Emotions, Coping Strategies, and Performance: A Conceptual Framework for Defining Affect-Related Performance Zones

Abstract

This article presents the crisis theory (Bar Eli & Tenenbaum, 1989 Bar-Eli, M. and Tenenbaum, G. 1989. A theory of individual psychological crisis in competitive sport. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 38: 107–120. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) and its related approach for determining individual affect-related performance zones (IAPZ: Kamata, Tenenbaum, & Hanin, 2002 Kamata, A., Tenenbaum, G. and Hanin, Y. L. 2002. Individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF): A probabilistic estimation. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 24: 189–208. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The theory and methodology delineate the uniqueness of each individual's ability to appraise stressful conditions and perceive them as functional or dysfunctional to his performance. In addition, the theory and methodology allow incorporating self-regulatory behaviors and coping strategies used during the encounter with situations, which vary in stress appraisal. The article also describes coping mechanisms used to energize (i.e., activate) and relax persons facing situations that vary in cognitive, physical, and affective demands. In particular, the use of imagery and self-talk as coping strategies in stressful situations are presented in more details. Since performance of military personnel involves substantially stressful circumstances (Wallenius, Larsson, & Johansson, 2004 Wallenius, C., Larsson, G. and Johansson, C. R. 2004. Military observers' reactions and performance when facing danger. Military Psychology, 16: 211–229. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), the article advises how sport psychology theories, methodology, and findings can be used in the military environment.