B Flashcards

Question

Outline self-talk techniques.

Answer 1

Associated with concentration, attention, cognitive regulation and motivation enhancement. Include: * positive and negative self-talk * thought stopping

Answer 2

Talent is a multidimensional concept identified by characteristics that are only partially genetically determined. It involves psychological as well as physiological, motor, sociological and environmental factors.

Answer 3

(Traditional) Talent identification (TI) processes include: * subjective assessments * objective testing that may be physiological (such as aerobic capacity, anaerobic power, speed and strength), anthropometric (such as height, weight, body composition) and performance-based (such as skill and agility) Multidimensional talent identification and development (TID) recognizes that talent also evolves as a result of an athlete actively interacting with the environment and having the resilience to cope with the challenges and setbacks they encounter. The evolution of talent can be facilitated through the application of psychological behaviours that include: * mental imagery * realistic goal setting * effective evaluation of performance/selfevaluation * self-reinforcement * training to a high intensity (outside comfort zone) * handling failure * performance arousal and control. Multidimensional TID incorporates the following. * Monitoring an individual’s progress and behaviour during a development programme over time. The ability to adapt is a key feature of true elite athletes and is unlikely to be identified by snapshot observations. * Balancing weaknesses in one area and strengths in other areas (for example, height and speed as well as dedication and commitment when faced with adversity in basketball). * Providing athletes with opportunities to develop psychological behaviours along with sport-specific skills over long periods of time that facilitate progress from one stage of development to another. (See the stages of development in B.5.3 below.) Aim 8: Discuss how the effect of maturation makes prediction of adult performance from adolescent data difficult.

Answer 4

Bloom (1985) and Cote (1999) suggest that the four stages of development that an elite performer is likely to progress through are as follows. 1. Initiation stage 2. Development stage 3. Mastery stage 4. Maintenance (perfection) stage Different psychological behaviours (such as coachor parent-led versus self-determined motivation) and sports participation goals (such as enjoyment, skill development or performance mastery) will vary according to the athlete’s stage. The existence of stages suggests that as athletes encounter opportunities (such as the opportunity to train with a specialist coach, increase in hours of deliberate practice), obstacles (such as an injury) and progressions (such as transition to the next stage of development), many aspects of their performance may become unstable. The developing athlete uses psychological behaviours to cope with these unstable periods. These behaviours are key to continued development of the individual and consistent production of worldclass performances by elite athletes.

Answer 5

Talent transfer is a reduction or cessation of participation in one sport in order to pursue another sport that involves similar skills or physiological requirements. * It may be prompted by injury, a plateau in performance, loss of motivation or retirement. * It may be initiated by the athlete or coordinated by a sporting organization. * It commonly prolongs an athlete’s sporting career and can lead to greater success than that in the first sport. Progress through the stages of development in the new sport is usually rapid because the athlete: * has the capacity to use psychological behaviours to respond to challenges * can exploit existing physiological traits and motor skills * has improved motivation. Examples include changes from sprinting or cycling to winter sports such as skeleton luge or bobsleigh, and changes from gymnastics to diving or pole vaulting.

Answer 6

Self-determination theory (SDT) describes how the level and the amount of energy that athletes devote to learning activities is a dynamic continuum characterized by a balance between: * autonomy—making one’s own decisions about what we do and being in control of ourselves and our behaviours (for example, training because you want to, not because someone says you should) * competence—feeling able to accomplish a task (for example, completing a crosscountry run without having to stop for a rest) * relatedness—the feeling of a shared experience with others, of belonging to and being accepted by a group (for example, being part of a basketball team).

Answer 7

Self-regulated learning (SRL) refers to the processes that assist learners in managing their own thoughts, behaviours and emotions in order to control their own learning experiences. SRL encourages athletes to become more independent in their learning and so enhances learning outcomes. Athletes exert this control by planning and regulating their own actions towards their learning goals. There are four interdependent cyclical phases (Pintrich 2000) through which an athlete manages their progression. 1. Forethought phase (goal-setting and planning) 2. Monitoring phase (tracking progress and awareness of current performance in relation to goals) 3. Control phase (adapting learning strategies to better complete the task) 4. Reflection phase (evaluating performance with respect to goals and the effectiveness of the chosen strategy) Self-reflections influence athletes’ future planning/goals, prompting the cycle to begin again.

Answer 8

Motivation is a critical factor in the self-regulated learning framework. Forethought (planning) phase * Athletes who do not see value in tasks are less likely to spend much time setting goals and planning strategies. * Higher self-efficacy beliefs increase the use of self-regulation strategies. Monitoring phase * Intrinsic motivation affects level of effort in completing tasks and use of self-regulation strategies. Reflection phase * An athlete’s causal attributions (factors athletes attribute to their success or failure) affect whether or not they choose to engage in an activity and utilize self-regulation strategies for similar future activities. Athletes who are motivated to learn are more likely to invest the time and energy needed to learn and apply SRL skills. Similarly, athletes who are able to successfully employ self-regulation strategies often become more motivated to complete learning tasks