Sports psychology Study Guide

📖 Core Concepts Sport Psychology – The scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect sport performance and how sport influences mental health. Sport Psychologist – Trains athletes, coaches, and parents in cognitive‑behavioral and behavioral techniques; works on performance, injury rehab, communication, and career transitions. Skill vs. Ability – Skill: learned, reliable performance of a specific task. Ability: innate physical attributes that set the ceiling for skill development. Motivation – Intensity (how much effort) + direction (what is approached/avoided). Includes trait, situational, and interactional sources. Self‑Determination Theory (SDT) – Continuum from amotivation → external regulation → introjected → identified → integrated → intrinsic motivation. Arousal Theories – Drive (more anxiety = better performance), Inverted‑U (optimal moderate arousal), Zone of Optimal Functioning (individual optimal arousal zone). Team Cohesion – Task cohesion: working together toward performance goals. Social cohesion: interpersonal liking. Collective Efficacy – Shared belief the team can accomplish a specific task; not just the sum of individual self‑efficacy. --- 📌 Must Remember Psychological Skills Training (PST): Goal setting, imagery, self‑talk, relaxation, concentration. Goal‑Setting Rules – Specific, measurable, challenging yet attainable, time‑based, written, mix of short‑ and long‑term. Imagery Benefits – Medium effect size on performance; strongest when combined with physical practice. Self‑Talk Types – Instructional (technique), Motivational (confidence). Positive self‑talk > negative. Burnout Indicators – Emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, reduced accomplishment; driven by perfectionism, overtraining, pressure. SDT Continuum – Intrinsic motivation → most durable performance enhancer. Task‑ vs. Ego‑Oriented Climate – Task → mastery, intrinsic motivation; Ego → superiority, external validation. Biofeedback Core – Monitor HR, skin conductance, muscle tension; learn to self‑regulate in real time. --- 🔄 Key Processes Designing a PST Program Assess athlete’s needs → Choose target skills → Set SMART goals → Teach imagery, self‑talk, relaxation → Integrate into training → Monitor & adjust. Imagery Procedure Choose perspective (first‑person > third‑person) → Activate all senses → Include cues for success & error correction → Pair with physical reps → Debrief for vividness. Goal‑Setting Cycle Identify performance level → Write outcome, performance, process goals → Break into weekly sub‑goals → Review progress → Revise as needed. Burnout Prevention Schedule regular rest → Monitor training load (RPE × duration) → Provide autonomy‑supportive coaching → Teach coping (relaxation, self‑talk). Motivation Enhancement (SDT) Offer choice & relevance → Explain value (identified) → Align with personal values (integrated) → Foster enjoyment (intrinsic). --- 🔍 Key Comparisons Task‑Oriented vs. Ego‑Oriented Climate Task: Emphasizes skill mastery, effort, self‑referenced goals → higher intrinsic motivation. Ego: Emphasizes winning, superiority, other‑referenced goals → higher anxiety, lower persistence. Outcome vs. Performance vs. Process Goals Outcome: “Win the race.” Dependent on others, low control. Performance: “Run under 4 min.” More controllable, still competitive. Process: “Maintain steady breathing.” Directly controllable, best for confidence. Instructional vs. Motivational Self‑Talk Instructional: “Push off with the ball.” Improves technique. Motivational: “I’ve got this!” Boosts confidence. Physical vs. Mental Repetitions Physical: Actual movement; essential for motor learning. Mental: Imagery; amplifies neural activation, especially when paired with physical practice. --- ⚠️ Common Misunderstandings “More imagery = better performance.” – Effectiveness peaks when imagery is vivid, specific, and combined with physical reps; excessive unspecific imagery can waste time. “High anxiety always harms performance.” – According to Drive Theory, some athletes thrive under high arousal; the key is the individual's optimal zone. “Burnout only affects elite athletes.” – Youth athletes experience burnout from perfectionism, parental pressure, and overtraining. “Self‑talk is only for confidence.” – Instructional self‑talk is equally important for skill execution. --- 🧠 Mental Models / Intuition “The 3‑C Model” – Cue → Concentrate → Execute: Use a cue (imagery/self‑talk) to focus attention, then perform the skill. “Arousal Slider” – Picture arousal as a slider; each athlete has a personal sweet spot; coaching interventions move the slider left/right. “Team Cohesion Funnel” – Social cohesion builds trust → task cohesion aligns effort → collective efficacy drives performance. --- 🚩 Exceptions & Edge Cases Ego‑Oriented Climate can boost performance for athletes with strong external achievement orientation. External Regulation may be necessary early in skill learning when intrinsic motivation is low. Biofeedback benefits are limited if athletes lack baseline self‑awareness or motivation to practice regulation. --- 📍 When to Use Which Goal Setting – Use for any new skill acquisition or season planning; prioritize process goals during early learning phases. Imagery – Best when physical practice is limited (injury, travel) or to fine‑tune complex sequences. Self‑Talk – Instructional for technique refinement; motivational when confidence dips before competition. Relaxation (PMR, breathing) – Deploy when state anxiety is high (pre‑competition, injury rehab). Autonomy‑Supportive Coaching – Apply in youth sport to prevent burnout and foster intrinsic motivation. --- 👀 Patterns to Recognize Performance dips after spikes in training load → possible overtraining → risk of burnout. Athlete reports “I can’t focus” + elevated HR → heightened arousal beyond optimal zone → need for relaxation or music intervention. Consistent negative self‑talk → low self‑efficacy → introduce motivational self‑talk and mastery‑oriented feedback. Team with high task cohesion but low social cohesion → may achieve results but risk interpersonal conflict → add team‑building activities. --- 🗂️ Exam Traps Confusing “outcome” with “process” goals – Remember only process goals are fully controllable. Assuming “ego‑oriented climate = always bad” – It can be effective for athletes high in competitive orientation. Selecting “high arousal = better performance” universally – Inverted‑U and individual optimal zones contradict this; choose based on the athlete’s zone. Believing imagery works without vividness – Vivid, multisensory imagery is essential; low vividness yields minimal gains. Overlooking parental influence in youth burnout – Excessive technical advice from unqualified parents is a major burnout trigger. ---