Sport Psychology Flashcards
What is motivation?
It is the ‘direction and intensity of one’s effort’ - sage 1977
- Motivation changes depending on environmental and situational factors
- it is seen as a process where components of reward and punishment are incorporated (carrot and stick framework)
What does the traditional economic approach to motivation rely on and what is this approach supplanted by?
It relies on assumption of perfect rationality when weighing costs and benefits of engaging in particular actions
Supplanted by the bounded rationality perspective…
- money will not always motivate people to perform best (choking in golf etc)
What are the 2 approaches to motivation?
TRAIT - person centred view
- personality, needs, interests, goals
STATE - situational factors
- coaching style, environment, win-loss ratio
These 2 interact which determines participant motivation
Give a brief overview of what the SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY is about
Focus = extent to which behaviours such as sport and exercise participation are undertaken voluntarily
- not controlled by external agent (coach) or contingency (reward)
It’s a general theory on WHAT motivates people (as opposed to how)
What is the assumption of what motivates humans according self determination theory?
Assumption is that humans actively seek challenges and new learning experiences to master
- inherent tendency for growth is manifested within SDT through concept of intrinsic motivation
- world of sport use rewards extensively (money, trophies, medals)
According to the self determination theory, what are the 3 basic psychological needs? Explain them
- Autonomy - people need to feel in control of own behaviour + goals
- Competence - people need to gain mastery of tasks + learn different skills
- Relatedness - people need to feel belongingness + attachment to other people
- when a person experiences these 3 things, they are more self determined + intrinsically motivated
Describe the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?
Intrinsic = participation in sport that is pleasurable + effort is based on enjoyment of competition, excitement or desire to learn
Extrinsic = when sport involvement is driven by trophies, salaries, scholarships or approval of others
What are the 4 types of extrinsic motivation? Explain them
Integrated regulation = perform a task because they believe outcome aligns with needs and values
Identified regulation = for personally held values such as learning new skills
Introjected regulation = for avoiding external sources of disapproval or gaining externally referenced approval
External regulation = for external reinforcement such as gaining rewards or avoiding punishment
- if not intrinsically motivated, best to keep athletes at top 2
Give a brief overview of the achievement goal theory
Refers to understanding the role of competence or ability
- a theory of motivation that focuses on differences in how individuals evaluate competence and define success and failure
What are the 2 types of orientation of the achievement goal theory?
Task mastery orientation
Ego orientation
What are dispositional factors?
Individual characteristics that influence behaviour and actions
Describe task mastery orientation (achievement goal theory)
Performers take pride in progressive improvement of their knowledge and ability relative to own past performances
- self referenced
- focus on improving ability
- process orientation - one step at a time
Describe ego orientation (achievement goal theory)
Performers have intent on demonstrating superiority over others - motivated by social comparison
- others reference perception of competence
- current ability is important - superior to others, equal with less effort
- outcome orientation
Describe the focuses of performers in the following scenarios
- High ego, low task
- High ego, high task
- Low ego, low task
- Low ego, high task
- Anxiety, focus on winning
- Focus on winning or what it takes to win, uses feedback constructively
- Disinterested, low perceived ability
- Low anxiety, high enjoyment
What is the motivational climate - what are the 2 categories?
Environment values winning over improvement
- Mastery (task-involving) climate
- focus on individual improvement, effort and cooperative learning - Performance (ego-involving) climate
- highlighted by competition, outperforming others, viewing mistakes as failures and achieving success with minimal effort
What did Epstein (1989) outline with regards to motivational climate?
- mastery orientation climate
TARGET
T = tasks - challenging + diverse
A = authority - students given choices + leadership roles
R = recognition - private + based on individual progress
G = grouping - promotion of cooperative learning + peer interaction
E = evaluation - based on mastery of tasks + individual improvement
T = time - requirements adjusted to capabilities
What did Epstein (1989) outline with regards to motivational climate?
- performance climate
TARGET
T = tasks - absence of variety + challenge
A = authority - student not involved in DM
R = recognition - public + based on social comparison
G = grouping - groups are formed based on ability
E = evaluation - based on winning / out-performing others
T = time - allocated for learning is uniform to all
- manipulating the TARGET to support the development of a mastery-orientated motivation climate have also been shown to significantly impact motivational climate
Briefly overview the attribution theory
Attributions = specific causes used to explain outcome/ behaviour
- may not be actual cause but perceived to be the cause
Can effect expectations and emotional reactions - influence future achievements motivation
What are the 4 attributions + 2 dimensions of the attribution theory?
4 attributions = ability, effort, task difficulty, luck
2 dimensions =
- locus of stability
- stable = ability + task difficulty
- unstable = effort + luck - Locus of causality
- internal = ability, effort
- external = luck, task difficulty
Describe the differences in what high and low performers attribute success/ failure to
High:
- attribute success to INTERNAL factors - ability, effort
- attribute failure to EXTERNAL factors - task difficulty, luck
- develop approach behaviours = want to carry on
Low:
- attribute success to EXTERNAL factors - task difficulty, luck
- attribute failure to INTERNAL factors - ability, effort
- develop avoidance behaviours = excuses not to go
What’s the difference between self-concept + self-esteem?
Self-concept = what we know about ourselves
Self-esteem - what we feel about ourselves
Athletes with poor self esteem… [4]
- Rely on how they are doing in present to determine how they feel about themselves
- Success doesn’t heighten SE - sustains them
- Attributes negative events internally + are less resilient + less consistent
- Failure has a more significant impact on future performances
Athletes with high self-esteem… [4]
- Future performances less affected by failure
- Maintain positive self-worth regardless of performance
- Perform more consistently at higher levels
- Accept + value themselves as worthy + worthwhile without conditions or reservations (can cope with failure)
What is self confidence - is there a sport confidence definition as well?
“A belief about our ability to be successful”
Sport - “the belief or degree of certainty individuals possess about their ability to be successful in sport” (Vealey, 1986)
Self confidence is multidimensional…
What are the aspects?
Confidence about ones ability to…
- execute physical skills
- use psychological skills
- use perceptual skills
- learn and improve skills
- ones level of physical fitness + training status
(Vealey + Knight, 2002)
Explain trait and state self confidence
Trait = how confident you are in your abilities in general (stable, consistent)
State = how confident you feel right now (temporary, unstable)
List some of the benefits of self-confidence
Characterised by a high expectancy of success which can influence affect, behaviour and cognition
- arouses positive affect
- Facilitates concentration
- affects goals
- increases effort
- affects game strategies
- affects psychological momentum
- affects performance
What is optimal confidence described as?
Being so convinced that you can achieve your goals that you will strive so hard to do so
- however confidence will not overcome incompetence
How does a lack of self-confidence undermine performance?
Athletes will become…
- less effective thinkers
- More negative attitudes
- tendency to give up more easily
- avoid challenging situations + opportunities
- more focused on outcome + consequences
= anxiety, distraction, indecisiveness
What are the 2 types of overconfidence? Describe them
Inflated confidence
- believe they are better than they are
- overestimate ability / underestimate opponents
- often competent but don’t adequately prepare
False confidence
- confident outside
- inside = fear failure + pretend to be brash, cocky + arrogant
- prepare hard but lack competence to be successful
What 3 things could athletes do to deal with overconfidence?
- Take games/ competitions seriously
- Respect opponents + don’t underestimate ability
- Hard work, effort, skills, determination + confidence are needed
Explain the link between success and confidence
Generally nothing succeeds like success BUT
- athletes may lose confidence as post success = pressure
- may focus on weaknesses + remember failure
- feel demoralised when achievements do not match confidence
What is self-fulfilling prophecy?
A predication that sets in motion a series of events that ultimately causes the original prediction to become true
- expectation from self, winning or losing, coaches, parents, team-mates, fans etc
What are the 2 types of self-fulfilling prophecy?
Negative self-fulfilling prophecy = expect failure = actual failure, lowering self-image and expectations of future failure
Positive self-fulfilling prophecy = expecting desired outcome + performance
REMEMBER: EXPECTING SOMETHING TO HAPPEN ACTUALLY HELPS CAUSE IT TO HAPPEN
What are some ways to build self-confidence?
- have performance accomplishments
- retrospections - look at past successes
- acting confident
- thinking confidently
- imagery
- goal setting
- preparation
What’s the definition of self-efficacy?
The perceptions of one’s ability to perform a task successfully in a specific situation
- this is situation specific as opposed to self-confidence which is global/ generalised
- explains why peoples behaviours are sometimes disjointed from actual capabilities + why behaviours differ between people with similar skills
What’s the assumption of the self-efficacy theory?
The primary mediator of behaviour/ behaviour change is self-efficacy
SELF-EFFICACY THEORY
Adoption and persistence behaviours are determined by…
- Expectations about ones skills + capabilities to engage successfully in specific target behaviour of in specific situations (SE EXPECTANCY)
- Expectations about outcomes (OUTCOME EXPECTANCY)
- Value placed on those outcomes (OUTCOME VALUE)
Describe the 3 following scenarios of the self efficacy theory…
- High SE
- High SE and fails
- Low SE
- Higher the goals, the more persistence one shows towards reaching those goals
- Will attribute failure to insufficient effort and be more likely to persist
- Attribute failure to low ability + more likely to give up
What are the 6 sources of self-efficacy?
- Performance accomplishments
- Vicarious experiences
- Verbal persuasion
- Imaginal experiences
- Physiological states
- Emotional states
SOURCE OF SELF-EFFICACY 1
Describe performance accomplishments
Strongest source as based on actual experiences
- success raises efficacy expectations
- failures lower efficacy expectations
SOURCE OF SELF-EFFICACY 2
Describe vicarious experiences
Observing others succeed or fail may influence efficacy beliefs - GOOD FOR BEGINNERS
- social comparison can be beneficial as sometimes cannot measure success without a point of reference
- images of individuals who are similar to target group + elite athletes as role models
SOURCE OF SELF-EFFICACY 3
Describe verbal persuasion
WEAKEST FORM - weaker influence than prior success, performance, attainment, imitation and modelling
- characterised by encouragement, reinforcement + feedback
- its effectiveness is also reliant on how realistic feedback may be
SOURCE OF SELF-EFFICACY 4
Describe imaginal experiences
How well you can create pictures
- visualising yourself behaving successfully in future situation
SOURCE OF SELF-EFFICACY 5
Describe physiological states
Condition of the body - HR, breathing, sweating, body temp etc
- self efficacy is related to how one evaluates physiological states
- facilitative = SE will be enhanced
- debilitative = lowered SE
SOURCE OF SELF-EFFICACY 6
Describe emotional states
Physiological cues can lead to emotional responses
- this can be an additional source of self-efficacy based on interpretation
- positive emotional states = enhanced efficacy judgements
How does Gould et al (2002) describe arousal?
A general physiological and psychological activation varying on a continuum from deep sleep to intense excitement
- determined by psychological processes such as emotions which depend on high cognitive functions like thoughts
An increased level of mental excitement and alertness leads to…
A state of being excited and keep mentally + physically ready
What are the different theories of arousal?
- Drive theory
- Inverted-U hypothesis
- Catastrophe theory
- IZOF
Describe the drive theory of arousal
Proposed by Hull, 1943
- a proportional, linear relationship
- the more you are psyched up = the better the performance
- increase drive (arousal) increases likelihood of dominant response
- beginners = worse performance as dominant response is wrong
What is the key weakness of the drive theory?
Highly skilled players also ‘choke’ in highly pressure situations which isn’t explained through this theory
Describe the responses of under-arousal
- athletes will underperform
- could be due to lack of drive / determination
- may not be excited or focused enough so performance declines
Describe the responses of over-arousal
- feel stressed, anxious / nervous
- could become psyched out by opposition
- physical symptoms include - increased HR, sweating + nausea
- more mistakes are made = decreased performance
Describe the inverted-U hypothesis
Proposed by Yerkes + Dobson, 1908
It predicts performance will increase as arousal increases BUT
- its up to an optimal point
- further increases in arousal = decreases in performance = ‘over-arousal’
- under-arousal- has negative effects on performance
What are the weaknesses regarding inverted-u hypothesis?
Is optimal arousal at the midpoint?
What’s the nature of arousal itself?
What is arousal - both ‘in general’ and ‘in sport’ definitions
In general = a negative emotional state with feelings of nervousness, worry and apprehension associated with activation or arousal of the body (Weinberg + Gould, 2011)
In sport = an unpleasant psychological state in reaction to perceived stress concerning the performance of a task under pressure (Cheng et al, 2009)
Describe trait vs state anxiety
Trait - aspect of personality - individual will experience anxiety no matter the situation
State - how you feel right now - situation specific (multidimensional)
What is state anxiety split into?
Cognitive anxiety + somatic anxiety
What is cognitive anxiety?
Concerned with the extent to which one worries/ has negative thoughts - psychological responses
- lack of self confidence
- disrupted attention
- worry, fear, doubt
- worrisome expectation of failure
- negative concerns about performance
- impaired concentration
What is somatic anxiety?
Concerned with the moment-to-moment changes in ones perception of psychological activation - physiological responses
- unusual feelings of nausea
- increased respiration rates, BP, muscle tension, perspiration
What causes anxiety?
Pressure - greater fear of failing in important situations
Uncertainty - unknown of success / failure
Fear of harm - injury or pain (in dangerous activities)
Frustration about not achieving targets
How did McGrath (1970) describe stress?
A substantial imbalance between demand [physical and/or psychological] and response capability, under conditions where failure to meet that demand has important consequences
What are the physiological responses to stress?
Fight or flight response…
- increased HR + perspiration
- inhibits peristalsis
- shivering / goose bumps
- dilated pupils
- glycogen to glucose
- (nor)adrenaline
Describe the 4 stages of the stress process…
- Environmental demand - physical + psychological demand
- Individuals perception of environmental demand - amount of psychological or physical ‘threat’ perceived
- Stress response - arousal, state anxiety, muscle tension, attention changes
- Behavioural consequences - performance or outcome
List + briefly explain the 4 sources of stress + anxiety
- Performance issues - performing to capabilities, self-doubts about talent, team selection
- Environmental issues - costs, travel, time for training
- Organisational issues - coaching leadership, communication
- Physical danger - traumatic experiences outside of sport
What is parental pressure (young athletes) + climates?
Traditional source of stress
- climate pressure perceived can alter its effects…
- High pressure in high ego motivational climate - increased perceptions of anxiety
- High pressure in high mastery motivational climate - decreased perceptions of anxiety
Describe what IZOF is
The Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning
- optimal arousal varies depending on individuals skills level, personality characteristics + nature of task
Describe the IZOF for…
- Fine skills
- Gross skills
- Fine skills require precision, accuracy + control
- athletes perform better at a lower level of arousal (archery, snooker) - Gross skills require large, powerful movements
- athletes need to be determined, focused and mentally + physically excited (rugby tackle, boxing)
What is the criticism of Hanin IZOF?
It doesn’t explain why individual levels of anxiety may be beneficial or detrimental to performance
What is the multidimensional anxiety theory?
Predicts different relationships between different components of anxiety + performance
- Cognitive anxiety - low = better performance + vice versa
- self-confidence - low = worse performance + vice versa
- somatic anxiety - inverted U - optimum at middle
What’s the criticism to the multidimensional anxiety theory?
It uses a rating scale on how athletes ‘feel’ themselves
- everyone’s perception + evaluation of these components is different
What is the catastrophe theory?
A 3D model focusing on the interactive effects of arousal, cognitive anxiety + performance (Hardy + Parfitt, 1991)