cq2; psychological strategies Flashcards
What are psychological strategies?
Different strategies used by athletes to enhance motivation and manage anxiety, therefore helping reach optimal levels.
What are the psychological strategies?
- Concentration and attention skills (focusing)
- Mental rehearsal/visualisation/imagery
- Relaxation techniques
- Goal setting
What is the aim of concentration and attention skills?
To make players focus their attention on the task at hand.
How does an athlete implement concentration and attention in sport?
Must shut out distractions, concentrating on things that matter and focusing on the moment when performing.
- Focusing on the process rather than the outcome.
What are the types of distractions?
- External
- Internal
What are the types of concentration?
- Intense concentration
- Intervals of high concentration
- Sustained concentration
What are ways to improve concentration and attention skills?
- Avoiding negative thoughts
- Blocking out external distractions
- Using breathing techniques
- Using positive self talk
- Establishing routines
What is mental rehearsal and visualisation?
The athlete imagining and going through their performance in their head.
What is the benefit of mental rehearsal?
Helps an athlete become more familiar with their performance and allows for increased concentration.
It is important that an athlete is not distracted during mental rehearsal
- Helps manage anxiety
- Helps reach optimal arousal
- Good when an athlete can’t train
What are the types of imagery?
- Internal
- External
What are the disadvantages of mental rehearsal?
- Coaches can not control the thoughts of their athletes
- Past negative experiences may get in the way of thoughts
- Some players may day dream and embrace their performance images in an unproductive manner
What are the guidelines for mental rehearsal?
- Visualise in real time
- Have vivid detail
- Visualise setting
- Realistic expectations
- Visualise success
- Imagine the feeling in muscles
What are relaxation techniques?
Techniques used to decrease anxiety and thus obtaining optimal levels of arousal.
What are the types of relaxation techniques?
- Breathing exercises
- Meditation
- Progressive muscular relaxation
What are breathing exercises?
Involves controlling breathing to release tension before a performance
What is meditation?
involves narrowing one’s thoughts using simple repetitive images and sounds.
What is progressive muscular relaxation?
Involves tightening and holding a specific muscle for five seconds before relaxing.
- Works up/down from feet/head
What are the benefits of goal setting?
Goal setting for performance can provide;
- motivation
- commitment
- direction.
What are the guidelines of goal setting?
SMARTER
Specific; goals must be specific
Measurable; targets should be measurable
Accountability; what are you accounted for
Realistic
Time; targets should be time based
Evaluation; constant evaluation of goals
Recorded; goals should be recorded
What is the case study athlete for psychological strategies?
Michael Phelps
How does Michael Phelps use motivation?
- A combination of intrinsic, extrinsic and positive motivation.
- Phelps uses the pressure and criticism, or trash talk as ammunition to motivate him to perform at his best. Wants to prove others wrong.
- Strong desire to win all the time, especially at the Olympics (goal-setting)
How does Michael Phelps use psychological strategies?
- Visualisation; Phelps uses visualisation well, planning for various scenarios, both good and bad so that he knows how to respond to them. (e.g. goggles broke, sees the perfect race from both the stands and in the water.)
- Concentration; Concentrates on his performance only; pays no attention to his opponents next to him even when he’s out in front by a small margin.
