Résumé
Many athletes are familiar with the experience of an upward or downward spiral during a match, called psychological momentum (PM). Recently, researchers proposed that PM can be considered as a dynamical system that can move toward a positive or negative PM state (e.g., Briki, Den Hartigh, Markman, Micallef, & Gernigon, 2013; Den Hartigh, Gernigon, Van Yperen, Marin, & Van Geert, 2014). According to the theory of dynamical systems, processes that take place on the short-term influence long-term processes, and vice versa (Newell, Liu, & Mayer-Kress, 2001). In this study, we empirically tested the interconnection between athletes’ PM processes during a single match and across matches. Twenty-two male athletes competed to win a rowing-ergometer tournament (long-term), consisting of multiple races (short-term). The races were manipulated so that participants in the positive momentum condition won the first two races, whereas those in the negative momentum condition lost. In the third race, all participants took a lead at the start, after which they gradually moved toward a defeat. The athletes’ perceptions of long-term momentum and self-efficacy, measured before each race, showed an increase for participants in the positive momentum condition, and a decrease for those in the negative momentum condition. During the third race we measured exerted force continuously, and perceptions of momentum and self-efficacy at repeated intervals. Compared to participants in the negative momentum condition, those in the positive momentum condition displayed higher within-race momentum perceptions, self-efficacy, and exerted efforts (p < .001), and their momentum perceptions and self-efficacy decreased less rapidly (p < .001). These results imply that PM is a dynamical process, which takes place at interconnected short- (during a match) and long-term (across matches) time scales. From an applied perspective, coaches should be aware that their athletes are likely to carry their performance history into the next match.