La musique comme outil de préparation mentale chez les athlètes olympiques
The use of music as a mental preparation tool is very common amongst Olympic athletes. However, this practice has received little research attention. Thus, the present study has two objectives: (a) to identify the functions of music in a sporting context and (b) to explore the messages conveyed by the lyrics. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten Quebec Olympians practicing technico-artistic sports. In addition, athletes took part in a music task where they listened to the song that most influenced their athletic career and write all the memories evoked by the song. Data analysis by grounded theory demonstrates that athletes use music as a mental preparation tool for two main reasons: (1) to trigger or (2) to regulate psychological processes such as focus, visualization and emotions, which are beneficial to their athletic performances. However, if not used properly music can have a negative effect on these psychological processes and thus impair performance. Furthermore, analysis of the lyrics that most influenced the sport careers of the athletes reveals that the message conveyed by these songs is very similar from one song to another. Practical implications for using music in sport settings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
sport psychology music lyrics olympic athletes