Masters Thesis

Think-aloud: An examination of distance runners thought-processes

A considerable amount of literature evaluating psychological variables associated with distance runners is currently available. However, a major limitation exists in the use of retrospective recall instruments that are used to measure these variables. An additional limitation in the available research lies within a lack of literature attempting to measure thought-processes in real-time during physical activity and competition. The “think-aloud protocol” is a promising methodology for closing the gap in the literature (Ericsson & Simon, 1980). Literature to date regarding the think-aloud protocol has provided substantial evidence for the protocol’s validity, yet the gap remains in utilizing the protocol with long duration tasks, such as long distance running. The purpose of this study was to continue an exploratory line of research using the think-aloud protocol and examine the thought processes of runners while completing a long distance training run. Ten experienced adult runners (5 males, 5 females) with a mean age of 29.8 years (SD=7.7), currently training for a half-marathon distance or greater race, participated in this study. Participants were asked to verbalize their thought-processes while completing a long training run (8+ miles) while speaking aloud into an audio recorder. Qualitative analysis of the transcripts revealed a total of 6,838 meaning units, which were further grouped into sub-themes and major themes. A final thematic structure identified six major themes that characterized these participants’ thought-processes during a long run: social/occupational, environment, mental strategies, logistics of running, pain/discomfort, and think-aloud protocol (TAP). The results of this study provide greater understanding of the thought-processes of long distance runners, subsequently offering practical implications for sport psychology professionals working with this athletic population.

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