AN EVALUATION OF SELF-MONITORING TO IMPROVE SWIMMING PERFORMANCE

This study evaluated the effects of self-monitoring by swimmers to improve their performance and assessed the effects of reactivity to observer presence on their performance. Seven public high school swim team members self-monitored their behavior on dry erase boards to increase the number of assigned laps completed at practice. Reactivity to observer presence was assessed as a confederate, recorded the number of laps completed during observer absent conditions. The percentage of assigned laps completed increased during the self-monitoring phases. The self-monitoring and feedback phase further increased the percentage of assigned laps completed and increased the participants' mean level of reporting accuracy. The effects from the reactivity assessment were mixed across participants. Further research is needed to examine reactivity effects in sport settings. Copyright (C) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.