Week 3 and 4 - Approaches and Psychological Skills

Question 1

Approaches in psychology that inform working practices

Answer 1

• cognitive
• behavioural
• psycho-dynamic
• humanistic
• positive psychology
• mindfulness acceptance theory (MAT)

Question 2

What is cognitive psychology?

Answer 2

• info is processed in a unique / subjective way
• dependent on experiences
• all info processing subject to bias / misinterpretation
• thoughts and beliefs have different levels dependent on rehearsal and reinforcement
• voluntary thoughts, automatic thoughts, schemas/heuristics

Question 3

Heuristics - Cognitive Approach

Answer 3

• developed over time through experiences and reinforcement
• determine behaviour (dominant under pressure)
• faulty heuristics drive dysfunctional emotions and behaviours
• not born with (they develop)

Question 4

What are the key indicators of faulty heuristics?

Answer 4

• magnification (over-emphasise the negative)
• minimisation (minimise the positives)
• confirmation bias (look for things to prove you right)

Question 5

What does the cognitive approach aim to do and what are the strategies used?

Answer 5

• replace faulty heuristics with helpful cognitions/heuristics
• cognitive imagery, instructional self-talk, cognitive restructure

Question 6

Behavioural approach

Answer 6

• we are the product of our environment
• classical learning (Pavlov, 1927) strengthen stimulus-response bond
• operant learning (Skinner, 1950) reinforce correct behaviours, punish incorrect
• social learning (Bandura, 1986) reinforce correct behaviours through observation

Question 7

What behavioural strategies are used in sport psychology?

Answer 7

• breathing exercises
• motivational self-talk
• motivational imagery
• positive feedback
• pre-performance routines
• observations / vicarious learning
• goal setting

Question 8

Cognitive - Behavioural Approach

Answer 8

• identify / address faulty heuristics
• reinforce helpful cognitions
• CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)
• REBT (rational emotional behavioural therapy)

Question 9

Psycho-Dynamic Approach

Answer 9

• limited use in sport pscyh
• aims to reveal inner unresolved trauma residing in unconscious causing maladaptive behaviour
• use of psychological skills to confront previous trauma

Question 10

Humanistic Approach

Answer 10

• holistic, person-centered
• therapeutic alliance (no judgement between psych - client interaction)
• client-driven
• growth through confronting, questioning, learning towards self-actualisation
• balance between desired and actual self
• often leads to meaningful change
• autonomous / long process

Question 11

Positive Psychology

Answer 11

• thrive not survive (Seligman, 1999)
• happiness precedes and is a consequence of success
• well-being, positivity, optimism, optimal experiences, flow/clutch is the aim

Question 12

What are the 3 pillars of positive psychology?

Answer 12

• positive subject experience
• individuals positive characteristics
• social context / influence on positive experience

Question 13

Strategies for positive psychology

Answer 13

• self-care of the athlete
• focus on making positives more positive, rather than addressing the negatives

Question 14

what are the traditional cognitive and behavioural strategies?

Answer 14

• goal setting
• pre-performance routine
• imagery
• self-talk
• cognitive restructuring
• REBT
• relaxation

Question 15

what is an outcome goal?

Answer 15

• what you want to achieve (e,g, winning)
• motivates performer
• focusing on outcome goals in pressure situations leads to poor decision making due to anxiety

Question 16

what are performance goals?

Answer 16

• measurable level of performance that indicates level of achievement
• slightly controllable but not entirely

Question 17

what is a process goal?

Answer 17

• what you physically have to do to achieve what you want (e.g how you take first shot)
• totally in your control
• best type of goal during performance as they allow attentional and emotional control (lowered anxiety) (100% internal)

Question 18

open vs fixed goals

Answer 18

• Swann et al., 2017
• open goal = do your best (can bring flow)
• fixed goal = specific goal process
• don’t use SMART goals (outdated)

Question 19

what types of goals are there?

Answer 19

• outcome goals
• performance goals
• process goals

Question 20

what is a pre performance routine (definition)?

Answer 20

Moran, 1996
- sequence of task-relevant thoughts and actions which an athlete engages in systematically prior to his or her performance of a specific sport skill

Question 21

Pre-performance routines

Answer 21

• encourages attentional and emotional control
• encourages automaticity under pressure (Cotterill, 2010)
• PPR should include cognitive and behavioural strategy
• need for behavioural but not temporal consistency
• different from superstitions (PPR theoretically informed and has a purpose)

Question 22

Post-Performance Routines

Answer 22

• Hill et al., 2010
• forced to reflect on the good as you know you can repeat it (builds confidence)
• confidence is protected when focusing on why

Question 23

Imagery (definiton)

Answer 23

• Morris et al., 2005
• creation and recreation of an experience generated from memorial information, involving quasi-affective characteristics, that is under the volitional control of the imager, and which may occur in the absence of the real stimulus antecedents normally associated with the actual experience

Question 24

Effects of Imagery - Meta Analysis

Answer 24

• Simonsmier et al., 2021
• enhanced sport specific outcomes
• long-term effect demonstrated in retention tests
• imagery combined with practice is more effective than practice alone
• dosage specific effects

Question 25

Types of Imagery - Pavio, 1985

Answer 25

• motivational specific (MS) = specific goals
• motivational general mastery (MG-M) = general coping
• motivational general arousal (MG-A) = appropriate arousal state
• cognitive specific (CS) = specific technique
• cognitive general (CG) = general strategies

Question 26

Types of Imagery - Holmes and Collins, 2001

Answer 26

• PETTLEP
• Physical = generate feelings
• Environment = reals, scripts, videos, photos…
• Task = nature of skill
• Timing = real time
• Learning = image is reinvented / modified
• Emotions = appropriate/relevant/optimal
• Perspective = internal (external for planning)

Question 27

What are the theories for imagery?

Answer 27

• Psycho-neuromuscular theory (Jacobsen, 1930)
• Bio-information theory (Lang, 1979)

Question 28

What is the psycho-neuromuscular theory?

Answer 28

• Jacobsen, 1930
• imagined events may strengthen muscle memory by producing ‘innervations in the muscles similar to that produced by the actual physical execution of the movement’

Question 29

What is the bio-information theory?

Answer 29

• Lang, 1979
• mental images comprise both stimulus proposition (content of the image) and stimulus response (physiological/affective reaction)
• images that contain both are most effective in enhancing performance

Question 30

Effects of Self-Talk - Systematic Review

Answer 30

• Tod et al., 2011
• positive, instructional and motivational self-talk can have performance benefits
• negative ST didn’t impede performance
• type and timing of ST needs to match the athlete and context

Question 31

Antecedents and Consequences of Self-Talk

Answer 31

• Van Raalte et al., 2016
• Antecedents : personal factors, situational factors
• Consequences : focus, concentration, SC, effort, technique and emotional

Question 32

Cognitive Restructuring - REBT

Answer 32

• Ellis, 1962 - REBT
• A = activating event
• B = irrational beliefs
• C = consequences
• REBT aims to change B to rational beliefs

Question 33

Irrational beliefs

Answer 33

• cause dysfunctional emotions and maladaptive behaviours (encourages poor performance under pressure)
• rigid, extreme, and illogical (inconsistent w reality)
• a primary belief (demanding = i have to be succesful) and 3 secondary beliefs of awfulizing (=if i failed it would be awful, end of the world), low frustration tolerance (=I couldn’t handle failure) and self-depreciation (=I fail bc I’m a failure)

Question 34

Rational Beliefs

Answer 34

• lead to functional emotions and adaptive behaviours (encourage optimal performance under pressure)
• flexible, non-extreme and logical (consistent w reality)
• a primary belief (preferences) and 3 secondary beliefs of anti-awfulizing (=if i failed it would be disappointing but not end of the world), high frustration tolerance (=would be disappointing to fail, but i could handle it), and self-acceptance belief (=failing doesn’t mean I’m a failure)

Question 35

REBT

Answer 35

• irrational vs rational beliefs = dysfunctional vs functional cognitions, emotions and behaviours
• A = activating event
• B = belief (irrational/rational)
• C = consequence
• D = dispute
• E = effective new belief / approach

Question 36

What are the types of relaxation?

Answer 36

• progressive muscular relaxation
• autogenesis
• meditation
• biofeedback

Question 37

What is mindfulness acceptance theory (MAT)?

Answer 37

• acceptance of the internal state rather than alter them
• optimal performance doesn’t require volitional of internal states
• MAT promotes ; moment-to-moment focus and non-judegement /acceptance of one’s state; task focused attentional processes; values-driven personal commitment to behaviours that will service ones athletic values and desires