Psychological skills in esports: Qualitative study of individual and team players

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore in more detail the key psychological skills that affect players’ performance in esports. A total of ten players from a range of different individual and team esports were interviewed. The data analysis was carried out through a CodeBook thematic analysis. The results obtained suggest that the following three main dimensions underpin the optimal performance of the players: (a) technical-tactical skills, (b) psychological skills and (c) healthy habits. Within the category of psychological skills, 8 components were found: (a) Attentional control, (b) Emotional control, (c) Activation control, (d) Communication, (e) Team cohesion, (f) Thought control, (g) Goal control and (h) Behavioral control. In addition, an emerging theme was found to be the careers they have developed within esports, with all participants following a similar pattern. The results suggest the importance of sport psychology as a performance-related activity, the similarity of the psychological skills found with those that are prevalent in traditional sport, the importance of working on sustained attention and coping with tilt, and the importance of the careers of esports players.