Sport Psychology Exam 4 Final exam

What is a goal?

Specific standard of proficiency on a task

Usually with a specified time frame

Why Set Goals?

Motivates and directs attention

Enhances effort and persistence

Reduces anxiety, builds self-confidence

Goal Categories

Skill Goals

Fitness Goals

Interpersonal Goals

Team Coordination Goals

Skill Goal Examples

Grounders

backhands

volleys

Fitness Goal Examples

Run court length

Jump rope

Shuffle

Interpersonal Goal Examples

encouraging teammates every practice

Team Coordination Goals

No QB sacks

Limit opposing team to 25% 3-point conversion

Types of Goals

Outcome

Performance

Process

Short vs Long term (and intermediate)

Invidual vs Team

Outcome Goals

based on competitive results

Performance goals

personal standards or improvements

Process Goals

focus on technique or form

Pros and Cons of Outcome Goals

motivating but not always controllable, less precise when focusing on results

Pros and Cons of Performance Goals

More controllable, boosts confidence, better for learning. Focus on personal objectives (sub 3 hour marathon)

Pros and Cons of Process Goals

Useful for skill development and focus. Best for learning! Focus on the actions one must execute during performance to perform well (components of a “Good cut” in baseball)

Value of Outcome Goals

Can faciliate short term motivation

But

only under partial control of the performaner (lose b/c of ref?)

less precise

athletes tend to become less flexivle in their goal adjustment practices. no one sets goals to lose, so winning is the only real option

Value of performance goals

athlete responsible for own progress

you are more in CONTROL (though not completely) of your own performance… unlike outcome goals!

Success = surprisng one’s own previous performance

self confidence increases as skill increases

great for novice learners

leads to high percentage of succsssful experience and athletes feel success is under their control. more data points means more chances to succeed!

reduced fear failure when process and performance are prioritized

more advantages to set performance versus outcome goals

value of process goals

enhanced focus and control: process goals are (almost) entirely under the athete’s control. attention on technique, effort and attitude

reduce anxiety and pressure: anchor attention on controllable behaviors

improved skill acquisition and consistency: motor learning and skill refinement. deliberate practice, better transference of training to competition

motivation and self efficacy: frequency and attinable markers of progress, which builds confidence and intrinsic motivation

effective performance goals are:

challenging but realistic: 80% free throw conversion for the whole season

controllable and flexible: can scale the percentage up or down based on how the season is going

time and ability appropriate: if i currently average 60% on free throws in practice, "80% for tonight’s game” is unrealistic

perhaps 80% by the end of the season??

Goal setting Research

athletes who set specific and challenging goals perform up to 50% better than those who don’t set goals

around 80% of sport and exercise studies report moderate to strong positive effects of goal setting on performance

why? goals enhance focus, effort, and persistence - especially when combined with feedback and support

consistent benefits across levels (novice to elite) 

how od goals influence behavior?

indirect thought process view: improves confidence and decreases anxiety

direct mechanistic view: focus, effort, persistence, and strategies

guidelines for setting goals

be specific, measurable, and behavioral

set difficult but realistic goals

include both short and long term goals

set goals for both practice and competition

emphasize positive goals

use target dates and clear strategies

record goals once they have been identified

provide goal for evaluation

provide support for goals

support and evaluation of goals

write down and track goals… how is your progress going

provide evaluation (stats, feedback)

gain support from coaches, teammates, family… if they know your goals, they can help you achieve them!

developing team and group goals

understand individual and group expectations… are all the playres on the same page??

use 4 main goals types: self, self for team, team, team for self

involve the whole team in the process

if goals should be self-determined, then including the team members in setting team goals is important

six principles to effective team-group goal setting

establish long term goals first

establish clear path to these long term goals

involve all team members

monitor team progress toward goals

reward progress toward goals

foster collective team confidence/efficacy toward team goals

SMARTS Goals

Specific

Measurable

Action-Oriented

Realistic

Timely

Self-Determined

common goal setting problems

too many goals too quickly

overly general or unrealistic goals

no follow up, poor evaluation

lack of support or customization

What is concentration?

mental effort on sensory or mental events

ability to focus on what is most important in a given situation

poor concentration = inability to focus

4 components of concentration

focus on relevant cues (selective attention)

maintain focus

situational awareness

shift focus when needed

attentional strategies

associative: monitor body (HR and breathing)

Dissociative: not monitoring bodily functions; distraction and tuning out 

This is a continuum from high associative attention to complete dissociative

Associative Attentional Strategy

focus on task relevant cues

enhances performance in skilled athletse… best when precisiion and feedback matter

increases awareness of body and environment

supports flow and fine motor control

helps with pacing, movement adjustment and technical execution

disassociative attentional strategy

focus on anything other than the task

distraction: music, scenery, daydreaming, external thoughts

reduces awareness of bodily sensations

enhances exercise adherence - reduces perceived exertion

what about flow?? and dissociation

dissociation BEFORE performance can help set the stage for flow

reduce anxiety

quiet internal chatter

narrow attentional field

promote present moment orientation

Why is dissociation during performance bad?

dissociation DURING performance reduces the chance of getting into flow because flow requires…

high task absorption

situational awareness

sensitivity to feedback

fine tuned perception and action

concentration and optimal performance

elite athlete peak performance is associated with…

absorbed in the present (no past/future)

mentally relaxed and focused

extraordinary awareness of body and surroundings

elite athletes capable of both associative (competition) and dissociative (Training) concentration

Expert vs Novice Attentional Processing

experts as compared to novice performers make faster decisions and better anticipate future events

attend more to movement patterns

search more systematically for cues

selectively attend to the structure inherent in sport

are more skillful in predicting ball flight patterns

theories of attention

multiple pools theory

attentional selectivity

multiple pools theory

attention = multiple processing systems with distinct resources that can be allocated flexible

attention is distributed across multiple processors in the nervous system

each processing pool has its own resources and limits

people can allocate attention flexibly across tasks depending on demands

emphasizes capacity distribution

attentional selectivity theory

attention = choosing the most relevant cues while filtering out the irrelevant

attention functions like a spotlight that lets certain information in and filters out the rest

performance depends on choosing the right cues and ignoring irrelevant ones

errors occur when attention is too broad, too narrow, or directed at the wrong cues

skill learning relies on improving cue detection, shifting focus, and filtering more efficiently

Theoies and Models of Attention Old vs New Thought

Old Thought

Single Channel Theory: information is processed through a single and fixed capacity channel

variable allocation theory: individuals are flexible and can choose where to focus their attention, allociting it on more than one task at a time

New Thought

Multiple Pools theory: attention is like a multiprocessor, each has its own unique resource performer relationship

attentional capacity is not centralized, rather its distributed throughout nervous system

extensive practice could lead to automaticity (less processes needed to perform a task)

Common Attentional Selectivity Errors

being too broad in one’s focus

being distracted from relevant information by irrelevant information

inability to shift focus rapidly enough among all relevant cues

attentional capacity and alertness

attention is limited in the amount of information that cna be processed at one time

skills become automatic with practice

as athletes become proficient they can shift to more automatic processing

Controlled processing

conscious attention and awareness

automatic processing

without conscious attention

attentional alertness

increased arousal narrows attentional field causing a loss in sensitivity to peripheral cues

inattentional blindness

athlete fails to notice unexpected, but potentially important visual information because their attention is focused elsewhere

attentional focus types

Broad

Narrow

Internal 

External

different tasks require different styles

broad attentional focus type

see several cues simultaneously: quarterback scanning the field

narrow attentional focus type

only one or two cues: free throw shooter focusing on the rim

Internal attentional focus type

inward thoughts and feelings vs learning a new skill

external attentional focus type

outward attention: skill is well learned or automatic

attentional problems

internal

External

Internal attentional problem

past/future events

overanalysis

fatigue

lack of motivation

external attentional problem

distractions: opposing fans talking trash

gamesmanship: opponents engaging in tactics designed to distract, time wasting, faking injury etc.

visual: scoreboard

auditory: opposing team talking trash

choking under pressure: an attentional problem

loss of control, focus on body mechanics

overanalysis = conscious performance

breaking down of automated movement patterns

interventions: routines, imagery, process goals

choking and overanalyzing body mechanics

Conscious processing hypothesis: choking occurs whne skilled performers focus toomuch of their conscious attention to the task, much as they would do if they were a novice at the task

according to this hypothesis, performance decreases only with increased focus on several task-relevant cues

self talk/types

statements/thoughts about self

appropriate self-taslk helps one focus on the present and keeps one’s mind from wandering

types: positive, negative, instructional

use for motivation, action, effort, skill learning

positive self talk

categories of positive self talk:

psych up (power)

confidence (i can make it)

instruction (focus on technique) 

anxiety control (calm down) 

negative self talk

categories of negative self talk

worry (im wrong again)

disengagement (i can’t keep going) 

somatic fatigue (im tired)

ironic processing - trying not to perform a negative action inadvertently causes that event to occur (driving into the water hazard in golf) 

self fulfilling prophecy

use of self talk

motivational

initiating action

sustaining effort

instructional

skill acquisition

breaking bad habits

six rules for effective self talk

keep short and specific

use present tense, 1st person

constuct positive phrases

say your phrases with meaning and attention

positive, meaningful, repeated

kind to yourself

improving self talk

thought stopping: identify and stop negative thoughts, focus on task relevant thoughts

replace negative with task-relevant or positive talk… changing the negative to the positive

improving concentration on site

use simulations in practice (practice free throws while teammates yell trash talk) 

cue words and routines

nonjudgmental thinking

develop competition plans

practice eye contact

self monitor

overlearn skills

exercises for improving concentration

shift attention

park thoughts

maintain focus

search for cues

rehearse game concentration

distraction training

Psychological Recovery is Critical for injured athletes key areas

Antecedents: what the athlete was like before the injury

emotional response to injury

rehab complience: motivation, goal setting, imagery, PST

Injury Definition

time loss from participation, tissue damage, medical attention

injury usually involved

time loss from participation

anatomical diagnosis

medical consultation

accident definition

random occurance (ex. slippery surface)

psychological dimensions of injury

psychological causes often overlooked. usually injury is looked at in terms of mechanical causes but not psychological antecedents

ex. personality, stress levels

18% of time loss injuries is actually linked to psychosocial factors

characteristics that may increase risk of injury

risk taking

poor coping

uncontrolled aggression

fear of failure

Injury Prone Athletes Psychodynamic Explanation Risk Seeking

Athletes facilitate their own injury by entering high-risk situations

ex. quarterback goes for a few extra yards, facing 2 tacklers

injury prone athletes low level of consciousness sympathy seeking

injury = attention → attention is good

poor past performances: guilt, escape anxiety, etc.

chooses not to go into an important game because their “ankle hurts” 

coaches must nbe able to distinguish between risk and sympathy seekers or they may indirectly cause injury

Psychological factors believed to relate to sport injury

personality

attitudes

social factors

stress

personality related to sport injury

risk taking

poor coping

aggression

attitudes related to sport injury

play through the pain

never show weakness

social factors related to injury

expectations from coaches, parents and teammates

stress related to injury

high life stress or competitive stress taxes attentional and physical resources, making injuries more likely

other psychosocial contributors to injury

coach pressure, socialization to ignore pain and always give 110%

rewarding effort, even through injury… coaches must recognize and accept injuries!

high life stress + poor coping = higher injury risk

act tough orientation

socialization to train through pain

more is always better … chronic injuries

winning is more important than wellbeing

must teach athletes to distinguish from training pain and injury pian

stress and injury

stress: a relationship between the person and the environment, appraised as taxing or exceeding resources

stress narrows attention and increases muscle tension

life stress: global assessment of events that cause stress… athletes with higher levels of life stress experience more injuries than those with less stress in their lives

stress and attentional disruption

stress disrupts peripheral attention

lower stress = wider peripheral vision = you see more = can avoid risk

increased state anxiety causes distraction and irrelevant thoughts

increased muscle tension

increased stress can lead to increase muscle tension which interferes with coordination, increasing risk of injury

stress injury model (andersen and williams) 

stress response affected by: 

personality

history

coping resources

cognitive appraisal + interventions affect injury risk

PST and high team cohesion can improve an athlete’s stress response → lower risk of injury

emotional responses to injury

many handle injuries well, but others face cognitive/emotional disruption

negative psychological impact of sport injuries are substantial, but fade as recovery progresses

common psychological responses

fear: whats going to happen

isolation: no one understands

depression: this is hopeless

identity loss: who am i without my sport

stressors: pain, rehab, worries

common stressors experience by injured athletes

physical problems

medical treatments

rehab difficulties

financial difficulties

career worries

sense of missed opportunities

physhical problems stressors experienced by injured athletes

pain

physical inactivity

medical treatment problem stressors experienced by injured athletes

medical uncertainty

seriousness of diagnosis

rehab diffulty problem stressors experienced by injured athletes

dealing with slow progress, home compliance

what is the biggest stressor experienced by injured athletes?

the fear of RE-INJURY

warning signs of poor adjustment

anger, denial, withdrawal, mood swings

obsession with return

risky behavior

guilt

theoretical models of injury response

Grief models (kubler ross) adopted to injury context

1. denial

2. anger

3. bargaining

4. depression

5. acceptance

despite there being theoretical models to explain injury response… there is NO universa progression through grief - individual differences matter

cognitive appraisal models

primary appraisal

secondary appraisal

perception of injury shapes emotional response

primary appraisal

emotional meaning: what does this situation mean for me?

secondary appraisal

coping resources: what can i do about it?

can injury be positive?

Yes - with effort and reflection

can lead to growth, skill development, and perspective shifts = hardiness

facilitating positive consequences

recognize problem-solving strategies

encourage reframing overtime

avoid secondary victimization.. additional harm a person experiences after injury, caused by the responses of others

psychological rehab considerations

educate and structure rehab plan

monitor progress (goal setting)

build predictability and athlete control

adherence issues

over adherence

underadherence

overadherence

overtraining

high anxiety

underadherence

low confidence

fear

poor support

confidence in rehab

downward spiral

upward spiral