Principles of Mental Skills Training (Midterm 1)

What is sport and exercise psychology?

An interdisciplinary scientific and applied field that embraces integration of sport science and psychological knowledge

What is the applied aspect of sports psychology

The application or implementation of SEP in real-world settings (doing the act/mobilizing it)

What is the scientific aspect of SEP?

The development of knowledge within the area of SEP (research)

What are we always trying to do with the scientific aspect of SEP?

We are always trying to advance it (it has to evolve with the world)

What is a CMPC?

A certified mental performance consultant

How many objectives does the scientific field of SEP have? What are they?

2 objectives-

1. Psychological factors of performance

2. Participation on psychological development

What is the goal of psychological factors on performance?

Improving confidence to improve performance

Ex. Goal setting or team bonding to be more cohesive

What is an example of participation on psychological development?

Going on a run to clear the mind

What do athletes involved in sport have higher of than regular people?

Athletes involved in sport have a higher well-being than those who don’t participate in sport

Examples of psychological factors on performance?

How do nerves affect a hokey players performance, does self-confidence influence an athletes ability to swim, does goal setting help people stay active, and does imagery training facilitate the recovery process in injured athletes

Example of participation on psychological development?

Do young athletes learn to be overly aggressive by participating in youth sports?

What do most kinesiology related careers involve?

Working with people

What does sports psychology help to do?

It helps to predict how people are going to be

What are the 3 types of careers in SEP?

Research, consulting, and teaching

In Canada, what regulates the term “psychologist”

In Canada, provincial and territorial laws regulate the term “psychologist”

What do you need in order to be a psychologist?

You need to have a PhD in psychologist and pass the licensing exam in order to be a psychologist

What is the difference between a sport psychologist and a CMPC?

CMPCs have a master’s or doctoral degree in sport science, psychology, or a related field, and they have met certain requirements. But, sport psychologists have a PhD in clinical psychology and are registered with a regulatory board

What are other terms for a CMPC?

High performance coach, mental skills coach, or sport psychology consultant

What are CMPCs experts in?

Experts in helping clients develop and use mental, life, and self-regulatory skills to optimize performance, enjoyment, and/or personal development in sports or other domains

What is ethics concerned with?

Matters of right and wrong

What does ethics refer to?

The parameters of the relationship between the consultant, athlete, or team

What does ethical responsibility say?

To at best help athletes, and at worst, do no harm

What are scientific constructs?

Specifically defined terms created for a scientific purpose

What is an independent variable (IV)

The thing that is being manipulated to help the dependent variable (DV)

What is a dependent variable (DV)?

The outcome as a result of manipulating the independent variable

What does a theory do?

It describes relationships between variables

What is a hypothesis?

An educated guess about the nature of the relationship and theory

What are the 2 main ways to collect data?

Quantitative and qualitative methods

What is a quantitative method of collecting data?

Counting the amount of variable or a set of variables.

Ex. Pedometers/survey data

Where and why is quantitative data used?

It is used a lot in sport psychology because it is cheap and you can survey a lot of people in a short amount of time

What is the qualitative method of collecting data about?

It is about understanding the meaning people assign to their experiences.

Ex. Interviews and observations

Which type of research is better, quantitative or qualitative?

Neither is better than the other, it just depends on the type of research that is being done

What is a way to get evidence-based practice?

Peer reviewed journals

What is a way to practice evidence-based practice?

Collaboration between the client and the practitioner

When is evidence-based practice used?

Practitioners need to consider this level of competence to deliver their instructions

If you are not a sport psychologist, when do you need to refer an athlete to a psychologist?

When they come to you with problems greater than just their performance on the field

What is personality?

A systematic variation in the way people think, feel, and behave that differentiates us from others and leads us to act consistently across time and situation (type of iPhone)

What is disposition?

A broad, pervasive, encompassing way of relating to particular types of people or situations (Low battery mode, DND)

What is a personality trait?

A relatively stable characteristic or quality that is a portion of one’s personality 

What is a psychological state?

Momentary feelings and thoughts that change depending on the situation and time

What are the “Big 5”?

(OCEAN)

1. Openness to experience

2. Conscientiousness

3. Extraversion

4. Agreeableness

5. Neuroticism

What is openness to experience?

The opposite of closed-minded… curious

What is conscientiousness about?

Achievement striving and self-discipline

What is extraversion about?

Assertiveness and an energetic approach to the world

What is agreeableness about?

Compliance and a positive approach toward others

What is neuroticism?

Feelings of tension and nervousness

What are the 3 main approaches to personality or how personality develops?

1. Cognitive-Behavioural (Bandura’s SLT)

2. Bandura’s observational learning

3. Interactionist approach

What did Bandura’s SLT say?

That behaviour is learned through experiences, and influenced by self-efficacy

What did Bandura’s Observational Learning suggest?

That we learn things from observing and watching other. When we watch someone do something good, we want to engage in that behaviour

What Approach to personality is the most encompassing?

The interactionist approach

What is the interactionist approach to behaviour?

It is a situational interplay between how the person and their environment determines the athletes behaviour

How do the SLT and Interactionist approach differ?

SLT centres on how people learn from their environment and others; interactionist approach emphasizes the ongoing interaction between individuals and their social contexts in shaping personality

Is there a distinct athlete profile?

No, because there are a lot of other factors that play in

What are some of the personality tests that professional sports teams have used?

DISC

Myers Briggs

PAT

Wonderlic Personnel Test

AIQ

What are the 2 types of tests used to measure personality?

1. Projective tests

2. Objective tests

What are projective tests?

They have subjective, open-ended questions

Ex. Rorschach inkblot test

What are objective tests?

They are standardized and people are given a choice

Ex. True or false

What are 4 ethical considerations in personality testing?

1. Used to shape judgement and behaviour (i.e. confidentiality, integrity, and protection)

2. Inform athletes of the test nature, use of results, and who has access to it

3. Ensure confidentiality

4. Make sure it is administered by qualified persons

What are 4 characteristics of mental toughness?

The 4 C’s

1. Challenge

2. Control

3. Confidence

4. Commitment

What is mental toughness?

Having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to: generally cope better than your opponents with the main demands (competition, training, lifestyle) that sport places on a performer and specifically, being more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure

Who is David Goggins and what does he represent?

He is a US Navy Seal and he represents mental toughness and perfectionism

What does the Ice Man represent?

Risk taking and mental toughness

In order to be mentally tough, what do you need to do for challenge in terms of the 4 C’s?

You need to appraise the situations

What does control have to do with mental toughness?

We have higher anxiety when we aren’t familiar with things

In order to be mentally tough, what do we need to do for confidence in terms of the 4 C’s?

You need to have a high level of confidence

What does commitment have to do with mental toughness?

It shows how committed you are to reaching for your goals

What is one of our fundamental needs?

Control

Who is Josh Vandervies?

A Canadian international Paralympic athlete who is a lawyer and motivational speaker

How many types of passion are there? What are they?

2 types-

1. Harmonious passion

2. Obsessive passion

What is harmonious passion?

When you engage in an activity as part of your identity and for the pleasure of it

What is obsessive passion?

A more rigid and uncontrolled urge to engage in activities because of external control or feelings of guilt

Differences between harmonious and obsessive passion?

Harmonious- you want to train, you feel fulfilled while training, it is integrated into you life, you have balance, and it is sustainable over time

Obsessive- you feel like you must train, you feel trapped, it takes over your life, it can lead to anxiety/guilt, and there is a high risk of injury/burnout

What is motivation?

The internal processes (needs, thoughts, emotions) that give your behaviour energy and direction

How many types of motivation are there? What are they?

2 types-

1. Intrinsic motivation

2. Extrinsic motivation

What is intrinsic motivation?

When you engage in behaviours solely because of interest and motivation

Ex. jogging for enjoyment

What is extrinsic motivation?

When you engage in behaviours in order to attain rewards or outcome

Ex. Jogging for weight control or to improve appearance

How many approaches are there to understanding motivation for behavioural change? What are they?

3 approaches-

1. Behavioural approaches

2. Cognitive approaches

3. Cognitive-behavioural approaches

What is the behavioural approach about when it comes to understanding motivation for behavioural change?

It is behaviour focused on conditioning or learning from the environment

What does learning from our environment do?

Learning from our environment determines our actions

What are basic features of the behavioural approach?

1. Operant conditioning

2. Vicarious learning

3. Operant strategies

What is operant conditioning about?

Rewards increase behaviours and punishment decreases them

What is vicarious learning?

Learning from watching others (“modelling”… imitating peoples behaviour)

What are operant strategies?

Self-monitoring (keeping a log-book)

What is positive reinforcement?

Adding/doing something to continue the desired behaviour

Ex. Complimenting a child for good grades or giving them candy for doing something good

What is negative reinforcement?

When something is taken away to avoid something

Ex. putting on sunscreen to avoid getting burnt

What is negative punishment?

Taking away something to stop the behaviour

Ex. Taking a kids phone away when they skip school so they won’t do it again

What is positive punishment?

Adding/doing something to stop an undesired behaviour

Ex. Giving a child extra chores when they don’t listen

What are cognitive approaches to understanding motivation for behavioural change motivated by?

Cognitive approaches are motivated by the role of our thought patterns and cognitive habits… we interpret the situation to then determine what our behaviour is going to be

What do cognitive approaches include?

They include;

Our core beliefs (“Why am I so bad at this sport?”

Automatic thought processes (“I always swim poorly in this pool”)

Cognitive error (“I lost the team this game”)

What is the cognitive-behavioural approach based on?

1. Cognitions influence émotions and behaviours

2. Behaviours affect thought and emotion

What approach is the best for understanding motivation for behavioural change?

The cognitive-behavioural approach

What are the models and theories of motivation and behaviour change talked about in class?

Transtheoretical model, theory of planned behaviour, social cognitive theory- self-efficacy theory, self-determination theory- basic needs theory, and self determination theory- organismic integration theory

What is the transtheoretical model also known as?

TTM or stages of change model

What does the transtheoretical model suggest?

That not everyone is at the same stage of change and everyone is motivated differently

How many stages of change are there? What are they?

6 stages of change-

1. Precontemplation

2. Contemplation

3. Preparation

4. Action

5. Maintenance

6. Relapse

What is the pre contemplation stage?

When people are not considering physical activity or exercise over the next 6 months

What is the contemplation stage?

When people are seriously thinking about exercising, and are starting to do what needs to be done, but haven’t started exercising yet

What is the preparation stage?

When you still haven’t started exercising, but you bought new running shoes and a gym membership

What is the action stage?

When you start to engage in physical activity and have been for less than 6 months

What is the maintenance stage?

When a person has been engaging in exercise for more than 6 months