Lecture 1 Introduction to Sport psychology

Question 1

Sport Psychology definition

Answer 1

1. Describe the behavior of people involved in sports and physical activity, e.g., describing a specific phenomenon (team cohesion)
2. Explain, e.g., why teams differ with regard to team cohesion
3. Predict, e.g., investigating whether better team cohesion leads to a better performance
4. Change, e.g., conduction interventions to enhance team cohesion

Question 2

Who was Norman Triplett (1861 - 1934)?

Answer 2

Noticed that cyclists tend to have faster times when riding in the presence of a counterpart as opposed to riding alone (social facilitation)

Question 3

Def. Personality

Answer 3

behavioral correlate unique to each individual, relatively stable, and persistent over time (Hermann, 1991)

Question 4

Socialisation hypothesis

Answer 4

Participation in sports has positive effects on personality development

Question 5

Selection hypothesis

Answer 5

Personality characteristics determine whether a person is e.g., active in sport, successful in sports

Question 6

State vs. Trait

Answer 6

• State: current, unstable
• Trait: habitual, stable, constant characteristic