Lecture 1

Question 1

What is the definition of psychology?

Answer 1

The scientific study of behaviour, where behaviour is broadly defined (from cell to society).

Question 2

What is social psychology?

Answer 2

The scientific study of how people think about and relate to one another

Question 3

What is sport/exercise psychology?

Answer 3

The scientific study of behavior in the sport/exercise context — the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of human behavior in sport/exercise.

Question 4

What are the two general categories of sport/exercise psychology questions?

Answer 4

• How psychological factors affect performance in sport/exercise.
• The effects of sport/exercise on the psychological state of participants.

Question 5

What is competition?

Answer 5

A situation where an individual’s performance is compared to a standard of excellence, in the presence of others who evaluate the comparison.

Question 6

What are key factors in the popularity of sport?

Answer 6

Participation, spectatorship, cultural impact, and the sports business

Question 7

What are the different types of activities in psychology in sport/exercise?

Answer 7

• Voluntary activity (motivation/commitment).
• Repetitive activity (motivation/adherence).
• Evaluative activity (self-esteem/stress).
• Skill learning (concentration/attention/confidence).
• Group activity (cooperation/group dynamics).
• Ethical activity (morality/aggression).

Question 8

What is the flow from social psychology to peak performance?

Answer 8

Social Psychology → Sport Psychology → Mental Skills Training (MST) → Ideal Performance State → Peak Performance.

Question 9

What are the key theoretical perspectives in social psychology?

Answer 9

• Psychodynamic Theories — “Driven human.”
• Behavioural Theories — “Programmed human.”
• Cognitive Theories — “Thinking human.”