Research on EFT for Athletic Performance

Abstract

This study involved the use of a short session of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) with two English ladies soccer teams. It is a randomized controlled trial with a supporting uncontrolled trial. It was designed to verify the results of an earlier similar American trial involving basketball players. The results show a significant improvement in goal scoring ability from a dead ball situation following a short EFT session. These results support those of the earlier trial.

Citation (APA Style): Llewellyn-Edwards, T., & Llewellyn-Edwards, M. (2012). The effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) on soccer performance. Fidelity: Journal for the National Council of Psychotherapy, 47, 14-21.

Direct link: https://www.efttappingtraining.com/eft-research-paper/the-effect-of-eft-on-soccer-performance/

Abstract

This study explored whether a meridian-based intervention termed the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) could reduce Type I ‘yips’ symptoms. EFT was applied to a single figure handicap golfer in an attempt to overcome the performance decrements the player had suffered. The participant underwent four 2-hr sessions of EFT. The EFT involved the stimulation of various acupuncture points on the body. The appropriate acupuncture points were tapped while the participant was tuned into the perceived psychological causes (significant life event) associated with his ‘yips’ experience. Dependent variables included: visual inspection of the ‘yips’, putting success rate and motion analysis data. Improvements in ‘yips’ symptoms occurred across all dependent measures. Social validation data also illustrated that these improvements transferred to the competitive situation on the golf course. It is possible that significant life events may be a causal factor in the ‘yips’ experience and that EFT may be an effective treatment for the ‘yips’ condition.

Citation (APA Style): Rotheram, M., Maynard, I., Thomas, O., Bawden, M., & Francis, L. (2012). Preliminary evidence for the treatment of type I ‘yips’: The efficacy of the Emotional Freedom Techniques. Sport Psychologist, 26, 551-570.

Direct link: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/tsp/26/4/article-p551.xml

Abstract

Objective: To determine if a single session of EFT could reduce the emotional impact of traumatic memories related to sports performance, and lead to increased confidence levels in athletes.

Background: A relationship has been noted in other studies between sports performance and psychological factors such as confidence and anxiety levels. Critical incidents, which are experienced as traumatic memories, are associated with increased levels of psychological distress across a variety of symptom domains. Brief EFT sessions have been demonstrated to improve sport performance.

Methods: Female college athletes (N = 10) with traumatic memories were assessed using three self-reports and one objective measure (pulse rate). Subjective measures were State Sport Confidence inventory (SSC), Subjective Units of Distress (SUD), and the Critical Sport Incident Recall (CSIR) questionnaire, which measured both emotional and physical distress. Subjects received a single 20 minute EFT session. Baseline values were obtained, as well as pre, and post, and 60 day follow-ups.

Results: Significant post-intervention improvements were found in SUD, for both emotional and physical components of CSIR, and for performance confidence levels (p = 0.001). The change in pulse rate was marginally significant (p = 0.087). All participant gains were maintained on follow-up.

Conclusions: A brief application of EFT may increase sport confidence levels by reducing the emotional and physical distress associated with the recall of critical incidents.

Citation (APA Style): Church, D., & Downs, D. (2012). Sports confidence and critical incident intensity after a brief application of Emotional Freedom Techniques: A pilot study. Sport Journal, 15(1).

Direct link: https://thesportjournal.org/article/sports-confidence-and-critical-incident-intensity-after-a-brief-application-of-emotional-freedom-techniques-a-pilot-study/

Abstract

Church (2009) studied basketball free-throw performance of college varsity athletes, comparing (a) a brief treatment of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) with (b) an encouraging talk. A re-examination of Church’s data supported his conclusion that the EFT treatment led to relatively better performance compared with the control group. In addition, we found (a) the reported improvement within the EFT condition was not significant, whereas the control condition decrement was significant and robust; (b) the positive effect of EFT thus took the form of an avoidance of the strong performance decrement seen in the control group; and (c) men and women contributed about equally to these findings. To avoid an apparent ceiling effect, future researchers should use a more difficult free-throw task. Because this apparent ceiling effect may have caused the distribution of scores to deviate from normality, we confirmed the above reported findings from parametric analyses using nonparametric tests.

Citation (APA Style): Baker, A. H. (2010). A re-examination of Church’s (2009) study into the effects of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) on basketball free-throw performance. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, & Treatment, 2(1), 39-44.

Direct link: https://energypsychologyjournal.org/harvey-baker/

Abstract

Background: Since the turn of the century, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) has come into widespread use in medical and psychological treatment settings. It is also used as self-help by tens of millions of people each year. Clinical EFT, the manualized form of the method, has been validated as an “evidence-based” practice using criteria published by the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 12 Task Force on Empirically Validated Therapies. Its three essential ingredients are exposure, cognitive framing, and acupressure.

Objectives: In 2013 we published a paper defining Clinical EFT and reviewing published research. It has been viewed or downloaded over 36,000 times, indicating widespread interest in this treatment modality. Here we update our findings based on subsequently published literature and propose directions for future research.

Method: We performed a systematic review of the literature to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses. Retrieval of 4,167 results resulted in the identification of 56 RCTs (n = 2,013), 41 of which were published subsequent to our earlier review, as well as eight meta-analyses.

Results: RCTs have found EFT treatment to be effective for (a) psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, phobias, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); (b) physiological issues such as pain, insomnia, and autoimmune conditions; (c) professional and sports performance; and (d) biological markers of stress. Meta-analyses evaluating the effect of EFT treatment have found it to be “moderate” to “large.” Successful independent replication studies have been carried out for anxiety, depression, PTSD, phobias, sports performance, and cortisol levels. We outline the next steps in EFT research. These include determining its impact on cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive impairment; analysis of the large-scale datasets made possible by mobile apps; and delivery through channels such as virtual practitioner sessions, artificial intelligence agents, online courses, apps, virtual reality platforms, and standardized group therapy.

Conclusions: Subsequent research has confirmed the conclusions of earlier studies. These find Clinical EFT to be efficacious for a range of psychological and physiological conditions. Comparatively few treatment sessions are required, treatment is effective whether delivered in person or virtually, and symptom improvements persist over time. Treatment is associated with measurable biological effects in the dimensions of gene expression, brain synchrony, hormonal synthesis, and a wide range of biomarkers. Clinical EFT is a stable and mature method with an extensive evidence base. Its use in primary care settings as a safe, rapid, reliable, and effective treatment for both psychological and medical diagnoses continues to grow.

Citation (APA Style): Church, D., Stapleton, P. B., Vasudevan, A., & O'Keefe, T. (2022). Clinical EFT as an evidence-based practice for the treatment of psychological and physiological conditions: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 951451. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.951451

Direct link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.951451/full

Abstract

Endurance athletes, such as triathletes, must face potentially challenging events during which they must complete a swim, bike, and run of varying lengths depending on the distance of the triathlon. Recreational triathletes face unique challenges because participating in a triathlon is not their job but rather a choice they integrate into their lives, amongst everything else, including careers, family, friends, and additional hobbies. To succeed, a triathlete may need to be mentally tough to endure a potentially challenging training schedule while navigating other demands in their lives and the demands of racing in a triathlon. Therefore, finding ways to enhance mental toughness for triathletes may help them improve their performance. This research project analyzed scholarly literature regarding dance/movement therapy (DMT) and the emotional freedom technique (EFT) to explore methods of building mental toughness in 35- to 44-year-old female-identifying recreational triathletes that sport and performance professionals could use to enhance performance. Three of the components of the goal–expectancy–self-control (GES) model—self-efficacy, self-control, and goal development—served as the basis for identifying themes connected to elements of DMT and EFT. Further research is needed to explore additional connections between DMT and EFT in SP, especially mental toughness.

Citation (APA Style): Bow, K. (2024). Sport and performance enhanced by dance/movement therapy and the emotional freedom technique [Doctor of Pyschology]. In Proquest.com (pp. 1–24). https://www.proquest.com/openview/1c5125471529066e200c55b393c545d7/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Direct link: https://www.proquest.com/openview/1c5125471529066e200c55b393c545d7/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Abstract

Test anxiety causes, effects and interventions have been widely studied. This study seeks to determine the efficacy of a single brief intervention “Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)” to support the ability to shift attention appropriately to achieve optimal levels of both test anxiety and test performance.

The initial sample consisted of 168 undergraduates from three universities in the Inland Northwest USA who were randomly assigned to 3 different groups. Group 1 learned EFT, Group 2 learned Diaphragmatic Breathing (DB), and Group 3 served as a no-treatment control. Participants in the two experimental groups received two 2-hour lessons.

The Sarason Reactions To Tests (RTT), Symptom Assessment -45 Questionnaire (SA-45) and Westside Test Anxiety Scale instruments, as well as a 5-item self-care questionnaire and a request for a qualitative list of individual, test-related concerns, were administered as pre- and post- measures, with a second follow-up at the end of the semester.

Subsequent ANOVAs revealed significant improvements in both the DB and EFT groups on most measures, with gains maintained on follow-up.

Citation (APA Style): Jain, S., & Rubino, A. (2012). The effectiveness of emotional freedom techniques for optimal test performance. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, & Treatment, 4(1), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.9769/EPJ.2012.4.2.SJ

Direct link: https://energypsychologyjournal.org/the-effectiveness-of-emotional-freedom-techniques-for-optimal-test-performance/