Abstract
Although organizational stressors can lead to undesirable outcomes (e.g., impaired well-being, lower subjective performance), these relationships have typically been explored cross-sectionally, with future research needed using more advanced research designs (e.g., repeated-measures, experimental). Moreover, no research, to date, has examined the impact of organizational stressors on physical health (e.g., acute illness symptoms) and objective performance among athletes. Finally, while various risk factors of acute illness symptoms have been identified (e.g., inadequate sleep, psychological stress), and such symptoms are suggested to negatively impact performance, no studies have explored these subjectively. Thus, this PhD thesis examined the relationship between organizational stressors, acute illness symptoms, and sports performance among athletes.Using data collected monthly for six-months, Study One (Chapter Three) showed that organizational stressors predicted both positive and negative outcomes depending on their type and dimension. For instance, selection-related stressors were primarily associated with negative outcomes (e.g., increased illness symptoms, lower perceived performance). Extending these findings, Study Two (Chapter Four) experimentally found that athletes appraised the goals and development- and selection-related stressor conditions (simulated via mental imagery) as more threatening and reported more unpleasant and fewer pleasant emotions than in a control condition. Athletes also perceived their performance would be lower in the goals and development condition than the other conditions. Using a multi-study approach to examine additional risk factors of acute illness symptoms (e.g., previous infection with childhood herpes viruses, seasonality), Study Three (Chapter Five) found that athletes encountering organizational stressors more frequently and at higher intensities during non-winter months (Study 3B), and those infected with Cytomegalovirus (Study 3A) reported greater URTI symptom-severity scores. Finally, using semi-structured interviews, Study Four (Chapter Six) revealed that athletes identified various risk factors which they believed contributed towards the development of their illness (e.g., pathogen exposure, psychological stress), before commenting on the influence these symptoms had on their sports performance (e.g., impaired fitness, lower power output).
Overall, the multi-disciplinary nature of the research presented within this PhD thesis permitted a holistic and novel assessment of organizational stressors, acute illness symptoms, and performance. In addition to extending extant research and providing support for key theoretical models, several applied implications designed to promote optimal support, performance, and well-being are presented such as the use of primary- and secondary-level stress management interventions (Chapter Seven).
| Date of Award | 29 Mar 2023 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
|
| Supervisor | Rachel Arnold (Supervisor), Lee Moore (Supervisor) & James Turner (Supervisor) |