6.2: Further Psychological Effects On The Individual Flashcards
Anxiety definition:
- a level of nerves and irrational thinking
- often arises as a result of the player’s perception.
What is competitive trait anxiety?
- a disposition to suffer from nervousness in most sporting situations
- when a player feels nervous before games regardless of positioning in the league.
What is competitive state anxiety?
- a nervous response to specific sporting situation
- temporary and a response to a particular moment in the game. Can vary throughout the game
- e.g. taking a penalty
What are the types of anxiety?
- cognitive (psychological)
- somatic (physiological)
What is somatic anxiety?
- a physiological response to a threat
- it’s the response of the body to the individual’s belief in their lack of ability
What are the symptoms of somatic anxiety?
- increased HR
- sweating
- muscular tension
- sickness/nausea
What is cognitive anxiety?
- a psychological response
- refers to the irrational thinking and worries that occur before and during performance
What are the symptoms of cognitive anxiety?
- they believe they don’t have the ability
- experience nervousness
- loss of concentration
- loss of sleep - due to overthinking
Anxiety during performance graph - diagram:
See flashcard
Anxiety during performance explanation:
- cognitive anxiety: low anxiety results in a high performance although if cognitive anxiety increases performance will eventually decrease
- somatic anxiety: increases as performance increases up to a certain point and if there’s too much anxiety it will lead to a poor performance
Anxiety leading up to competition graph:
- see flashcard
Anxiety before competition graph explanation:
- somatic anxiety: tends to increase just before a competition and reduced as the performance gets underway.
- cognitive anxieties are much earlier
- the coach and player should therefore begin to control cognitive anxiety well before the game and introduce techniques to control somatic anxiety as the game approaches
What are anxiety measures?
1) self-report questionnaires
2) observations
3) physiological measures
Self-report questionnaires:
- SCAT: sports competition anxiety test
- CSAI: competitive sport anxiety inventory - measures cognitive and somatic anxiety and confidence before an event.
What are the advantages of questionnaires?
- quick
- cheap
- efficient
- large numbers of players can be assessed quickly
What are the advantages of questionnaires?
- players may not understand the question - socially desirable answer is given rather than an actual one
- answer may depend on mood state
- question can be leading
- may be rushed
Observation definition:
- ‘gaining a measure of anxiety simply watching the performer’
What are the advantages and disadvantages of observations?
- advs: they are true to life
disadv: time consuming, subjective, behaviour may change if they feel they’re being watched
Physiological measures definition:
- physiological measures: biological tests, such as monitoring heart rate, respiration rate, measuring sweat levels on the skin.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of physiological measures?
- advs: can be done during performance, factual measures
- disadv: measuring equipment can be restrictive and may not be willing to take part in competition, measured can increase stress, cost
Motivation definition:
- a drive to succeed
- motivation keeps the players on track and means that they are consistent and persistant in giving their best in every game
Intrinsic motivation definition:
- motivation from within/inner drive
- feeling of pride/satisfaction
- e.g. running a London Marathon
Extrinsic motivation definition:
- motivation from an outside source
- types:
- tangible rewards: touched or held (e.g. certificates or trophies)
- intangible rewards: non-physical (e.g. getting a PB, encouragement from a coach, applause, positive comments by the press)
Why should extrinsic rewards be used sparingly?
- may lead to a loss in value and incentive
- players may compete to get the reward and not for the true value of the game
- extrinsic rewards may place pressure on players to get the reward and could even lead to cheating as they may bend the rules to win.
- extrinsic motivation can undermine the intrinsic reasons for competing
Motivational strategies:
- point out role models
- making the activity fun
- attribute success internally
- offering rewards and incentives early on - e.g. player of the week
- give praise when successful actions are performed.
What are motivational strategies for a cognitive learner?
- early rewards
- break the skills apart
- making training fun
- point out role models
- use positive feedback to inspire
What are motivational strategies for an autonomous leaner?
- set challenging goals
- correct errors via negative feedback
- attribute success internally
- make the performer feel responsible for giving praise
Aggression definition:
- ‘intent to harm outside the rules; hostile behaviour’
- e.g. high tackle in rugby
What are the characteristics of aggression?
- reactive
- out of control
- deliberate and hostile
- outside the rules
- the intent to harm
Assertion definition:
- ‘well motivated behaviour within the rules’
- e.g. a block tackle in football
What are the characteristics of assertion?
- controlled
- within the rules
- not intended to harm
- well motivated
- goal directed
What are the four theories of aggression?
- aggressive cue hypothesis
- social learning theory
- instinct theory
- frustration-aggression hypothesis
What is aggressive cue hypothesis?
- aggression is caused by a learner trigger
- frustration - increased arousal (anger) leads to aggressive cue present - likelihood of aggression OR no aggressive cue present - lower likelihood of aggression.
- AO2: rugby high tackle can initiate a fight
What is social learning theory?
- learning by associating with others and copying behaviour
- observe-identify-reinforce-copy
- aggression is learned from a significant other (MKO)
- problem with SLT: aggression can be instinctive and reactive rather than being learned.
What is instinct theory?
- when aggression is spontaneous and innate
- all performers are born with an aggressive instinct that will surface with enough provocation
- BUT not all aggression is instinctive or spontaneous, some is learned and pretended
What is frustration-aggression hypothesis?
- occurs when goals are blocked and the performer becomes frustrated
- block causes frustration - frustration leads to aggression - release of aggression is catharsis
What is catharsis?
- cleansing the emotions, using sort as an outlet for aggression
- ‘letting off steam’
- it thé aggressive intent is given an outlet; then the aggression drive will be reduced
Ways to control/reduce aggression:
- channel aggression into assertion
- don’t reinforce aggressive acts in training
- punish players by sending them off
- reinforce non-aggression, e.g. give a fair play award
- punish aggression with fines
- walk away from the situation
- use mental rehearsal or relaxation to lower arousla
How to punish aggressive play?
- individual’s actions: peers discourage aggressive behaviour
- coach/manager actions: substitute, fine, transfer OR draw up player-conduct contact
- governing body actions: code of conduct, support referees, punish aggressive players
How to reinforce assertive play?
- individual actions: praise others
- coach/manager actions: talk about praise, reward, assertive play in team talks, practices OR show assertive role models
- governing body actions: fair play awards
How to reduce/control level of arousal?
- individual actions: use mental rehearsal/stress management techniques; channel aggression; be aware of aggressive cues
- coach/manager actions: do not over arouse; focus on process as well as outcome; not win at all costs; understand each player’s aggression level and cues
- governing body actions: educate referees to lower match temperature; discuss with coaches; coach education programmes
How to avoid aggressive situations?
- individual actions: learn to walk away; mark another player
- coach/manager actions: move player to another role; ask player to take on position of responsibility; substitute; change tactics
- governing body actions: stagger derby matches; play at neutral grounds
