By Margie Sugarman
It’s the morning of the big class. You’re feeling confident and are ready for the challenge. You’ve put on your breeches and socks and buttoned up your favorite shirt. Now all you need is your lucky belt—the belt you’ve worn the last two times you’ve won. You look everywhere, throwing around the clothes that were neatly folded on your chair. You proceed to the closet. You rummage through the belts hung on your belt hanger numerous times. There’s no lucky belt to be found! Where did you leave it? You wore it two weeks ago and remember thinking about the magic it held. You must wear it, or it won’t be good!
Superstitions are completely irrational but many, if not most of us, have them. This is exceptionally so in the field of competitive athletes. The level of competition isn’t the issue; it’s the belief system. People make false associations between behaviors, objects and events all the time.
To understand this mindset, we must first understand what operant conditioning is, or law of effect: a learning theory that describes how behavior can be shaped by consequences. Behavior that is positively rewarded will, most likely, be repeated.
Moreover, when the desired result occurs again, the behavior becomes psychologically imprinted. The effect of the behavior reinforces the behavior, the belief in the behavior and the dependence on the behavior.
Have you ever noticed that Tiger Woods wears a red shirt when he plays in a tournament on Sundays? This superstitious behavior began when his mother told him red was a color of power. Consequently, he wore a red shirt for a Sunday match and played exceptionally well, winning the tournament. It happened again the next time he played a Sunday tournament and won. This action became his belief system—superstition—based totally on behavior and consequence.
Jimmy Torano, a very successful hunter and Grand Prix rider, has his own set of superstitions. If he does well in a class, the pin he’s using for his tie will follow him through, time and again, until it runs out of luck for him. Also, he’ll never show in a big class wearing new breeches: He wears the breeches and shirts he’s been doing well in—but does wash them every night! Again, he sticks with those clothes until the luck is gone.
Serena Williams, 18-time Grand Slam winner, wears the same sandals, uses the same bags and ties her shoelaces the same way every time she plays. Moreover, she wears the same pair of socks—without washing them—until she loses a match! Jennifer Papiernik is on the same wavelength as Serena. She also wears the same socks for every competition without washing them, because of the “magic” they possess. Perhaps there’s something to this—they both have had some amazing wins!
Michael Schumacher, the greatest Formula 1 driver ever, has superstitions, too. He has an affinity, a superstitious belief, regarding odd numbers and he must do things in the same patterned way to get winning results. The same behaviors proceed every race, and he will do what must be done to get an odd-numbered starting position.
Jennifer Hannan, another exceptional hunter rider, must wear one new thing every time she rides—but only one. Her belief is that if she wears two new things, they’ll cancel each other out. Furthermore, she too follows a patterned routine when getting dressed. These are essential to her outcome for the day.
Grand Prix show jumper Laura Bowery’s pre-ride routine consists of alone time, time to reorganize her backpack and time to reorganize her tack. Furthermore, she organizes her thoughts through visualizing the last good round she had on the horse or horses she’s showing. She has found this repetitive pattern of behavior brings positive results.
When one thinks their clothes, patterns or beliefs impact the environment to the degree that they influence the outcome, a superstition is born—although in reality, it’s the law of effect.
It’s all good for the believer! The beliefs or superstitions give the holder of them a sense of control. Isn’t it that very sense of control we all seek in a competitive situation? Isn’t it that sense of control, both mentally and emotionally, that feeds our confidence? Isn’t it that very confidence that gives us the feeling of security and safety to enter the ring, compete and go for the win? This is the lifeline of a superstition.
What are your superstitious beliefs?
