Cognitive pain coping strategies of rowers

• Main Author: Sedgwick, Whitney A. (Whitney Ann)
• Other Authors: Neil, Graham (advisor)
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 1995
• Subjects: Pain > Psychological aspects; Sports > Psychological aspects; Rowing
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=35223

This study investigated rowers' cognitive pain coping strategies during a 2,000 metre ergometer race. The concepts of association and dissociation were expanded upon by devising five thought categories: performance dissociation (PerfD), pain association (PaA), pain dissociation (PaD), psychological performance association (PsyA), and technical performance association (TechA). Sixteen rowers, five males and eleven females, between the ages of 19 and 27 years, rowed at maximum intensity for four race segments of 500 m, 1,000 m, and 2,000 m on separate occasions. A forty-one item Thoughts During Rowing Questionnaire was administered upon completion of each distance. Subjects' average thought category scores were analyzed by a 4 x 5 (Distance x Thought category) MANOVA. Results indicated significant (p $<$.005) effects for distance and thought category, and an interaction. Results suggest that while racing, rowers rarely dissociate from their performances. As pain awareness rises, rowers dissociate from pain and associate with the psychological or technical aspects of their performances.