{"id":{"repo_id":"wku-diss","oai_identifier":"oai:digitalcommons.wku.edu:theses-1487"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/wku-diss/oai:digitalcommons.wku.edu:theses-1487","repository":{"repo_id":"wku-diss","name":"Western Kentucky University","base_url":"https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"The Effects of Mental Skills Training on Serve Accuracy of an Intercollegiate Volleyball Team","abstract":"A pre-season mental skills program for serving was implemented for the 12 members of a NCAA Division-I volleyball team. Key mental skills taught were relaxation, imagery, and attentional skills. A videotaped expert (i.e., the coach), who articulated and demonstrated the technical performance keys to effective serving, was used for behavioral modeling of the desired performance. Players utilized a three-phase service routine to increase automaticity of performance and to incorporate key mental skills. Phase I included: (a) selecting the target zone, (b) relaxing, (c) goal setting for pace, trajectory, and placement of the serve, and (d) imagery. Phase II included: (a) trusting the serve, (b) use of a serve trigger thought (e.g., \"palm to target\"), and (c) execution of the serve. Phase III included: (a) observing the outcome of the serve attempt, (b) if a good serve, reinforcing the performance through imagery; if a missed serve, correcting the error through imagery then letting go of the error, and (c) moving on to the next point. Two criteria measures were utilized: season ace-to-error ratio (AER) and good serve percentage (GSP; i.e., percent serves in home matches that pulled the opponent's setter off the net). These measures were highly correlated (r = .85, p < .01). Both were utilized, as GSP was more sensitive than the traditional AER. End-of-the-season reported use of imagery was significantly correlated with GSP (r = .82, p < .01) and AER (r = .63, p < .05). End-of-the-season reported use of a service routine also correlated significantly with GSP (r = .75, p < .01) and AER (r = .60, p < .05). The mean GSP across all servers for the season was .49 (SD = .07); the team GSP goal was .50. Competitive anxiety was negatively correlated with GSP (r = -.68,p < .05). Results indicate that implementing the mental skills training program was associated with increased serve performance.","abstract_html":"A pre-season mental skills program for serving was implemented for the 12 members of a NCAA Division-I volleyball team. Key mental skills taught were relaxation, imagery, and attentional skills. A videotaped expert (i.e., the coach), who articulated and demonstrated the technical performance keys to effective serving, was used for behavioral modeling of the desired performance. Players utilized a three-phase service routine to increase automaticity of performance and to incorporate key mental skills. Phase I included: (a) selecting the target zone, (b) relaxing, (c) goal setting for pace, trajectory, and placement of the serve, and (d) imagery. Phase II included: (a) trusting the serve, (b) use of a serve trigger thought (e.g., &quot;palm to target&quot;), and (c) execution of the serve. Phase III included: (a) observing the outcome of the serve attempt, (b) if a good serve, reinforcing the performance through imagery; if a missed serve, correcting the error through imagery then letting go of the error, and (c) moving on to the next point. Two criteria measures were utilized: season ace-to-error ratio (AER) and good serve percentage (GSP; i.e., percent serves in home matches that pulled the opponent&#x27;s setter off the net). These measures were highly correlated (r = .85, p &lt; .01). Both were utilized, as GSP was more sensitive than the traditional AER. End-of-the-season reported use of imagery was significantly correlated with GSP (r = .82, p &lt; .01) and AER (r = .63, p &lt; .05). End-of-the-season reported use of a service routine also correlated significantly with GSP (r = .75, p &lt; .01) and AER (r = .60, p &lt; .05). The mean GSP across all servers for the season was .49 (SD = .07); the team GSP goal was .50. Competitive anxiety was negatively correlated with GSP (r = -.68,p &lt; .05). Results indicate that implementing the mental skills training program was associated with increased serve performance.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Usry, Amber"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Department of Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2005-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:07:28Z","subjects":["Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/484","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Usry, Amber"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/484"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["A pre-season mental skills program for serving was implemented for the 12 members of a NCAA Division-I volleyball team. Key mental skills taught were relaxation, imagery, and attentional skills. A videotaped expert (i.e., the coach), who articulated and demonstrated the technical performance keys to effective serving, was used for behavioral modeling of the desired performance. Players utilized a three-phase service routine to increase automaticity of performance and to incorporate key mental skills. Phase I included: (a) selecting the target zone, (b) relaxing, (c) goal setting for pace, trajectory, and placement of the serve, and (d) imagery. Phase II included: (a) trusting the serve, (b) use of a serve trigger thought (e.g., \"palm to target\"), and (c) execution of the serve. Phase III included: (a) observing the outcome of the serve attempt, (b) if a good serve, reinforcing the performance through imagery; if a missed serve, correcting the error through imagery then letting go of the error, and (c) moving on to the next point. Two criteria measures were utilized: season ace-to-error ratio (AER) and good serve percentage (GSP; i.e., percent serves in home matches that pulled the opponent's setter off the net). These measures were highly correlated (r = .85, p < .01). Both were utilized, as GSP was more sensitive than the traditional AER. End-of-the-season reported use of imagery was significantly correlated with GSP (r = .82, p < .01) and AER (r = .63, p < .05). End-of-the-season reported use of a service routine also correlated significantly with GSP (r = .75, p < .01) and AER (r = .60, p < .05). The mean GSP across all servers for the season was .49 (SD = .07); the team GSP goal was .50. Competitive anxiety was negatively correlated with GSP (r = -.68,p < .05). Results indicate that implementing the mental skills training program was associated with increased serve performance."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Effects of Mental Skills Training on Serve Accuracy of an Intercollegiate Volleyball Team"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Usry, Amber"],"dc:description.abstract":["A pre-season mental skills program for serving was implemented for the 12 members of a NCAA Division-I volleyball team. Key mental skills taught were relaxation, imagery, and attentional skills. A videotaped expert (i.e., the coach), who articulated and demonstrated the technical performance keys to effective serving, was used for behavioral modeling of the desired performance. Players utilized a three-phase service routine to increase automaticity of performance and to incorporate key mental skills. Phase I included: (a) selecting the target zone, (b) relaxing, (c) goal setting for pace, trajectory, and placement of the serve, and (d) imagery. Phase II included: (a) trusting the serve, (b) use of a serve trigger thought (e.g., \"palm to target\"), and (c) execution of the serve. Phase III included: (a) observing the outcome of the serve attempt, (b) if a good serve, reinforcing the performance through imagery; if a missed serve, correcting the error through imagery then letting go of the error, and (c) moving on to the next point. Two criteria measures were utilized: season ace-to-error ratio (AER) and good serve percentage (GSP; i.e., percent serves in home matches that pulled the opponent's setter off the net). These measures were highly correlated (r = .85, p < .01). Both were utilized, as GSP was more sensitive than the traditional AER. End-of-the-season reported use of imagery was significantly correlated with GSP (r = .82, p < .01) and AER (r = .63, p < .05). End-of-the-season reported use of a service routine also correlated significantly with GSP (r = .75, p < .01) and AER (r = .60, p < .05). The mean GSP across all servers for the season was .49 (SD = .07); the team GSP goal was .50. Competitive anxiety was negatively correlated with GSP (r = -.68,p < .05). Results indicate that implementing the mental skills training program was associated with increased serve performance."],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/484"],"dc:subject":["Psychology"],"dc:title":["The Effects of Mental Skills Training on Serve Accuracy of an Intercollegiate Volleyball Team"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of Psychology"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:07:28Z"}