DELSU JOURNAL OF NATURE, SOCIO-HUMANISTIC AND SCIENTIFIC VALUES

The study focused on exploring the enhancement of emotional regulation of female students engaged in sporting activities in public secondary schools in Delta State through the application of self-talk strategies. Emotional regulation is a critical factor in sports performance, especially for female student-athletes who may encounter distinct psychological and social pressures. On the other hand, self-talk is defined as the internal or overt verbalizations directed toward oneself, serving cognitive, motivational, or emotional functions. The study adopted a mixedmethods approach, utilizing a qualitative and quantitative survey with an ex-post facto design. The population for this study comprised all female secondary school students in Delta State. The sample for this study was 150 female students in selected public secondary schools in Delta State. Data collection was conducted using a self-developed instrument, the “Emotional Regulation of Female Students in Sport through Self-talk Questionnaire (ERFSSSQ).”. The reliability coefficients was determined via a pilot study using test re-test reliability technique with a coefficient index of 0.84 was used. Thematic analysis was also adopted in the study to interpret the qualitative and quantitative data collected. The study concluded that enhancing emotional regulation in female student-athletes through the technique of self-talk is a promising area of research with significant implications for sports psychology and development. Addressing the unique psychological and social challenges faced by female athletes, self-talk interventions can empower them to manage anxiety, boost confidence, and optimize performance than mere reliance on coaching. This research underscores the necessity of developing targeted psychological interventions to support female athletes in their pursuit of success in competitive sports.

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