Thinking Aloud. A qualitative analysis of stressors and coping responses in cricket bowlers during a competitive match

McGreary, Michael; Birch, Phil; Eubank, Martin; Whitehead, Amy

Abstract

Stressors and coping in cricket bowlers have yet to be explicitly examined. The present study aimed to investigate stressors and coping verbalisations of cricket bowlers during a competitive match using a Think Aloud (TA) method. TA provides access to a participant’s immediate short-term memory and overcomes limitations associated with retrospective methods such as recall bias and memory decay. Six semi-elite club level cricket bowlers were selected to verbalise their thoughts during a bowling spell in a real-life competitive match using TA. Verbalisations were recorded using an audio device and transcripts were thematically analysed to generate relevant stressors and coping themes. Findings indicated stressors and coping strategies varied throughout cricket bowling performance. Results also highlighted how stressors and coping responses represent a dynamic and recursive process and do not occur in isolation of one of another. Stressors were made up of organisational and competitive stressors and coping responses were coded using problem-focussed coping and emotion-focussed coping strategies. The findings from this study have extended previous literature by further understanding the stressors and coping responses of cricket bowlers by adopting a novel method of data collection, within an ecologically valid environment of real-life cricket competition. Applied implications and future research suggestions are discussed accordingly within the concluding remarks.

Citation

McGreary, M., Birch, P., Eubank, M., & Whitehead, A. (2021). Thinking Aloud. A qualitative analysis of stressors and coping responses in cricket bowlers during a competitive match. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 13(6), 972-989. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676x.2020.1829013

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 23, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Oct 18, 2020
• Publication Date: Nov 2, 2021
• Deposit Date: Feb 7, 2024
• Journal: Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health
• Print ISSN: 2159-676X
• Electronic ISSN: 2159-6778
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 972-989
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676x.2020.1829013
• Keywords: Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation; Health (social science); Social Psychology
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2159676X.2020.1829013
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=rqrs21; Received: 2020-02-07; Accepted: 2020-09-23; Published: 2020-10-18