
process that has both a
cognitive function and
a
motivational
function. In a cognitive sense,
hypnosis is used to restructure the
way athletes think
about
themselves
and about the way they
execute and learn new sport
skills. In a motivational sense,
hypnosis is
used
to modify emotions, reduce anxiety,
increase or decreases arousal,
and increase effort. In the
initial
induction
phase, hypnotism is physiologically identical to
progressive relaxation, autogenic
training, and
meditation.
All of these intervention
strategies are associated
with reductions in oxygen
consumption,
respiration
rate, and heart
rate.
Perhaps
because it is poorly understood, hypnosis
is not a widely utilized
intervention strategy in sport.
Nideffer
(1992) is one of the few sport
psychologists who advocate
its use on a broad scale. A
dated but
well-known
application of hypnosis took
place before the first heavyweight
boxing match between
Muhammad
Ali and Ken Norton in
1973. Norton reportedly
hired a professional hypnotist to
help him
bolster
his self-confidence and
reduce prematch anxiety. Norton
won the match in a stunning
upset,
effectively
calling attention to hypnosis as a viable
intervention strategy.
While
there may be some potential
risks associated with the indiscriminate
use of hypnosis by an
untrained
therapist,
most concerns about hypnosis
are unfounded. It is probably
fair to say that hypnosis is
more
clouded
by myths and misconceptions
than any other form of
psychological intervention.
Our
discussion of hypnosis in sport will
focus upon the following
topics. The first two
topics will be
discussed
in this lecture, and the remaining in the
next lecture.
1.
Defining
hypnosis
2.
Theories
of hypnosis
3.
The
hypnotic trait issue
4.
Facts
about hypnosis
5.
Achieving
the hypnotic trance
6.
Self-hypnosis
7.
Improving
effective use of hypnosis
8.
Hypnosis
and athletic performance.
Defining
Hypnosis
The
term hypnosis comes from
Hypnos, the Greek god of sleep (Kalat,
1999), even though it has
long been
known
that hypnosis is not related
to sleep. Hypnosis could be defined as
"The uncritical acceptance of a
suggestion"
or "An induced temporary condition of being, a
state that differs mentally
and physiologically
from
a person's normal state of
being".
Theories
of Hypnosis
We
will briefly discuss three
theories of hypnosis. The
first two re represent
extreme positions on the issue
of
the existence of a hypnotic state,
while the third represents a
compromise position that has
been
embraced
by many psychologists. The
theories to be discussed
are:
1.
Social-cognitive
Theory
2.
Hypnosis
as an Altered State of
Consciousness
3.
Neodissociation
Theory
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Copyright Virtual University of
Pakistan
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Sport
Psychology(psy407)
VU
Social-Cognitive
Theory
Social-cognitivists
believe that subjects carry
out hypnotic behaviors
because they have positive
attitudes,
motivations,
and expectations that lead
to a willingness to think and
imagine using themes
suggested by the
hypnotist.
Therapists
who are of the social-cognitive theory
school of thought believe in the
use of hypnotism as a
method
of increasing a client's willingness to
accept suggestions, but they do
not believe that this state
of
uncritical
acceptance of suggestions represents an
altered state of
consciousness.
Hypnosis
as an Altered State of
Consciousness
At
the other extreme are
psychologists who believe
that hypnotized individuals
enter into an altered state
of
consciousness
known as trance. It is believed that the
trance-like state is different from
other
nonhypnotically
induced states such as daydreaming
and relaxation. While in the hypnotic
state or trance,
the
individual is susceptible to suggestions
made by the hypnotist.
Neodissociation
Theory
Neodissociation
theory explains hypnosis
without suggesting that the
hypnotic trance is responsible
for the
phenomenon
associated with hypnosis.
Daydreaming and relaxation are
considered by many theorists to
be
examples
of the altered state of consciousness
that we experience every
day. We drive to work each
day with
our
minds focused on anything
but the drive, then suddenly
we arrive at our destination with little
recall of
the
actual drive. This is a form
of hypnosis, or what is referred to as
dissociation.
Neodissociation
theory is based on two
assumptions:
1.
There is a central control system
that performs planning and
monitoring functions in the brain.
2.
Beneath the central control
system there are relatively
autonomous subordinate cognitive-behavioral
systems.
In
the hypnotic trance state, however, the
two systems are dissociated
from each other. In the
hypnotic
trance
state the two systems are
dissociated from each other.
Some individuals will be
more responsive to
hypnosis
and hypnotic suggestions
than others. Through proper
preparation, most individuals can
benefit
from
hypnosis, but not
all.
References
Cox,
H. Richard. (2002). Sport Psychology:
Concepts and Applications.
(Fifth Edition). New York:
McGraw-
Hill
Companies
Lavallec.
D., Kremer, J., Moran,
A., & Williams. M. (2004)
Sports Psychology: Contemporary Themes.
New
York:
Palgrave Macmillan
Publishers
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Copyright Virtual University of
Pakistan
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