Psychological Momentum and Competitive Sport Performance: A Field Study

Abstract

To test the hypothesis that psychological momentum changes performers' self-perceptions and perceptions of the opponent, competitive racquetball players were asked to rate, during a 2-min. break between the first and second games, their perceived likelihood of winning the second game, their personal ability in relation to the opponent's, and their confidence in their ability and experience to win the second game. As predicted, the perceived likelihood of winning was significantly greater for winners than losers; winners rated themselves as better players ability-wise than did losers, and winners were significantly more confident than losers that their ability and experience would be sufficient for winning the next game. Unobtrusive data collected from the same tournament and another tournament indicated that over 70% of all the second-game winners won the first game. This finding replicated Iso-Ahola and Mobily's earlier findings and taken together with present results, supports the hypothesis that early success gives psychological momentum to the winner and simultaneously puts the loser at a psychological disadvantage.