sport psychology

acronym for mental skills

SCAMS

acronym for mental skill stratergies

GRIPS

two types of positive self talk

1. positive cue words: single words or short sentences to refocus attention and combat negative thoughts

2. positive emotions: used to create stronger self belief and positive emotional experiences

how does positive self talk benefit performance

• reinforcing skill learning: remind athletes of performance cues

• changing bad habits: cue word increase likelihood of correct response

• motivating the performer: maintain or lift intensity of performance

• focusing attention: key words to focus of task

• building self confidence: phrases that reinforce self belief

self talk and stress

reduce stress by helping athlete feel they are good enough to meet demands of the task.

using words ‘ive done this before’ or ‘relax’ can reduce effect of stress

self talk and motivation

self talk can increase their motivation and performance ‘if i quit now the whole team will suffer

self talk and concentration

using key phrases to help maintain concentration, change level or focus on particular aspect. 

self talk and arousal

can be used to increase or decrease arousal levels

motivational phrases increase

terms like ‘relax’ or ‘calm’ reduce arousal levels

methods of relaxation

an athlete needs to use technique relevant to the type of stress

1. progressive muscle relaxation: sequentially contracting and relaxing muscle groups

2. breathing techniques: promote relaxation by slow deep breathing

3. music: mellow tunes have calming effect

4. autogenic training: focus on producing sensations of warmth and heaviness in specific body areas - time consuming

5. self talk: stop negative self doubt, can be physical cue

6. massage: help relax physically and mentally

7. flotation tanks: create environment of minimal stimulation by reproducing weightlessness and removing sight and sound

8. meditation: focusing the mind on a particular thing for a period, using mantra or blank meditation

relaxation and stress

used to reduce the impact of the physical effects of stress

symptoms of physical and psychological stress

relaxation and motivation

athletes highly motivated can experience a decline in performance associated with trying to hard - choking under pressure

over motivated athletes use relaxation to control their thoughts and focus on their performance, rather than thinking of possible outcomes

relaxation and concentration

high level performers can shift from broad to narrow focus

over aroused have narrow focus, limiting ability to concentrate on all relevant cues

using relaxation techniques can help maintain concentration, improving performance

relaxation and arousal

over aroused athletes miss cues and don’t perform at optimal, this happens before and during performance

should use appropriate technique to lower levels

relaxation and self confidence

‘in the zone’, a taper is used to be physically and mentally fresh having increased self confidence

things to consider when making a performance routine

1. pre comp checklist

2. use positive self talk

3. make it repeatable

performance routine and arousal

act as ‘security blanket’ in stressful situations, increase in others

• decrease from music

• increase with something like Haka

performance routine and stress

reduce stress response as they give the belief that they are in full control, reducing physical effect of stress

use to focus on task not possible outcomes

performance routine and motivation

motivation can be heightened by their game day routine

performance routine and concentration

help focus on relevant cues in environment, ignoring irrelevant. allows them to control their emotions, gather thought and focus on performing task

performance routines and self confidence

can increase self confidence, can relate past successes with routine and feel future success, making them feel in control and confident

how does goal setting improve performance

• focusing attention on important elements of skill

• boosting self confidence through achievement of realistic targets

• helping create positive psychological state

• improving intrinsic motivation

• improving quality of practices by making it more challenging

• encouraging perseverance

• enhancing playing skills, techniques and strategies

three types of goals

1. outcome goals: end results, times, finishing place, ranking or medals

2. performance goals: independent of other competitors, used to compare past and present performances

3. process goals: actions that the athletes must perform during a competition to achieve a performance goal

preferable to use a multi goal approach

times of goals

short term: help attain long term goals, stepping stones

long term: achieved by attaining short term goals over long period

SMARTER goals acronym

specific: need to be specific and as clear as possible to focus attention

measurable: need to be able to asses to see if progress is happening

accepted: accepted by all parties involved

realistic: need to be achievable and within athletes capacity

time phased: specific date for completion need to be set

exciting: need to be challenged and inspired

reviewed: goals are monitored and adjustment made if neccesary

goal setting and arousal

can help maintain an optimal level of arousal, resulting in improved performance. having a realistic goal to strive for increases arousal

goal setting and motivation

too easy goals will decrease motivation. effective goals will increase motivation. as short term goals are achieved, self confidence and motivation increase

goal setting and concentration

setting goals enables a performer to concentrate on performance aspect

goal setting and stress

helps reduce stress response giving performance related objectives, reducing like hood of physical stress responses

goal setting and self confidence

have positive or negative impact.

realistic goals will increase self confidence as goals are achieved.

unrealistic goals decrease as goals wont be achieved

types of senses for imagery

1. kinaesthetic sense: feel our body as it moves through different actions. sensory nerves, joints and tendons give feedback

2. auditory senses: used to monitor the way your playing environment sounds

3. tactile sense: allows you to take in how your equipment feels

how does imagery improve performance

• increase neural pathways between the brain and muscles

• providing mental template of rehearsed sequences

• slowing down complex skills so that key components can be isolated and correct movements felt

• allowing potential technique problems to be identified

• enabling athletes to practice and prepare for events they are likely to encounter during comp

• allowing athletes to pre-experience the achievement of goals

two types of imagery

1. internal: you image what you would see

2. external: you watch your performance from external view

PETTLEP model of imagery

Physical: should be as physical as possible, correct uniform, equipment

Environment: where the imagery is performed, should replicate as closely as possible

Task: imagine the exact requirements of the task, needs to be specific

Timing: refers to the speed at which imagery is completed, imagine task being completed in real time

Learning: imagery experiences should reflect stage of learning over time

Emotion: ensure optimal level of arousal and specific emotions experienced during  performance is replicated

Perspective: internal is most advantageous

imagery and stress

used to reduce stress by creating a mental picture of themselves performing the skill perfectly

stress on highly skilled athletes can improve performance

imagery and motivation

used to motivate to strive for ongoing improvement

imagery and concentration

use for particular skill, aspect of skill or game specific scenario

imagery and arousal

over aroused do not perform at optimal, missing cues, negatively impact production of physical skills

under aroused players fail to perform to potential

arousal can be increased by creating an image of aggressive or successful performance and decreased by creating a more relaxed image in athletes minds

imagery and self confidence

improve by creating mental picture of themselves performing skill perfectly

used before or during comp

group cohesion

a term used to describe the extent to which a group stays together and united in the pursuit of common goals

two factors of group cohesion

1. task cohesion: how committed are the team member to achieving their predetermined common performance goal

2. social cohesion: the degree to which team members like each other and enjoy being together

strategies to improve group cohesion

1. use of leadership

2. communication

3. goal setting

4. team building

5. roles and expectations

benefits of cohesion

• communication and motivation within the group are extensive

• increased feeling of group rather than individual 

• players work together to achieve team goals instead of personal goals

• players enjoy each others successes

• high cohesiveness is more successful

• much more satisfied members

barriers to cohesion

• personality clashes

• unclear roles among members

• frequent changes to group

• lack of communication

• power struggle between players

factors affecting group cohesion

1. social loafing: the tendency of individuals to lessen their effort when they are part of the group

2. leadership: the style the coach and captain use and how this affects the group cohesion

3. team dynamics: the collective goals of the team

traits of social loafing

• decreased effort

• late

• missing training

• expect team mates to cover form

how to minimise social loafing

• develop rules of conduct

• create appropriate group sizes

• write a team contract (group expectations, individual responsibilities, methods of discipline)

• rotate responsibility and positions

• set challenging individual and team goals each training

• make individuals accountable for effort by publishing results

three levels of communication

1. co-acting activities: little to no communication, resulting in individual scores

2. mixed activities: combination of co-acting an interacting activities

3. interacting activities: high level of interaction to achieve goal