A Model System: Resilience and Performance Strategies as Predictors of Flow State in Elite Three-Day Event Equestrians

Abstract

This study investigated the roles of resilience and performance strategies on flow state outcomes in elite three-day event riders by examining (i) baseline resilience levels, (ii) performance strategies used in specific competitions, (iii) flow state of riders in those same competitions, and (iv) the correlations among these three variables in participants as a whole and in subgroups of competitors differentiated by the highest level each individual had competed. Given the scarcity of research on elite three-day eventing athletes, this study aims to bridge the current gap between studies of competitors in other equestrian disciplines as well as studies of personality traits and states of athletes and individuals in other sporting and performance domains that involve high-risk and sustained focus. The study hypothesized that elite three-day eventing athletes would demonstrate higher baseline resilience and dispositional flow characteristics than members of the general population, and that higher baseline resilience levels and better use of performance strategies would predict higher levels of flow state within the group of elite three-day eventing athletes. Participants consisted of international level three-day eventing athletes competing in the United States in the Spring 2021 Fédération Equestre International (FEI) eventing season. Athletes were recruited through Facebook and emails. A self-report questionnaire format was used to collect data. Flow state during specific competitions was measured using the Flow Short Scale. Baseline resilience levels were measured using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (CD-Risc 10). Use of performance strategies in relation to the same specific competitions was assessed using the Test of Performance Strategies-3 (TOPS 3). The results showed significance in correlation between baseline resilience levels and flow state for all athletes, as well as significant correlations in the performance strategies sub-scales of emotional control and negative thinking in relation to flow state and significant correlations in the performance strategies sub-scales of automaticity, emotional control, activation, self-talk, negative thinking, and attention control in relation to resilience. Additionally, there were no significant findings between an athlete’s highest level of experience and their resilience scores or flow scores, but both resilience levels and flow state scores were higher than that of the general population. This study is the first of its kind conducted on three-day eventing athletes and indicates a self-selection of riders in the elite levels of three-day eventing based on riders who already demonstrate high levels of resilience as well as high propensity for experiencing flow state in competition.