Exercise & Sports Psychology

Flashcards on Exercise & Sports Psychology, based on lecture notes.

Psyche

Greek word for the human soul, mind, & spirit.

Psychology

Study of mind & behavior.

Sports Psychology

The application of psychological theory & methods to understanding and enhancing athletic performance.

Personality

Unique behavior patterns.

Deterministic

Genetic/biological basis of personality (nature).

Trait

Enduring characteristic that predicts a person's behavior in a variety of situations.

Social Learning Theory

Environment & experiences shape personality.

Sanguine (blood)

Happy, optimistic (based on body "humors").

Choleric (bile)

Tense, quick temper (based on body "humors").

Phlegmatic (phlegm)

Slow, calm, dull (based on body "humors").

Melancholy (black bile)

Sad, pessimistic (based on body "humors").

Psychoticism (P)

Super-ego (critical, moralizing role); disregard for rules, hostile, impulsive; deterministic; related to testosterone levels.

Extroversion (E)

Outgoing, social; related to central nervous system arousal; seek out more arousal.

Neuroticism (N)

On edge, nervous, stressed; related to sympathetic nervous system activity.

Gravitational Hypothesis

Individuals who possess stable, extraverted personalities gravitate towards athletic experience.

Aggressive Behavior

Overt verbal or physical act that can psychologically or physically injure another person or oneself.

Assertive Behavior

Forceful but legal behaviors that aren't intended to injure.

Hostile Aggression

Motivated by the intent to inflict injury on another.

Instrumental Aggression

Behavior that does injure but is motivated by another goal.

Play (Aggression)

Assertive behavior (legal, sanctioned by sport).

Anger (Aggression)

Provoked by recent event, often retaliatory.

Power (Aggression)

Intending to intimidate.

Instinctual Aggression Theory

Aggression is instinctual - innate biological drive, required for self-preservation & reproduction.

Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

Frustration causes aggression, aggressive acts reduce frustration (cathartic effects).

Social Learning Theory (Aggression)

Aggression is learned in social settings; occurs when expected reward outweighs expected punishment.

Direction (Motivation)

Choice of goal.

Intensity (Motivation)

Persistence of goal pursuits.

Intrinsic Motivation

Comes from within, love of the game, enjoyment from participating.

Extrinsic Motivation

Provided by external rewards (money, glory, fame, trophies, etc.).

Trait Variable (Achievement Theory)

Motive (inherent need for achievement).

Task Characteristic (Achievement Theory)

Expectancy (probability of success).

Value of Task (Achievement Theory)

Resulting pride from success.

Attribution Theory

Seeks to explain how people interpret outcomes & how that interpretation influences future behavior & motivation.

Locus of Causality

Internal (Effort & Ability).

Locus of Causality

External (Luck & Difficulty).

Stability Dimension

Stable (Ability & Difficulty).

Stability Dimension

Unstable (Effort & Luck).

Personal Controllability

Controllable (Effort).

Personal Controllability

Uncontrollable (Luck, Ability, Difficulty).