Sport and exercise psychology Flashcards
What is sport and exercise psychology?
Scientific study of people’s behaviours, mental processes and well-being in sport and exercise contexts, practically applying that knowledge
What is the difference between applied sport and applied exercise psychologists?
EXERCISE - work with public to increase motivation and participation in exercise, encouraging a healthy lifestyle with psychosocial benefits exercise can offer
SPORT - work with athletes to help them deal psychologically with the demands of the sport and to improve their personal development and performance
What is the difference between exercise and physical activity?
Exercise = structured physical activity with a specific objective of improving/maintaining physical fitness/health
Physical activity = any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure
Within exercise psychology, what are the key barriers to physical activity that people report?
PHYSICAL - injury/bad health, overweight, age
EMOTIONAL - “not the sporty type”, fear, embarassment
MOTIVATIONAL - laziness, no energy, don’t enjoy exercising
TIME - perceived lack of time, work, childcare
AVAILABILITY - proximity, affordability, lack of knowledge/equipment
How are children growing up in recent decades?
With very blasé attitudes towards health, sport and physical activity i.e. towards healthy living in general
Two thirds of children are expected to be obese by 2050, so it is more important than ever to encourage physical activity habits during childhood - attitudes about physical activity are established during childhood and also self-confidence in ability to maintain such a lifestyle
How is BMI calculated?
Weight in kg over (height in metres)squared
<18.5 is underweight, anything above 24.9 is overweight
How can we successfully achieve greater engagement of children in physical activity?
Collaboration between exercise and health psychologists, nutritionists, media and the government to emphasise benefits of exercise
What are the physical benefits of exercise?
Reduces risk of developing health problems such as obesity, CHD, stroke, osteoporosis, high BP, sleep disorders and certain cancers
Also increases efficiency of immune functioning
What are the 5 main psychological benefits of exercise?
Enhanced positive emotion - endorphins, serotonin and dopamine release –> feel good effects and energy for several hours afterwards
Reduced anxiety
Reduced depression and stress - moderate exercise has been shown to help depression e.g. biking or dancing or even gardening; exercise classes are twice as good because also enhance feeling of social support
Enhanced body image, SELF-ESTEEM and self-perception - particularly where a program has been adhered to for a sustained period self-confidence and esteem are greatly improved; sense of accomplishment in achieving targets is key
Improved general cognitive functioning and feeling of control
What is the GP referral scheme
Intervention to help GP patients manage medical conditions more effectively in conjunction with other forms of treatment
Gradual program, operating on levels of the home or community, schools, workplaces etc, and includes exercise classes
Eligible conditions include obesity, hypertension, neurological conditions, cancer and stroke
What is moodzone?
An NHS initiative to emphasise on a societal level how physical activity can aid mental wellbeing, providing advice and guidance for how to become more active and how this can boost mental health
What are the 3 primary roles of applied exercise psychologists?
Advising public on physical and psych benefits of exercise, motivating them to take up exercise, maintain it and adhere to a programme
Advising people in poor physical/mental health who could benefit from the effects of physical activity
Explore people’s goals, concerns, physical limitations and barriers to exercise and devise, implement, support and evaluate an exercise programme for them based on specific needs e.g. a workplace exercise programme
What academic work do applied exercise psychologists do?
Research –> theoretical models developed to explain behaviour –> tested, refined and applied in public health interventions designed to encourage adoption of physical activity
What are 4 such theoretical models of behaviour?
1) Health belief model - two factors predict likelihood of person adopting health-related behaviours: perception of severity of potential illness, and costs of adopting the behaviour weighed against benefits
2) Theory of planned behaviour - strongest predictors of actual behaviours are intentions, which are influenced by attitude towards a behaviour and subjective norm of a behaviour (beliefs and opinions of others, and person’s motivation to comply)
3) Transtheoretical model - recognises that people don’t simply go from completely sedentary to adopting recommended levels of activity in a single step; there are stages to the process including pre-contemplation, contemplation (at which point they can see the benefit of changing behaviour and have serious intentions), preparation, action and maintenance
4) Self-determination theory - people who are intrinsically self-motivated are seeking to be competent and self-determining in their quest to remain healthy
What 4 factors do all sports map onto?
Physical - different physical fitness characteristics
Technical - requisite skills for performance in the sport
Tactical - experts have the ability to “do the right thing at the right time”
Mental - psychological factors that allow expression of all 3 of the above, allowing performer to maximise performance potential
What do sports psychologists have to identify?
Characteristics of those performers who consistently perform at/close to their physical, tactical and technical potential in order to design interventions that can be incorporated into “mental training” aimed at developing right attitudes for optimal performance
What does sport psychology link to?
Organisational, occupational, and also counselling psychology - helps in understanding and addressing performance-related issues such as poor team dynamics, confidence and performance anxiety
What is the focus of a sports psychologist’s work?
How psychological factors can affect both physical and mental athletic performance e.g. how does anxiety affect concentration and skill execution, how does self-confidence influence ability to learn new skills and compete effectively, how can sport enhance life skills, how does coaching style influence athletes, factors such as self-handicapping, fear of failure and perfectionism affecting performance and motivation
What are some key topics under the research topic of skill acquisition and motor control?
Defining and assessing skill How skilled movement is controlled Practice Feedback Expertise
What topics come under “youth sport”?
Optimal learning periods Readiness to compete Talent identification Coach influence Motivation and drop-out Moral development
What are key psychological skills areas of research?
Mental prep for performance Goal setting Self regulation Confidence Stress management
What are 3 other key areas of sports psychology research
Counselling/clinical issues - coping, injury and rehab, eating disorders, drug abuse
Group and team dynamics - cohesion, leadership, audience effects on performance
Evaluation - psychometric test construction, talent identification and development
What are 5 key roles of applied sports psychologists?
Using psychological assessment techniques to assess athletes
Develop tailored programs to improve athletic performance e.g. work on overcoming obstacles
Advise on improving communication e.g. between athletes and coaches, general team cohesion
Crisis intervention services
Consultation and programme development services for coaches, trainers and others working with athletes
Education workshops e.g. performance analysis, psych skills training etc
What does psychological skills training involve?
Mental techniques to enhance performance, cope with pressure, overcome setbacks etc - techniques include:
Anxiety control - relaxation, self-talk for pre-competition anxiety
Mental imagery - visualisation of success
Concentration and attention (focus) - if mind tends to wander during competitions
Self-confidence - if athlete becomes frustrated with their performance and puts themselves down
Goal setting - to enhance motivation
What are some of the different settings in which sports psychologists can now work?
Private consultants for sports academies/clubs
Full time “in house” psychologists for sports teams or sport national governing bodies
Combine consultancy with academic positions (research and teaching)
Services in non-sport areas such as business helping them to compete and perform at high level
What was the staged model proposed by Steve Bull for how sports psychologists go about working with sports teams and athletes?
Build rapport, trust and respect - non-judgemental and solution-focused
Assess athlete needs, including mental training needs - can use performance profiling
Design programme of interventions and mental skills training, prioritising areas of development most important for enhancing performance
Ongoing monitoring and adjustment, identifying what has been effective and monitoring adherence - frequent contact necessary, especially when athlete learning a new skill
Evaluation, withdrawal and maintenance of contact
What are the main intervention techniques sports psychologists could use to enhance performance?
Goal setting and motivation - distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, reinforcement culture of sport e.g. trophies undermines intrinsic to an extent so that needs to be strengthened to avoid motivational crises when maybe they don’t get as many trophies
Developing and maintaining effective attention
Managing stress - balance between helpful level of arousal and cognitive anxiety that can lead to distraction
Building self-confidence - self talk and cognitive restructuring
Developing mental rehearsal and imagery - aid skill acquisition and mental readiness in performance; injured athletes can actually use this technique to maintain skills they cant physically practise
How can intrinsic motivation and sense of volitional control be strengthened?
Goals can be broken down:
Outcome goals = winning
Performance goals = race time
Process goals = day-to-day behaviours that make achievement of the other goals more likely, specific behaviours under athlete’s control
What is the 4 step approach to developing and maintaining effective attention?
Specific process goals
Using performance routines (develop from simulation training i.e. training mimicking actual performance in as many ways as possible)
Using trigger words e.g. gymnast saying tuck when doing a somersault
Mental rehearsal
