Ch. 16 Psychology In Sports Performance Flashcards
Limited channel capacity
ability to only hold a limited amount of information in the mind at one time
Concentration
maintaining awareness and focus on relevant cues over a period of time and shifting focus as necessary
Selective attention
ability to focus on relevant cues
Relevant cue
task-associated piece of information that may signal a need for action
Irrelevant cue
a distraction; cue that takes attention away from the task
Four Practical Aspects of Concentration
• Focusing on relevant cues in the environment (selective attention)
• Maintaining attentional focus over time
• Having awareness of the situation
• Shifting attentional focus when necessary
Situational awareness
ability to assess environmental surroundings and make appropriate decisions based on the situation, often under pressure and time demands
Strategies to improve concentration
- Self-talk
- Routines
- Self-monitoring
- Imagery
Self-talk
inner and spoken dialogue that forms our thoughts and shared ideas
Routines
help athletes transfer attention from irrelevant to relevant thoughts; increase likelihood athletes will not be distracted internally or externally; helps stay automatic without interference of conscious awareness
Self-monitoring
observation of one’s self in a systematic way, typically to produce more desirable behaviors
Imagery
creating mental images of performance to enhance motivation, confidence, attention and focus, and acquisition of new skills, reduce competitive anxiety, psych-up for training or competition, and build competitive plans and strategies
Motivation
the direction and intensity of one’s efforts
Interactional model
motivation is comprised of a combination of personal and situational factors
Intrinsic motivation
focuses on the athlete’s love and enjoyment of participating
Extrinsic motivation
external rewards for performance; e.g., trophies, prizes, accolades
Optimal arousal
optimal blend of psychological and physiological activity in a person; a “psyched-up” mind state; intensity continuum from no arousal at all (deep sleep) to complete arousal (frenzied)
Relaxation response
cognitive relaxation technique of meditating without spiritual or religious aspects
Coping
process to manage stress when feeling overwhelmed
Problem-focused coping
focuses directly on the cause of a stressor
Emotion-focused coping
focuses on regulating the emotional response to a stressor
Commonly Used Coping Strategies
- Though control: Blocking distractions, using coping thoughts such as “I can do it!”
- Rational thinking: Taking a rational approach to one’s self and the situation
- Task focus: Narrowing focus
- Positive focus and orientation: Focusing on belief in one’s ability
- Social support: Encouragement from coaches, family, friends, and teammates
- Pre-performance mental preparation and anxiety management: Mental practice, pre-performance routines, and relaxation strategies
- Time management: Making time for personal growth and daily goals
- Training hard and smart: Applying work ethic; taking responsibility for one’s training
Relationship-oriented leadership style
focused on developing interpersonal relationships
Task-oriented leadership style
focused on getting the task completed
The TARGET Model
Coaching model used to create a mastery-oriented motivational climate
• Tasks: focuses on learning and downplays competition and social comparisons
• Authority: allows athletes to participate in the decision-making process
• Reward: bases rewards on improvement, not social comparison
• Grouping: creates cooperative learning climates within groups (not competing against each other)
• Evaluation: focuses evaluations on personal improvement, not just on who is the best
• Timing: provides feedback immediately after an athlete performs the task
Positive self-monitoring
The observation of the positive aspects of a performance in a systematic way, typically to produce more desirable behaviors.
Breath control
A somatic anxietyreduction technique focusing on breathing technique and imagery.
Progressive Relaxation
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.
Which of the following terms explains WHY it is important for an athlete to eliminate inappropriate cues and pay attention to relevant cues to achieve optimal performance?
Limited channel capacity
Which of the following techniques produces the best response to cognitive anxiety?
Relaxation response
A coach who encourages an athlete to believe in his or her own ability is using which of the following strategies?
Positive focus and orientation
Which of the following strategies essentially holds a mirror up to the athlete to reflect his or her progress compared to his or her goals?
Self-monitoring
A volleyball player who bounces the ball three times and spins it in her left hand before she serves demonstrates which performance enhancing technique?
Routines
Which of the following argues that somatic-based techniques produce the best results for athletes with high levels of physiological anxiety?
The matching hypothesis
Which of the following terms refers to the direction and intensity of one’s efforts?
Motivation
An athlete who is able to systematically overcome the physical and mental stressors placed on her demonstrates which of the following?
Coping
A quarterback’s ability to know what down it is, what play to call, how many yards are needed, and what routes his receivers are running demonstrates which of the following?
Situational awareness
Which of the following terms explains WHY it is important for an athlete to eliminate inappropriate cues and pay attention to relevant cues to achieve optimal performance?
Limited channel capacity
Which of the following techniques involves cycles of tensing and releasing specific muscles from one muscle group to another?
Progressive relaxation
A coach may observe an athlete in low-pressure, mid-level, and high-pressure situations in practices and competitions to identify which of the following?
Optimal arousal level
Which of the following is the critical variable for athletes interpreting their arousal as facilitative rather than debilitative?
Sense of control
Which of the following is defined as maintaining awareness of relevant cues over a period of time and shifting focus when necessary?
Concentration
Which of the following questions would be beneficial to ask a pitcher who is struggling to throw strikes?
“Are you focusing on your release point?”
Which of the following techniques produces the best response to cognitive anxiety?
Relaxation response
Which of the following is considered a relevant cue for a baseball player during a game?
Knowing who is pitching
