Sport Psychology - Factors Flashcards
Sport psychology
Sport psychology is the study of the psychological factors that influence, and are influenced by, participation and performance in sport, physical activity and exercise.
Motivation
Motivation can be defined as the “direction and intensity of one’s efforts”
Amotivation
Amotivation is a complete lack of motivation – you really don’t want to do something
Extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation is being motivated by external factors, such as rewards, punishments or outcomes
Intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation is being motivated by the inherent interest or enjoyment of participating
Perceived competence
Perceived competence is the ability and skills you think you have.
Self-confidence
Self-confidence is a feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities and judgement.
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy isthe strength of one’s belief in one’s own ability to complete tasks and reach goals.
Self-belief
Self-belief is confidence in oneself and one’s abilities.
Arousal
Arousal is “a heightened sense of physical and mental alertness or activation”
The inverted-U hypothesis
The inverted-U hypothesis is a theory that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a point.
The order of the inverted-U hypothesis
Sleep, Boredom, Mild Alertness, Optimal Level, Stress, Anxiety, Panic
Anxiety
Anxiety is “a subjective feeling of apprehension that is accompanied by a heightened state of arousal.
Cognitive anxiety
Cognitive anxiety involves negative thoughts about an upcoming performance.
Somatic anxiety
Somatic anxiety involves physical sensations such as butterflies in your stomach or sweaty palms.
Attention
Attention is your awareness of the surrounding environment and acknowledgement of cognitive processes.
Concentration
Concentration is the ability to deliberately focus your attention to the task ahead and block out distractors.
Flow
When an athlete is completely focused on the task at hand and their skills match the challenge of the competition, they often say they “are in the zone.” This state of mind is called flow.
Distractions
Distractions are the main obstacles to maintaining concentration and directing focus
Internal distractors
Internal distractors are thoughts or feelings that divert your attention from the task at hand such as emotions or pain.
External distractors
External distractors are factors beyond your control that divert your attention away from the present task such as background noise or weather.
Pressure
Pressure in sport is a feeling of great stress and of not being in control. The perceived importance of a specific event can sometimes lead to choking.
Choking
Choking in sport is when you perform badly at a critical time and can be associated with over-arousal.
