Supplemental Material for The Winding Road to the Tokyo Olympics: A Dynamic Approach to the Relationships Between Stress Appraisal, Coping, Performance, and Burnout Among an Artistic Swimming Team

Abstract

This study aimed to better understand psychological adaptation processes of elite athletes, and specifically how stress appraisal and coping processes are dynamically interrelated and the extent to which their dynamic relationship is associated with performance and burnout among an artistic swimming team during the qualification phase for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics conducted in summer 2021. Fifteen elite artistic swimmers (Mage = 21 years, SDage = 3 years) completed an online questionnaire once a week measuring perceived stress, stress mindset, individual and collective perception of control, individual and interpersonal coping strategies, performance, and burnout (i.e., 19 time-points, January-May 2021). Results of multilevel analyses showed that (a) mastery coping mediated the association between stress mindset and reduced sense of accomplishment, (b) goal-withdrawal coping mediated the association between stress mindset and negative feelings toward sport, and (c) interpersonal management of emotions mediated the association between collective perception of control and collective performance. This study provides new knowledge about the psychological adaptation processes of elite athletes during the particularly stressful Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualification phase. Furthermore, it highlights the need to longitudinally and frequently assess changes in psychological adaptation processes in relation to burnout and performance fluctuations in order to prevent burnout development and a deterioration in individual or team performance, especially in extended challenging situations experienced by elite athletes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)