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Lessons I’ve Learned as a Personal Injury Lawyer
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Make Time for You This Season
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Simple Steps, Big Impact
We Value Your Referrals
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Trash Talk Is More Than Just Talk
Smack Talk Science
CAN WORDS REALLY WEAKEN WARRIORS? When trash talk works, it can be a complete game-changer, and there’s science to prove it. For example, when one side begins to feel inferior to the opposition, social comparison theory explains the effect. If an individual starts to second-guess their abilities or decisions and loses sight of the game, cognitive dissonance, brought on by trash talk, is likely the culprit. A study published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision found that athletes who trash-talk are more confident and aggressive. Yet, trash talk doesn’t always work. Sometimes, it has the opposite effect and actually boosts the opposition as they work diligently to silence the trash talker. Put simply, if you’re going to trash-talk, you’d better have the skills to back it up!
In competitive sports, most teams have at least one player with an incredible skillset that shakes their opponent’s confidence. They may also have trash talkers, the enforcers who don’t have to get their hands dirty, and they can make even the most talented opponents question their abilities. But is there any actual science behind the idea of trash talk? Can these wordsmiths weaken their opponents, or is it all just smoke? Trash talk is not a new phenomenon; you can trace its origins back to the Bible and the works of Homer, the Greek poet, but it was likely around long before those works were written. These days, we see trash talk everywhere, from high-stakes sporting events to our kids’ Little League games. It can be subtle, like Michael Jordan shrugging his shoulders after hitting another three- pointer in the 1992 NBA Finals, or in-your- face, as seen by the way Larry Bird casually taunted his opponents.
Trash talk usually falls into one of three categories:
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Intimidation is the most common type of trash talk and occurs whenever a player makes their opponent question their ability. They taunt or simply flex that they’re outplaying their opponent.
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Confidence-boosting trash talk happens when the player talks themselves up and states that the
opposition is not real competition.
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Psychological warfare causes an opponent to
overthink every move, causing them to make more mistakes.
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