The Effect of Instructional, Motivational and Self-selected Self-talk on Intrinsic Motivation and Accuracy of Elbow Joint Position Sense Test

The present study was performed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of instructional, motivational, and self-selected self-talk on intrinsic motivation and accuracy of elbow joint position sense test. The study was conducted as a within-subject counterbalanced design with a semi-experimental method and an applied purpose. Fifteen female students of Shahid Beheshti University were selected as the study sample conveniently. Participants took part in a repeated measures design with four levels of control, instructional, motivational, and self-selected self-talk that 40 attempts of joint position sense performed in order to actively reproduce the 90º angle of the elbow joint using the Biodex isokinetic dynamometer during each level. After each level, participants completed the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and manipulation check form. Although the results showed an increased intrinsic motivation during the self-selected self-talk level compared to the other levels, but a decreased absolute error of the elbow joint position sense test in instructional, motivational, and self-selected self-talk levels was observed similarly. These findings support instructional and motivational self-talk as effective strategies for improving joint position sense, which are consistent with the model of the self-talk-performance relationship, the sport-specific model of self-talk, and the model of self-talk mechanisms that confirm the effectiveness of types of self-talk on performance.