An imagery-based intervention for managing anxiety in esports
-
Krista J. Munroe-Chandler
,
Todd M. Loughead
Abstract
The popularity and commercial success of videogames in the current era has given rise to a new type of competition: electronic sports (or esports). Researchers have proposed that esports players would benefit greatly from the applied sport psychology work typically conducted with traditional athletes and more specifically from evidence-based interventions. Imagery interventions have proven beneficial for the traditional athlete at managing anxiety in competitive settings, and in fact League of Legends players have noted the importance of mental skills, including imagery, to achieving optimal performance. The aim of the current paper is to provide practitioners with an imagery intervention specifically designed for managing anxiety in League of Legends players. Three 30-min workshops are described wherein the practitioner follows the three phases of Psychological Skills Training; education, acquisition and practice.
Appendix A: Practitioner guide
League of Legends Workshop Series: Using Imagery to Manage Anxiety.
Structure: Each of the three workshops are designed to be 30 min in length and held every other week over the course of six weeks. Ideally this program would be delivered in the off-season, however, these workshops could also be held just before (or after) a team practice. The remainder of this document will overview a lesson plan for each workshop.
| Workshop #1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Activity | Description |
| 5 min | Introduction | Begin with an introduction of the practitioner. Explain the purpose of psychological skills training and describe how learning psychological skills can impact performance. |
| 10 min | Self-awareness | See Appendix B for a more detailed account of this activity. |
| 8 min | Imagery overview | Provide an overview of what imagery is and how imagery includes various senses. Describe the different types of imagery and that they will focus on imagery to manage anxiety. |
| 7 min | Creating images | Prompt gamers through an activity to help them create images by recalling something familiar to them, such as their bedroom. This activity should be repeated at home before next session. |
|
|
||
| Workshop #2 | ||
|
|
||
| 2 min | Introduction | Welcome gamers to the workshop and indicate the purpose of this workshop is to learn techniques to improve their imagery. |
| 15 min | Discussion | Facilitate a discussion around the creating images activity from previous session. Discussion should focus on their ability to create vivid images and how to control (or manipulate) their images. |
| 13 min | Multiple senses | Reflecting on the self-awareness activity and recall the emotions they felt. Take time to discuss how to incorporate emotions into their images and how using multiple senses can help. |
|
|
||
| Workshop #3 | ||
|
|
||
| 2 min | Introduction | Welcome gamers to the workshop and indicate the purpose of this workshop will be to learn how to integrate imagery into competition. |
| 13 min | Discussion | Explore the times during competition imagery could be helpful for managing anxiety: (1) before draft, (2) post-draft, (3) during the match, and (4) post-match. |
| 15 min | Simulation training | Work with gamers to develop a plan for practicing the use of imagery during the various times previously discussed. |
-
Important that the practitioner uses language specific to esports, and League of Legends, throughout the series of workshops.
Appendix B: Self-awareness activity
Self-Awareness: Researchers have identified a relationship between emotions and the way in which anxiety is interpreted. That is, positive emotions are associated with one’s interpretation of anxiety as being a positive challenge. As such, it is important for players to be in control of their emotions, and this can be achieved by developing an awareness of one’s emotions before and during a match. This involves self-monitoring and recognizing how your emotional states affect your performance. As a player, you can probably identify certain feelings associated with top performances and other feelings associated with poor performances.
Instructions:
Think back to your best performance
Try to imagine the match as clearly as possible, focusing on what you felt and thought at the time. Take time to relive this experience
Once you have done so, complete the checklist below.
Now repeat process for your worst performance.
Compare your responses between the two performances.
| Checklist of performance states – Best performance | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Played extremely well | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Played extremely poorly |
| Felt extremely relaxed | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Felt extremely anxious |
| Felt extremely confident | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Felt no confidence at all |
| Felt in complete control | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Had no control at all |
| Body was relaxed | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Body was tense |
| Felt extremely energetic | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Felt extremely fatigued |
| Self-talk was positive | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Self-talk was negative |
| Felt extremely focused | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Felt extremely unfocused |
| Felt effortless | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Felt great effort |
| Had high energy | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Had low energy |
|
|
|||||||
| Checklist of performance states – Worst performance | |||||||
|
|
|||||||
| Played extremely well | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Played extremely poorly |
| Felt extremely relaxed | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Felt extremely anxious |
| Felt extremely confident | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Felt no confidence at all |
| Felt in complete control | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Had no control at all |
| Body was relaxed | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Body was tense |
| Felt extremely energetic | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Felt extremely fatigued |
| Self-talk was positive | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Self-talk was negative |
| Felt extremely focused | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Felt extremely unfocused |
| Felt effortless | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Felt great effort |
| Had high energy | 1☐ | 2☐ | 3☐ | 4☐ | 5☐ | 6☐ | Had low energy |
-
If you wish to better understand the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and performance, monitor yourself by completing this checklist immediately after each practice or gaming session over the next few weeks.
References
Bányai, F., Griffiths, M. D., Király, O., & Demetrovics, Z. (2018). The psychology of esports: A systematic literature review. Journal of Gambling Studies, 35, 351–365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-018-9763-1 Suche in Google Scholar PubMed
Behnke, M., Gross, J. J., & Kaczmarek, L. D. (2020). The role of emotions in esports performance. Emotion, 22(5), 1059–1070. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000903.Suche in Google Scholar PubMed
Birch, P., & Chekera, E. (2020). What are the mental demands of esports? Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-psychology-esports/202005/what-are-the-mental-demands-esports Suche in Google Scholar
Chow, G. M., & Luzzeri, M. (2019). Post-event reflection: A tool to facilitate self-awareness, self-monitoring, and self-regulation in athletes. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 10(2), 106–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2018.1555565 Suche in Google Scholar
Cotterill, S. T., & Symes, R. (2014). Integrating social media and new technologies into your practice as a sport psychology consultant. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 10(1), 55–64. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpssepr.2014.10.1.55.Suche in Google Scholar
Cottrell, C., McMillen, N., & Harris, B. S. (2019). Sport psychology in a virtual world: Considerations for practitioners working in eSports. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 10(2), 73–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2018.1518280.Suche in Google Scholar
Ely, F. O., O, J., & Munroe-Chandler, K. J. (2021). How intervention research designs may broaden the research-to-practice gap in sport psychology. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 12(2), 101–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2020.1798573 Suche in Google Scholar
Esports Earnings. (2020). Largest overall prize pools in esports. https://www.esportsearnings.com/tournaments Suche in Google Scholar
Gould, D., & Udry, E. (1994). Psychological skills for enhancing performance: Arousal regulation strategies. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 26(4), 478–485. https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-199404000-00013.Suche in Google Scholar
Hanton, S., & Jones, G. (1999). The acquisition and development of cognitive skills and strategies: I. Making the butterflies fly in formation. The Sport Psychologist, 13(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.13.1.1.Suche in Google Scholar
Hanton, S., Mellalieu, S., & Williams, J. M. (2015). Understanding and managing stress in sport. In J. M. Williams & V. Krane (Eds.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (7th ed., pp. 207–239). McGraw-Hill.Suche in Google Scholar
Hays, K. F. (1995). Putting sport psychology into (your) practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 26(1), 33–40. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.26.1.33.Suche in Google Scholar
Himmelstein, D., Liu, Y., & Shapiro, J. L. (2017). An exploration of mental skills among competitive league of legend players. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations, 9(2), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJGCMS.2017040101 Suche in Google Scholar
Jenny, S. E., Manning, R. D., Keiper, M. C., & Olrich, T. W. (2016). Virtual(ly) athletes: Where esports fit within the definition of “sport”. Quest, 69(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2016.1144517 Suche in Google Scholar
Kou, Y. & Gui, X. (2020). Emotion regulation in esports gaming: A qualitative study of league of legends. In Proceedings of the ACM on human-computer interaction, 4, No. CSCW2, Article 158 (October 2020). (p. 25).10.1145/3415229Suche in Google Scholar
Leis, O., & Lautenbach, F. (2020). Psychological and physiological stress in non-competitive and competitive esports settings: A systematic review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 51, 101738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101738.Suche in Google Scholar
Leis, O., Raue, C., Dreiskämper, D., & Lautenbach, F. (2021). To be or not to be (e) sports? That is not the question! Why and how sport and exercise psychology could research esports. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 51(2), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-021-00715-9.Suche in Google Scholar
Martin, L. J., Carron, A. V., & Burke, S. M. (2009). Team building interventions in sport: A. https://oxfordre.com/psychology/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.001.0001/acrefore-9780190236557-e-228 10.53841/bpssepr.2009.5.2.3Suche in Google Scholar
Munroe-Chandler, K. J., & Hall, C. R. (2021). Sport psychology interventions. In P. R. E. Crocker, C. Sabiston, & M. McDonough (Eds.), Sport and exercise psychology: A Canadian perspective (4th ed., pp. 133–156). Pearson Canada Inc.Suche in Google Scholar
Munroe-Chandler, K. J., Muir, I., & Ely, F. O. (2022). Inspired by imagination: How imagery can help you be better at sport. Frontiers for Young Minds, 10(686258). https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2022.686258 Suche in Google Scholar
Murphy, S. (2009). Video games, competition and exercise: A new opportunity for sport psychologists? The Sport Psychologist, 23(4), 487–503. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.23.4.487.Suche in Google Scholar
Newzoo (2021). Global games market report 2021-free version. https://newzoo.com/insights/trend-reports/newzoo-global-games-market-report-2021-free-version Suche in Google Scholar
Pedraza-Ramirez, I., Musculus, L., Raab, M., & Laborde, S. (2020). Setting the scientific stage for esports psychology: A systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13(1), 319–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2020.1723122 Suche in Google Scholar
Pineschi, G., & Di Pietro, A. (2013). Anxiety management through psychophysiological techniques: Relaxation and psyching up in sport. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 4, 181–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2013.820247.Suche in Google Scholar
Riot Games. (2009). League of Legends [Microsoft Windows]. Riot Games. https://www.leagueoflegends.com/en-us/ Suche in Google Scholar
Rodgers, W. M., Hall, C. R., & Buckolz, E. (1991). The effect of an imagery training program on imagery ability, imagery use, and figure skating performance. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 3, 109–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413209108406438.Suche in Google Scholar
Ryska, T. A. (1998). Cognitive-behavioral strategies and precompetitive anxiety among recreational athletes. Psychological Record, 48, 697–708. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03395299.Suche in Google Scholar
Strachan, L., & Munroe-Chandler, K. J. (2006). Using imagery to predict self confidence and anxiety in young elite athletes. Journal of Imagery Research in Sport and Physical Activity, 1, Article 3. https://doi.org/10.2202/1932-0191.1004.Suche in Google Scholar
Tang, W. (2018). Understanding esports from the perspective of team dynamics. The Sport Journal, 22, 1–15.Suche in Google Scholar
Taylor, T. L. (2012). Raising the stakes: E-Sports and the professionalization of computer gaming. MIT Press.10.7551/mitpress/8624.001.0001Suche in Google Scholar
The Entertainment Software Association (2021). 2021 Essential facts about the video game industry. https://www.theesa.com/resource/2021-essential-facts-about-the-video-game-industry/ Suche in Google Scholar
Vealey, R. S., & Greenleaf, C. A. (2010). Seeing is believing: Understanding and using imagery in sport. In J. M. Williams (Ed.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (3rd ed., pp. 237–269). Mayfield Publishing Company.Suche in Google Scholar
Wadey, R., & Hanton, S. (2008). Basic psychological skills usage and competitive anxiety responses: Perceived underlying mechanisms. Research Quarterly for Exercise & Sport, 79(3), 363–373. https://doi.org/10.5641/193250308x13086832906030.Suche in Google Scholar
Wagner, M. G. (2006). On the scientific relevance of eSports. In Proceedings of the 2006 international conference on internet computing & conference on computer games development (pp. 437–440). CSREA Press.Suche in Google Scholar
Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2019). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology (7th ed.). Human Kinetics.Suche in Google Scholar
© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Editorial
- Why imagery use in esports?
- Articles
- Translating the applied model of deliberate imagery use to esports
- Practical assessment and application of imagery techniques in esports
- Developing imagery ability in esport athletes using layered stimulus response training
- Getting the most out of imagery: PETTLEP and ESports
- Imagery for game strategy in esports
- Using imagery to build confidence in esports
- Using imagery to build team confidence in esports
- An imagery-based intervention for managing anxiety in esports
- VR training and imagery training in esports
- Using imagined partners to enhance esports performance
- Coaches as teachers and facilitators of esports imagery use
- Imagery use in esports: future research directions and unique considerations
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Editorial
- Why imagery use in esports?
- Articles
- Translating the applied model of deliberate imagery use to esports
- Practical assessment and application of imagery techniques in esports
- Developing imagery ability in esport athletes using layered stimulus response training
- Getting the most out of imagery: PETTLEP and ESports
- Imagery for game strategy in esports
- Using imagery to build confidence in esports
- Using imagery to build team confidence in esports
- An imagery-based intervention for managing anxiety in esports
- VR training and imagery training in esports
- Using imagined partners to enhance esports performance
- Coaches as teachers and facilitators of esports imagery use
- Imagery use in esports: future research directions and unique considerations
