Psychology of Sport

The characterisation of individual differences

is based on the philosophy that individuals can learn through observing and imitating the observable behavior of others. 

certain psychological structures relevant in one situation are not relevant in another.

manner in which competencies are acquired.

relate to how the world is

concern what an individual thinks will happen in the future; evaluating the worth and quality of an event.

expectation that people have their own capabilities for performance.

a person's global evaluation of their personal worth.

stems from Kelly’s work on personal construct psychology which emphasizes that psychologist need to try and understand the ways in which athletes perceive the world in which they train, live, and perform, it is the athlete’s view what makes them effective

SMARTER, should include negative and positive goals.

seeing an example of how to complete a task can act as a stimulus to attempt an activity you might not have considered otherwise. 

acts of aggression – implication for the repetition of socially undesirable behaviors like bullying.

Comes from a high-status individual and is designed to encourage you to act in a particular way. 

(effortful awareness) – listening intently to your coach during timeout.

ability to focus “zoom in” on relevant information and ignore distractors. 

checking the scoreboard and listening intently to the coach.

somatic standpoint (physical sensations experienced) – increases HR, dry mouth, butterflies, sweaty hands.

was a psychologist who developed social learning theory.

In behavioral theories, it is emphasized that individuals engaged in a knowledge acquisition model need to closely observe observable human learning behaviors.

In the view of social cognition theorists, the second requirement for observational learning is the retention of the observed behavior.

According to theorists focusing on child behavior and development, the process is intricate and involves both the mental and physical capacity of an individual to replicate observed behavior while performing a physical task.

As per theorists focusing on child behavior and development, observational learning's most crucial knowledge acquisition opportunities arise from motivational factors.

most influential social psychologists of 20th century.

Psychological core, Typical responses, Role-related behavior

our skills and knowledge.

our particular style and the schemas we use in processing information.

what we expect from our own behavior and our anticipations of our performance levels.

what we intend to do.

lifetime history

observations from knowledgeable others including parents and friends

allows researcher to develop a considered picture of how an individual is functioning in a particular setting

experimental procedures and standardized tests; assess someone’s suitability for a specific occupational role

information provided by the client

refers to whether an individual is attracted to, seeks out, or approaches certain situations

how much effort a person exerts in a particular situation

associated with doing an activity for itself and for the pleasure and satisfaction derived from participation 

results from external rewards 

intrinsic motivation can be boosted by extrinsic motivators; not always a good idea; the reward provides positive information with regard to the performer’s level of competence

make our own decisions, be in control of one’s own behavior (exercise because you want to, not because you are told to do so)

need to feel competent and able to accomplish things (master sports skill or improve expertise in activity)

need to relate to others and feel a sense of belonging (being part of a team and feeling accepted and valued by teammates)

a player always wants to compete regardless of the event. 

desire to succeed > fear of failure

fear of failure > desire to succeed

welcome challenge and competition

avoid competitive situations (need to avoid failure)

refers to how people evaluate/judge their competence/ability and define successful accomplishments.

Individuals focus on mastering the task, learning skills, exerting effort, and self improvement. 

Individuals focus on demonstrating superior ability compared to others, as well as winning in competitions with less effort than others. 

measure their success based on beating others and being the best (Extrinsic motivation) 

measure their success against themselves, how well they complete a task (personal bests) (Intrinsic motivation)

Assesses the extent to which the reasons for success or failure are due to the personal control of the performer. 

within the performer’s control and it is felt that some personal influence is exerted on the outcome; due to personal factors - effort and ability; amount of effort a performer puts in might be one example.

out of the performer’s control and might exert little influence in the future; due to external factors – luck, chance; example – referee’s decision

Stable/unstable dimension 

based on past experience; reasons for success or failure that are unlikely to change in the short term; relatively permanent; examples -0 teach coach who is unlikely to charge for a season, fact you’ve won six time against this opponent already this season, we are likely to do it again. 

changeable in the short term and even within the game; amount of luck.

A problem that occurs in athletes when reasons for failure are attributed to internal factors which can not be changed (lack of ability). 

positively related to effort, enjoyment, persistence, satisfaction, and interest

negatively associated with enjoyment and interest; positively related to boredom

Perceived motivational climate influences an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and achievement behavior.

comparison with others is most important source of information for self-evaluation.

performance is evaluated in terms of personal mastery and improvement and not in comparison to others.

is an alertness or state of readiness (ranging from deep sleep to intense alertness) of the body for an action.

immediate response to a stressor

States that humans are motivated to reduce the state of tension caused when certain biological needs are not satisfied

For complex tasks there was an optimal level of arousal above and below which performance levels would decrease.

Pressure seems insurmountable and athletes will fall victim to not performing tasks.

is a negative emotion of apprehension and tension (stress) which includes irrational thoughts, fear of failure, self-doubt and worry.

Characterized by thoughts and perceptions of worry/doubt and negative expectations (mind), about performance, self-evaluation, & evaluation by others.

Relates our perceptions of our bodily state (physiological arousal).

Relatively enduring disposition that causes people at the high end of the continuum to view a wide range of non-dangerous circumstances as threatening.

Temporary negative emotion of apprehensiveness and tension experienced in threatening situations and is situation specific.

Sport Competition Anxiety Test

Measured three components: cognitive, somatic, self-efficacy.

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

Aimed to find out which competitors are likely to become too anxious in a competitive situation.

Is a self-report questionnaire in which people rate how nervous they feel both in general and in specific situations.

is a process that involves one’s perception of an imbalance between the demands of the environment (physical and/or psychological)and one’s response capability (response), under conditions where failure to meet the demands.

psychological qualities or attributes that need to be developed – confidence, concentration

tool that will be used to improve the PST skill

Education , Acquisition, Practice

Goal setting helps with motivation to the individual and also can give self confidence to the individual.

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely, Evaluate, Review

Results or objectives to be achieved

Some measure of personal performance.

Things that need to be done to achieve desired outcomes.

A symbolic sensory experience that may occur in any sensory mode.

The employment of imagery to mentally practice an act

Can promote both physical and cognitive relaxation.