Approaching sport climbing from a sport psychology perspective : the role of route preview in indoor sport climbing

The purpose of the research presented in this thesis was to provide an insight into the psychological parameters involved in sport climbing and the aetiology of successful performance. We moved from previous laboratory-based studies to an ecologically valid real-life environment with the intention of capturing the essence of sport climbing and the inherent physiological and emotional demands of climbing performance. Five studies were carried out within the scope of the present thesis. A qualitative analytic approach was chosen in the first two studies of the thesis to gain a comprehensive understanding of the participants’ knowledge on (a) the role psychological factors play in climbing performance; (b) the perceived determinants of climbing performance; and (c) the role and functions of route preview in sport climbing. The objectives of the third study were twofold: (1) to examine the relationship between pre-performance psychological states and expert performance during an elite sport climbing competition, and (2)to examine expert climbing styles in a realistic environment, namely in a real competition setting. Our forth study was designed to examine, experimentally and in an ecologically valid manner, the efficacy of route preview upon indoor sport climbing on-sight performance. The last study of the thesis was designed to examine the effect of imagery and video-modelling on the performance of sport climbing movements and assess the strategy participants adopted during the given route training period. In this thesis different concepts and methodologies from psychology and sport psychology were utilised to provide an insight into the psychological parameters involved in sport climbing and the aetiology of successful performance. We moved from previous laboratory-based studies to an ecologically valid real-life environment with the intention of capturing the essence of sport climbing and the inherent physiological and emotional demands of climbing performance. Findings from the research developed within the scope of this thesis assist practitioners in the delivery of effective scientific support services in general and, in particular, psychologists to the development of effective mental skills training programmes that aim at optimising individual sport climbing strategies.