Sports Psychology - PE Studies year 11 ATAR

goal setting

identifying what you want to achieve and planning the steps needed to achieve or reach these goals

outcome goals

goals based on the outcome of a performance eg. making the finals or winning a specific game

performance goals

personal targets an athlete sets for themselves to achieve during a game and can help in achieving outcome goals eg. score 18 points

process goals

goals based on a specific aspect of a performance or skill eg. hold follow through in free throw

short term goals

attainable in the near or immediate future eg. improve points per game in basketball or average disposals per game in football.

long term goals

attainable in the far future eg. play at the Olympics in 2028

relaxation

undertaking an activity that relieves stress, tension and anxiety from the body

imagery

The recreation of a performance in the mind of an athlete to prepare mentally for their performance

internal imagery

imagine what you would see if you were to perform the skill

external imagery

watching your performance from the view of an external observer eg. game review

performance routines

a ritual executed in the preparation, during or after the execution of a task

pre-performance routines

immediately before eg. free throw routine

in-play routines

during breaks in performance eg. tennis player may keep cue cards in bag to look at between games

post-performance routines

after a skill has been performed eg. a volleyball player misses a simple hit, they would put this behind them and focus on the next one

self-talk

talking or thinking to yourself prior or during a performance

positive self talk

motivation which aims to enhance self-esteem, motivation, attentional focus and performance

negative self talk

self feedback which creates anxiety, self-doubt and has a negative impact on performance

self-confidence

belief that a performer has in their own ability to successfully perform a desired skill

self-fulfilling prophecy

expectation of success --> performance is successful --> self-confidence increases

concentration

the ability to focus on the task at hand, ignoring any irrelevant cues or distractions

concentration can be

selective: focus on specific cues and ignoring irrelevant ones

shiftable: broad to narrow focus

divisible: focus on more than one skill at a time

internal distractions

distractions within your own body eg. last time i missed that shot, overthinking

external distractions

distractions caused by the external environment eg. crowd, visual or verbal, distractions, oponents

how age, skill level and type of activity effects concentration

age: younger people are distracted more easily and more likely to focus on irrelevant cues. older people can find it easier to focus on the relevant cues and block out the irrelevant cues

skill level: someone with a low skill level in a sport would require more concentration to be able to execute the skill. more skilled people would require less concentration as they have more confidence in their ability to successfully complete a given skill

type of activity: harder activities would require more concentration. easier tasks would require a much lower level of concentration

arousal

degree of stimulation of alertness present in a performer about to perform a skill or task

being in the zone

mental state of being fully immersed in a feeling or complete focus and concentration, full involvement and enjoyment in the process of the activity. it is a result of being at optimal levels of all mental skills

motivation

level of effort on initiation of behavior, continuation of behavior and intensity

intrinsic motivation

desire to play a sport for own enjoyment and satisfaction eg. self-challenge

extrinsic motivation

desire to play a sport due to external factors eg. money, fame, winning, awards

Causes of Stress

result of an imbalance between the demands of a task or situation and the capability of the individual to respond. It occurs under conditions where failure to meet the demands has important consequences.

list some physiological changes as a result of stress.

dry mouth, increased blood pressure, nausea, “butterflies” in the stomach, chills

psychological changes as a result of stress

poor decision making, missed cues, loss of confidence, fear

define anxiety

immediate emotional state due to a current situation which is influenced by state of fear, tension and increased arousal

trait anxiety

the personality of the performer and how they perceive the situation, a challenge or threat

eustress

positive stress which can increase performance

distress

negative stress which can decrease performance