Lecture 12: Injury Flashcards
what is an example of a social factor that can cause injury
- view that playing with injury/pain is valued; athletes may feel like it is expected of them to continue
visualize and explain the model that shows the effect of psychological factors (stress) on athletic injury
factors that have an influence (from the top):
- personality factors
- history of stressors
- coping resources
Input variable (from the left):
-potentially stressful situation
factor that has an influence (from the bottom):
- psychological skill interventions
they influence:
- perception of threat
- stress response and increased state anxiety
- attention/distractions and muscle tension
outcome variable:
- injury
what are 4 examples of personality factors related to injury
- optimism (low; pessimistic)
- self-esteem (low)
- hardiness (low)
- trait anxiety (high)
explain the relationship between stress and injury briefly
- athletes with higher levels of life stress have more injuries than do those with lower levels of life stress
- teaching stress management techniques may help athletes and exercisers perform more effectively and may reduce their risk of injury and illness
what are the 2 main stress sources for athletes while being injured
- physiological reactions (e.g., fear of reinjury, feeling that hopes and dreams were shattered, watching others get to perform)
- social concerns (e.g., lack of attention, isolation, negative relationships)
what 2 factors have the biggest influence on whether stress may lead to injury
- few coping skills
- little social support
what are 2 theories to explain the relationship between stress and injury and explain them
- Attentional disruption; stress disrupts an athlete’s attention by reducing peripheral attention –> there is less attention for situations that could potentially cause injuries
- Increased muscle tension; high stress can be accompanied by considerable muscle tension that interferes with normal coordination and increases the chance of injury; increased stress may also lead to generalized fatigue, muscle inefficiency, reduced flexibility, and motor coordination problems
what are 2 attitudes held by players that may increase the chance of injury
- Act tough and always give 110%”
- “If you’re injured, you’re worthless”
explain chronic traumatic encephalopathy
= neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive (e.g., memory impairment), mood (e.g., depression), and behavioral (e.g., impulse control) problems thought to be caused, in part, by repetitive brain trauma associated with contact sports like football, rugby, and boxing
provide and explain the 5-stage grief response that is apparent in athletes as an emotional response to injury
- denial,
- anger,
- bargaining,
- depression, and
- acceptance and reorganization
what are the 3 general categories of emotional responses to injury
- Injury-relevant information processing: the injured athlete focuses on information related to the pain of the injury, awareness of the extent of injury, and questions about how the injury happened, and the individual recognizes the negative consequences or inconvenience
- Emotional upheaval and reactive behavior: once the athlete realizes that she is injured, she may become emotionally agitated; have vacillating emotions; feel emotionally depleted; feel isolated and disconnected; and feel shock, disbelief, denial, or self-pity
- Positive outlook and coping: the athlete accepts the injury and deals with it, initiates positive coping efforts, exhibits a good attitude and is optimistic, and is relieved to sense progress
what are 5 examples of other kinds of reactions to injury
- Identity loss: Some athletes who can no longer participate because of an injury have a loss of personal identity. Coaches providing a supportive environment during the rehabilitation process helped athletes maintain their self-identity as athletes
- Fear and anxiety: Worry about whether they will recover, whether reinjury will occur, and whether someone will replace them permanently in the lineup. Much time for this is freed up by the lack of practice.
- Lack of confidence: Given the inability to practice and compete and their deteriorated physical status, athletes may lose confidence after an injury. This can result in decreased motivation, inferior performance, or even additional injury if the athlete overcompensates.
- Performance decrements: Because of lowered confidence and missed practice time, athletes may have postinjury declines in performance. Many athletes have difficulty lowering their expectations after an injury and may expect to return to a preinjury level of performance.
- Group processes: Injury to an athlete can affect group processes in a team either negatively or positively. Eg, might disrupt the flow of the team, but may also bring them together to make up for the loss.
what are some signs of poor adjustment to injury
- Feelings of anger and confusion
- Obsession with the question of when one can return to play
- Denial (e.g., “The injury is no big deal”)
- Repeatedly coming back too soon and becoming reinjured
- Exaggerated bragging about accomplishments
- Dwelling on minor physical complaints
- Guilt about letting the team down
- Withdrawal from significant others
- Rapid mood swings
- Statements indicating that recovery will not occur no matter what is done
explain the role that sport psychology has in injury
- mostly important in recovery
- psychological interventions can have an effect on how fast/slow someone recovers
what are 3 things that fast-healing athletes did compared to slow-healing athletes (psychological interventions)
- more goal-setting
- more positive self-talk strategies
- (to a lesser degree) more healing imagery
