Reappraisal and mindset interventions on pressurised esport performance

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of two low-resource interventions on esport competitors' responses to pressure, focusing primarily on state anxiety, challenge and threat appraisals, and action performance. In Experiment 1, a single-session arousal reappraisal intervention demonstrated a significant influence on high-pressure esports performance. Notably, it not only prompted a shift in appraisals from threat to challenge but also reduced cognitive and somatic anxiety, increased quiet eye durations and heightened cognitive effort. In Experiment 2, a preliminary assessment of the Mindset-Reappraisal intervention was undertaken, demonstrating enhancements in esport action performance, including accelerated completion times and heightened shooting accuracy. This intervention cultivated a stress-enhancing mindset, lowered cognitive and somatic anxiety, fostered challenge appraisals and underscores the practical efficacy of cost-effective interventions within the specific context of our performance task. Effective management of arousal levels and educating esports competitors on stress mindset implications may improve performance under pressure, offering valuable insights for esports performance psychology. These findings suggest opportunities for refining pressure-response strategies, paving the way for comprehensive approaches to optimise performance in competitive esports.