Psychological component of the basketball referee’s activity

Abstract

The successful performance of a basketball referee depends on the complex of psychological qualities that are professionally important. The significance of the basketball officials’ psychological preparation was the justification for studying and determining the criteria for evaluating the level of psychological preparedness of basketball referees, which included typological features of higher nervous activity (type of temperament), subjective control, speed of thought processes, level of anxiety, level of attention. The most important for the activity of a basketball referee are psychological personality traits. The selection of methods for examining basketball referees of various qualifications serving the games of the leading championships of the country made it possible to study the level of their psychological preparedness, according to the indicated criteria for evaluation. It was revealed that the type of the temperament ‘sanguine’ prevailed among officials examined in relation to the typological features of higher nervous activity – 49% of the subjects (32 of 65 examined). It is established that the experience of the practical activity of a referee affects his self-esteem, since of the 65 referees surveyed an average of 87.5% (57 people) showed the high level of subjective control (LSC) on all seven-test scales, considering themselves kind, independent, determined, fair, capable, friendly, honest, independent, unperturbed. However, it should be noted that 12.5% of the examined referees (8 people) showed a low level of LSC, describing themselves as selfish, dependent, indecisive, unfair, fussy, hostile, insecure, insincere, dependent and irritable. At the same time, the established response of the surveyed referees to the proposed situational tasks fully corresponded to the level of their subjective control. It is determined that the speed of the flow of thought processes of basketball referees is at a high level, as evidenced by the high efficiency of the proposed test, which was excellent for 80.0% of the subjects. It was found that the level of situational and personal anxiety in 89.5% of the examined referees was defined as ‘moderate’, characterizing them as individuals capable of adequately perceiving a threat to their self-esteem and vital activity in a wide range of situations and responding with a very restrained state of anxiety. At the same time, it should be noted that the high and low rates of personal anxiety expressed by the test in 10.5% of the examined referees give grounds to assume that they have an anxiety condition or complete indifference in a variety of situations, especially when they concern the evaluation of their competence and prestige. It was revealed that the level of attention of basketball referees also does not depend on their judicial qualification, and is characterized by high efficiency of work – 75.0% of referees, degree of practicing – 57.5% of subjects and mental stability – 81.0% of officials. The obtained results indicate that the level of psychological preparedness of the leading basketball referees in Ukraine have high indicators for all the specified evaluation criteria and confirms the influence on their degree of experience of professional refereeing activity over a long period.