TITLE:
The Effects of Strategic Self-Talk on Flow during Competition in Young High-Level Taekwondo Athletes
AUTHORS:
Evangelos Galanis, Nastasja Minja, Konstantina Tzeli, Themistoklis Tsatalas, Nikos Comoutos, Yannis Theodorakis, Nektarios Stavrou, Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis
KEYWORDS:
Field Intervention, Optimal Experience, Self-Talk Mechanisms, Sports Performance
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.16 No.11,
November
27,
2025
ABSTRACT: Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a strategic self-talk intervention on flow in young high-level Taekwondo athletes. Methods: Originally, twenty-eight young high-level Taekwondo athletes were recruited from two sport clubs that were assigned as experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 13) groups. An eight-week intervention was implemented between two competitions where flow was assessed. During the eight weeks, athletes practiced three times per week with the same 10-minute drill routine following their typical warm-up, with the experimental group practicing using strategic self-talk. Seventeen athletes participated in both competitions before and after the intervention. Results: Pairwise comparisons showed significant increases for the experimental group in the dimensions of challenge-skills balance, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, sense of control, and overall flow at post-intervention, whereas no differences were found for the control group. Discussion: The findings provide preliminary, yet useful, insight into the effectiveness of a strategic self-talk intervention in facilitating aspects of flow among young high-level Taekwondo athletes in competition and contribute to the existing literature on the mechanisms explaining the facilitating effects of strategic self-talk in sports.