Friend vs. Friend
2008's Beijing Olympics are generating some new terms for us in the world of sport psychology. Two of them are "frenemies" and "chumpetitors". What is a frenemy? Put simply, a frenemy is the combination of friend and enemy, while chumpetitor is a fusion of chum and competitor. Frenemies competing against each other in Olympic events is common, especially when athletes from the same country train, room, relax, eat, and study together. Oh yeah - they compete against each other, too. For examples of frenemies from 2008, see Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte, Nastia Liukin vs. Shawn Johnson, and Kirsty Coventry vs. Margaret Hoelzer.
What is the psychological effect on competition of going all-out against a frenemy? According to Harvard Medical School sport psychologist Richard Ginsburg, "Pushing each other to the limit can be seen as a way to honor the friendship, as opposed to a way to challenge or undermine it." In other words, seeing your best friend in the lane next to you in a swimming meet can serve to inspire both to greater heights of athleticism. Of course, the trick is to remain the best of friends outside of competition.
Read more about frenemies and chumpetitors in Linton Weeks' NPR column here.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Does the color of our jerseys really matter?
Yes, it does, according to recent German research. Their research demonstrated that referees in tae kwondo judge matches in favor of competitors wearing red uniforms. Furthermore, the differences in scoring were not negligible - athletes wearing red were awarded 13% more points than those wearing blue. The researchers also speculated on the impact of their research on other sports. For example, wearing red may be a disadvantage in soccer, where red cards are a negative penalty. Conversely, wearing red in martial sports such as tae kwondo may be advantageous for a competitor, as red is a color commonly associated with aggression.
However, Andrew Elliot, University of Rochester psychologist, has a different opinion on the matter. It's not that referees judge in favor of athletes wearing red, but that the color red may trigger subconscious impressions in other competitors and lower their performance. In summary, their is no favor given to red wearers - the opponents of those wearing may simply red perform worse.
What do you think? If you are an athlete, have you noticed an effect on the level of competition due to the color of your jersey or the opponents? Any fan of mainstream refereed sports knows conspiracy theories holding that home teams and star players receive preferential treatment. Comment below with your own experiences!
Check out the whole report on the study from US News and World Report.
Yes, it does, according to recent German research. Their research demonstrated that referees in tae kwondo judge matches in favor of competitors wearing red uniforms. Furthermore, the differences in scoring were not negligible - athletes wearing red were awarded 13% more points than those wearing blue. The researchers also speculated on the impact of their research on other sports. For example, wearing red may be a disadvantage in soccer, where red cards are a negative penalty. Conversely, wearing red in martial sports such as tae kwondo may be advantageous for a competitor, as red is a color commonly associated with aggression.
However, Andrew Elliot, University of Rochester psychologist, has a different opinion on the matter. It's not that referees judge in favor of athletes wearing red, but that the color red may trigger subconscious impressions in other competitors and lower their performance. In summary, their is no favor given to red wearers - the opponents of those wearing may simply red perform worse.
What do you think? If you are an athlete, have you noticed an effect on the level of competition due to the color of your jersey or the opponents? Any fan of mainstream refereed sports knows conspiracy theories holding that home teams and star players receive preferential treatment. Comment below with your own experiences!
Check out the whole report on the study from US News and World Report.
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