Psychology of Ranked: An Introduction to Self-Talk

One of the greatest things about eSports psychology is that there is much to be learned from traditional sports psychology. While every sports psychologist has his/her own strategies to improve the athletes’ performances, there are a few very common practices. In this article, one of those practices, self-talk, will be explained and explored.

First and foremost, what is self-talk? It is the use of some form of verbal or mental cue in order to remind you to do something, or simply talking to yourself in order to analyze and act on a particular situation. This may seem simple, but it can make a world of difference when used effectively. When used to its maximum potential, you will use a word or phrase, and it will direct your focus to something. For example, periodically saying the word “map” to yourself out loud or in your head will direct your attention to the mini-map, increasing your map awareness and knowledge of what is going on in your game that is not on your screen.

Traditional sports psychologists also utilize this practice of self-talk. For example, a batter thinking “sweet spot” will focus on the point of contact of the ball and the bat, increasing their chances of accuracy. This process aids in various aspects of traditional sports aside from a particular neutral thought. A golfer quietly saying “clean swing” to relax and emphasize the importance of a nice even stroke which will improve performance. Positive self-talk is something to make one think calmly or positively. A simple “nice swing, now run to first-base,” is great positive self-talk. There is also negative self-talk, which is typically detrimental to sucess.  “Bad swing" or "getting yelled at" are quick thoughts that can throw your concentration off and make you lose confidence in your performance.

Self-talk is what you make it, and in League of Legends it is no different. Some people are not affected by self-talk, some are, but most people will find that it can be quite beneficial.

Neutral self-talk in League of Legends includes the “map” example made previously, or thinking “wave positioning” to think about where the wave is and what you need to do with it in the short term. Neutral self-talk is good for remembering basic things or anything that you need know you often forget or need reminding of. One of the best parts of this is that it is so simple. It is easy to start doing and easy to maintain and develop as a habit. In addition, it reduces your ability to get distracted. If every fifteen or so seconds you make yourself look at the map or do a quick analysis of how your lane is positioned or where your team needs wards on the map, you will not be thinking about something that would otherwise hinder your performance in the game. 

Positive examples are “good last hit” or “nice skillshot” could make you focus more on continuing a trend of effective last hitting or well placed skillshots. This positive self-talk not only encourages good behavior and trends, but also reduces your chances of "tilting." Even if things are not going your way, by acknowledging the things you do correctly, you will view the game from a more positive perspective. Sometimes the game is simply going very poorly and you have to try really hard to find good things you are doing, and that is okay. Not every game is winnable and not every game will be a positive experience, but every game can be used to improve in some way. Communicating with your team about your thoughts can help too. If in your self-talking you thought something like "dragon wards" because an infernal drake is spawning in a minute and you do not have vision, tell your support or jungler to secure vision there and ask if they need help. Positive self-talk is your main defense against negativity, as well as your primary method of improving.

Negative examples like “bad positioning” or “stop feeding” will make you focus on getting better positioning or decision making, but because you acknowledge mistakes rather than wanting to repeat good behavior. That being said, you should try to see your flaws in a positive light. Rather than getting ganked and thinking about how you are panicking because you were ill-prepared, think that you are better than that and just need to calm down. Although there are times where negative-self talk can be effective, it is typically better to try to make positive thoughts about whatever it is you are being negative about. 

Again, self-talk is not a really complicated topic or idea, but knowing it exists and putting it into action are two different things. Try self-talking in your next few ranked games and see how it can help you. As always thank you for reading, let me know how to improve my articles, and keep an eye out for my future content.

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