Chapter 16: Performance Psychology Flashcards
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
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
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
Strategies to improve concentration: Self-talk
inner and spoken dialogue that forms our thoughts and shared ideas
Strategies to improve concentration: Routines
help athletes transfer attention from irrelevant to relevant thoughts; increase likelihood athletes will not be distracted internally or externally; helps stay automatic without the interference of conscious awareness
Strategies to improve concentration: Self-monitoring
observation of one’s self in a systematic way, typically to produce more desirable behaviours
Strategies to improve concentration: 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
an 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
the 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
Coping Strategy: Though control
Blocking distractions, using coping thoughts such as “I can do it!”
Coping Strategy: Rational thinking
Taking a rational approach to one’s self and the situation
Coping Strategy: Task focus
Narrowing focus
Coping Strategy: Positive focus and orientation
Focusing on belief in one’s ability
Coping Strategy: Social support
Encouragement from coaches, family, friends, and teammates
Coping Strategy: Pre-performance mental preparation and anxiety management
Mental practice, pre-performance routines, and relaxation strategies
Coping Strategy: Time management
Making time for personal growth and daily goals
Coping Strategy: 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 a 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
