(5) Sport Psychology Flashcards
What is a common misconception about sports psychologists?
They are clinical psychologists
Fundamental principle of sport psychology
Mind controls the body
What is optimal absolute performance based on?
Genetics + physiology
What are training regimens designed to improve?
Absolute function
Will training regimens impact everyone the exact same?
No, disproportionately help athletes with bette physiological capacities
What are external factors of performance?
Temperature, wind, venue etc.
What are internal factors on performance?
Physical (injury, fatigue, etc.) or mental (focus, attention, anxiety)
What are the results of optimal stress/adrenaline production?
Peak performance
What are the results of too much anxiety/adrenaline?
Impairment of fine motor function, blood flow disrupted, impaired decision making, tense muscles
What are the results of too little stress/adrenaline?
Does not stimulate performance
Cognitive anxiety
Impairs cognitive function, impacts decision making
What behavioural therapy can be used to help relieve athlete’s anxiety
CBT
Somatic anxiety control
Helps regulate autonomic arousal abdominal associated physiological changes
Individualized therapy
Psych impediments unique to each individual, sports psychologist helps remove impediments
Outcome of the biofeedback stress report (Canadian speedskaters)
Met with groups of professionals every week for 3 years and were taught self-regulation competencies -> improvement in individual/team rankings
Why does the underdog win sometimes?
Less pressure on underdog, more on predicted winner
Optimal Feedback Control
Accomplish goal with minimum cost to energy
3 aspects of optimal feedback control
- Forward model
- State estimation
- Optimal control
Forward model (optimal feedback control)
Accurately predict consequences of action (movements too fast for sensory feedback)
State estimation (optimal feedback control)
Combine prediction + sensory experience to judge current state
Optimal control
Sensorimotor feedback loop to maximize performance after balancing cost and reward
Cerebellum for sports
Adjust movement in response to changes in stimulus
Parietal cortex for sports
Incorporate predictions and sensory feedback
Basal ganglia for sports
cost vs goal calculation
Trial and error learning
- Update skill based on losses
- Coach helps refine parameters for practice
Athletes and delayed reward
Practice isn’t reward, most athletes have largest weight on final reward
Changes in primary sensory cortex
- map extension
- sharpening of neural tuning
- changes in response of neurons
Changes in primary motor cortex
map extension
Changes in cognition
Automatic processing (sport actions –> automatic)
False ceiling in hobbyists
Hobbyists achieve automaticity when task is enjoyable and stop there
Nurture (sports)
Deliberate practice = skilled performance
Nature (sports)
Individual differences despite same practice
What were the findings of the winning vs losing UEFA teams study
All psychological factors that influence winning/losing
Implicit motivation
unconscious calculation of effort vs reward
explicit motivation
Response to external reward
True or false, implicit and explicit motivations can contradict each other
True
Self-determination theory
People are inherently/proactively motivated to master social environment
Hierarchical model of motivation
Intrinsic motivation (accomplishment), extrinsic motivation (reward/punishment), amotivation (helplessness)
Achievement goal theory
How you conceptualize ability in competitive situation impacts goal orientation
