16 - Psychology in Sports Performance

Question 1

What is limited channel capacity?

Answer 1

The ability to only hold a limited amount of information in the mind at one time

Question 2

What is concentration?

Answer 2

Maintaining awareness and focus on relevant cues over a period of time and shifting focus when necessary.

Question 3

What is selective attention?

Answer 3

The ability to focus on relevant cues.

Question 4

What is relevant cue?

Answer 4

A task-associated piece of information that may signal a need for action.

Question 5

What is irrelevant cue?

Answer 5

A distraction; a cue that takes attention away from the task.

Question 6

What are four practical aspects of concentration?

Answer 6

Focusing on relevant cues in the environment (selective attention)

Maintaining attentional focus over time

Having awareness of the situation

Shifting attentional focus when necessary

Question 7

When concentration is critical, what should be focused on? Give example of a good cue vs bad cue

Answer 7

Relevant cues

Good: focusing on what other bike rides are doing during the race

Bad: focusing on post race nutrition

Question 8

What is Situational awareness?

Answer 8

The ability to assess environmental surroundings specifically in competitive environments and make appropriate decisions based on the situation, often under pressure and time demands.

Question 9

How long does though typically remain on focus?

Answer 9

5 seconds

Question 10

How many distinct thoughts per day?

Answer 10

4k

Question 11

What is Self-talk?

Answer 11

The inner and outer dialogue that forms thoughts and shared ideas.

Question 12

Can self talk be beneficial for training or recovery?

Answer 12

These findings may be very valuable for sports performance professionals dealing with athletes recovering from injury and to help motivate and sustain energy during intense training sessions.

Question 13

What are Routines?

Answer 13

Rituals that occur before, during, or after games that develop into habits when performed consistently.

Question 14

How do routines work for performance?

Answer 14

Rituals that occur before, during, or after games that develop into habits when performed consistently.

Question 15

What is the most important thing with developing routines?

Answer 15

The key thing to remember is the routine should be comfortable and help sharpen focus. In addition, although routines vary from short and simple to long and complex, it is generally recommended routines be shorter in nature, as too many parts to a routine can actually produce
more anxiety.

Question 16

What is self-monitoring?

Answer 16

The observation of one self in a systematic way, typically to produce more desirable behaviors.

Question 17

What is positive self monitoring?

Answer 17

The observation of the positive aspects of a performance in a systematic way, typically to produce more desirable behaviors.

Question 18

How is self monitoring beneficial?

Answer 18

Research by Kirschenbaum and colleagues5 clearly indicates that self-monitoring can enhance concentration, improve performance, and produce more desirable behaviors.

Question 19

What is imagery?

Answer 19

Creating mental images is not a special technique created by sport psychologists.

Question 20

How is imagery beneficial?

Answer 20

Imagery has been found to enhance motivation, confidence, attention and focus, the acquisition of new skills, as a method to reduce competitive anxiety, to psych up for training or competition, and to build competitive plans and strategies.7 Imagery can be external (like watching oneself from a fan’s perspective) or internal (as if the person were seeing that activity through their eyes).

This finding supports the understanding that when skills are performed, the physical and cognitive pathways become stronger.7 Mental imagery promotes performance enhancement through neurological, cognitive, and muscular activation—all without breaking a sweat.

Question 21

What is motivation?

Answer 21

The direction and intensity of one’s efforts.

Question 22

What is arousal?

Answer 22

Arousal is a blend of physiological and psychological activity in a person, and refers to the intensity dimension of motivation noted earlier.

Question 23

What are some ways to cope with pressure?

Answer 23

breath control, progressive relaxation, coping, meditation,

Question 24

What is breath control?

Answer 24

A somatic anxiety- reduction technique focusing on breathing technique and imagery.

Question 25

What is progressive relaxation?

Answer 25

A somatic anxiety reducing technique involving tensing and relaxing specific muscles in a progressive manner from one major muscle group to another until all muscle groups are completely relaxed.

Question 26

What is a relaxation response?

Answer 26

A cognitive relaxation technique in which a person meditates without a spiritual or religious aspect.

Question 27

What is coping?

Answer 27

A process to manage stress when feeling overwhelmed by demands placed upon oneself.

a process of constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to
manage specific external and/or internal demands or conflicts appraised as taxing one’s resources

Question 28

What is problem focused coping?

Answer 28

A type of coping that focuses on altering or managing the problem that causes the stress.

Question 29

What is emotion focused coping?

Answer 29

A type of coping that focuses on regulating emotional responses to the problem that causes stress for the individual.

Question 30

What is relationship oriented leadership?

Answer 30

A leadership style in which the focus is on developing interpersonal relationships.

Question 31

What is task oriented leadership?

Answer 31

A leadership style in which the focus is on getting the task done.

Question 32

What are the two styles of leaderhship?

Answer 32

relationship (democratic) and task oriented (autocratic)

Question 33

What is a mastery climate?

Answer 33

climate where the focus is on personal improvement and performing up to one’s own level of ability. This type of climate focuses on cooperation, autonomy, mastery of skills, social support, and effort.

Question 34

What is an outcome-oriented climate?

Answer 34

focuses on winning, being better than others, and social comparison.