Introduction into psychological skill training (chapter 11) Flashcards
What does psychological skill traininf refer to?
The systematic and consistent practice of
mental or psychological skills for the purpose of enhancing performance, increasing enjoyment, or achieving greater selfsatisfaction.
What is mental toughness?
An athletes ability to focus, rebound from failure, cope with pressure, and persist in the face of adversity. It is a form of mental resilience.
What are some characteristics of mentally tough athletes?
- High sense of self-belief
- An unshakeable faith that they can control their own destiny.
- They can remain relatively unaffected by competition or adversity.
What is the four C model of mental toughness?
- Control-handling many things at once; remaining influential rather than controlled.
- Commitment-being deeply involved with pursuing goals despite difficulties.
- Challenge-perceiving potential threats as opportunities for personal growth and thriving in constantly changing environments.
- Confidence-maintaining self belief despite setbacks.
Why is PST important?
- Athletes feel that psychological factors primarily account for day-to-day fluctuations in performance.
- Traditionally, athletes spend little time training and practicing psychological skills.
What is ‘superior performance intelligence’?
- Knowing how to maximize your potential
- Knowing how to work with your environment
- Knowing how to deliver high performance.
Why are psychological skills neglected?
- Lack of knowledge and comfort with teaching metal skills.
- Misunderstanding about psychological skills
- Lack of time
What are the PST myths?
- Is for ‘problem’ athletes only
- Is for ‘elite’ athletes only
- Provides quick-fix solutions
- Is not useful
What are the keys to understanding PST?
- PST is a proven technique but users must be realistic in their expectations
- Psychological skills can be learned but must be practiced and integrated into a person’s daily routine.
How do successful athletes differ from less successful ones?
- They have higher self confidence.
- they have greater self-regulation of arousal.
- They have better communication
- They have more positive thoughts and images.
- They have more determination or commitment.
What do athletes and coaches identify as the most important PST topics?
- Arousal regulation.
- Imagery and mental preparation
- Confidence building
- Increased motivation and commitment
- Attention or concentration
- Self-talk
- Mental plans
- Imagery
How must PST be implemented?
It must be individualized, employed systematically over time, and multimodal (combining different psychological skills such as imagery, self-talk and goal setting).
What are the three phases of PST?
Educational phase
Acquisition phase
Practice phase
What is the Educational stage for PST?
- Psychological skills need to be taught and learned. Participants must recognize how important it is to acquire PST and how the skill affect performance.
- Increase awareness of mental skills.
What is the acquisition phase of PST?
- Focus on strategies and techniques
- Tailor training programs to meet individual needs.
- Provide general information to the group or team, but be specific when developing an individual’s PST program.
- Psychological skill should be learn and practiced
What is the practice phase of PST?
- Learning psychological skills should progress from practices and simulations to actual competitions.
- This phase focuses on automating skills though overlearning, integrating psychological skills, and simulating the skill you want to apply to actual competitions.
- Log books help athletes chart progress and provide feedback for improvement.