Mood scores: Mood and performance in professional cricketers

Do changes in the performance of professional sports players relate to chan ges in their moods? Thirty-three professional county cricketers from four t eams used pocket computers to provide ratings of their moods and performanc e three times a day for up to 4 days during a championship match. Pooled ti me-series analysis and correlation analysis showed that players' subjective and objective performances were related to their happiness, energy, enthus iasm, focus and confidence during the match. The majority of players also p erformed better when they felt less tense, but some performed better when t hey felt more tense. Differences in players' recollection of their moods du ring best and worst performances reinforced the findings. The results sugge st that professional cricketers' performances are influenced by their moods .