Chapter 2: Behavioural Assessment Flashcards
Define behavioural assessment.
Behavioural assessment is concerned with identifying and describing a target behaviour, identifying possible causes of the behaviour, selecting an appropriate treatment strategy to modify the behaviour, and evaluating treatment outcome.
Briefly list 4 general topics that might be discussed by a sport psychologist in the first session with an athlete.
4 general topics that might be discussed by a sports psychologist in a first meeting are: the BSP’s background, confidentiality, explanation of sports psychology, and clarification of misconceptions about sport psychology.
Describe 4 misconceptions that many people have about sport psychology. Explain.
1) “To do well in competition, you have to get yourself really psyched up” - this is incorrect because too much arousal in a longer race or competition can be detrimental to performance. 2) “Sport psychology alone can make one a super athlete” - this is a misconception because excellence in sports requires 4 areas of preparation - physical, technical, tactical, and psychological. Sports psychology does not affect all. 3) “Sport psychologists only consult with athletes at competitions” - this is a misconception because extensive results can be achieved by employing sports psychology techniques in practice. 4) “To get really good at mental preparation, all you have to do is talk to a sport psychologist” - this is a misconception because the techniques that a sport psychologist can utilize require practice on the part of the athlete, not simply listening.
What is an across-sport behavioural checklist?
An across-sport behavioural checklist lists performance aspects of practices and/or competitions that apply to a number of different sports.
What is a within-sport behavioural checklist? What are the benefits of such checklists and how do they differ from traditional psychological assessment?
A within-sport checklist lists performance aspects of practices and/or competitions for a particular sport. The benefits of this over traditional psychological tests is the increased face validity in the eyes of the athlete involved, which can often enhance rapport and lend credibility to the consultant.
List 6 objective dimensions for describing behaviour.
6 objective dimensions for describing behaviour are: topography (form), frequency (rate), duration, force (intensity), stimulus control, and latency (reaction time).
What are 2 reasons for being specific in the identification of target behaviours?
1) It helps to ensure the reliability of detecting improvements in the behaviour, which is the yardstick by which one judges a treatment program. 2) It increases the likelihood of the treatment program being applied consistently.
Name and describe the 3 minimal phases of a behavioural treatment program.
The three minimal phases of a behavioural treatment program are the baseline phase, the treatment phase, and the follow-up phase.
What is a baseline? Briefly describe the baseline conditions in Coach Keedwell’s program with swimmers.
A baseline is the performance of the athlete before the treatment phase of a program. During this phase, the target behaviour is assessed in order to determine its level prior to the introduction of the treatment. The baseline of Coach Keedwell’s team was an average, per lane of swimmers, of 140 missed racing turns and momentary stops while swimming. This was an average of 23 instances per swimmer.
