Sports Psychology Exam 2

mental strength training

• systematic and consistent practice of mental skills

• enhance performance, increase enjoyment and satisfaction

• recognize thoughts/feelings, change is necessary, gain control over performance

why do people neglect mental strength training?

1. lack of knowledge

2. misunderstanding

3. perceived lack of time

what percentage of psychological factors account for fluctuations in performance?

80-90%

mental strength training myths

1. it’s for elite athletes only

2. it’s for problem athletes only

3. it provides a quick fix for athletes/teams

4. it’s simply not needed

useful mental strength training topics

• anxiety regulation

• imagery training

• confidence building

• motivation

• goal setting

• focus and concentration

• self-talk

• mental planning/evaluation

education phase of MST

assess current usage, discuss importance, learn about various strategies and how/why they work

implementation phase of MST

• integrating theory into practice

• develop practice habits of mental skills usage

• hardest part for the athlete

designing a MST program

1. discuss approach - educational vs clinical

2. assess athlete’s mental skills

3. determine which skills to include

4. design a MST schedule

5. evaluate the program

effective MST consultants

• accessible, likable, trustworthy

• appropriate educational background/training

• offers concrete services, follow-ups, etc.

ineffective MST consultants

• poor interpersonal skills, questionable ethics

• inadequate training

• inappropriate application of techniques

• relies on “canned” approach for every athlete

common problems with MST programs

• lack of conviction

• lack of time

• lack of sport knowledge

• lack of follow-up

ultimate goal of MST

self-awareness/mindfulness; aware with yourself and the environment

• learn to “check in”

• develop an optimal performance state

• being “into” activity, not simply “in” activity

fixed mindset

• closed-minded

• inability to make changes

• stems from repeated success and repeated failure

• outcome-orientation

growth mindset

• open-minded

• always trying to improve

• learning from mistakes

• learning from success

• process-orientation

self confidence - trait

certainty you “usually” have about your ability to succeed - it’s who you are

self confidence - influences

• outcomes and controllables

• think, focus, react to events

• self-fulfilling prophecies

• expectations of failure = failure

self confidence - state

certainty you have “at a particular moment” about your ability to succeed - also known as “self efficacy”

optimal confidence

• realistic believe of what you can achieve

• max effort to achieve goals

over confidence

confidence > ability

lack of confidence

increased skills, lack of belief

5 confidence myths

1. you have it or you don’t

2. positive feedback builds confidence

3. confidence = arrogance

4. mistakes destroy confidence

5. success always builds confidence

self efficacy theory

Bandura

• situation-specific self-confidence

• affects choice of activity, effort, persistence

sources of self efficacy

• inactive mastery (performance outcome)

• vicarious experience (ex. self- modeling)

• verbal persuasion (ex. verbal encouragement)

• physiological arousal (ex. emotional state)

confidence building strategies

• environment and situations

• mastery

• past performances

• others expectations

• plan it and see it

• coaches leadership

• mental prep

• think and act

• demonstrate ability

how to manage confidence well

• maintain positive environment

• highlight the positives, not just mistakes

• have high expectations for self and teammates

how to poorly manage confidence

• use sarcasm and putdowns to motivate

• allow teammates to embarrass each other

• criticize players after initial mistakes

association

focusing on body sensations such as breathing rate, muscle soreness, or other cues that allow you to pace yourself

dissociation

directs attention away from body by forming a helpful distraction - reduce awareness of fatigue, pain, etc.

Nideffer’s Model

• external + broad = assess

• external + narrow = act

• internal + broad = analyze

• internal + narrow = prepare

self-defeating mentalities/ internal distractors

• overthinking

• worrying about what others think

• catastrophizing

• racing thoughts

• replaying mistakes

• perfectionism

• negative self-talk

• resentment

• hung up on missed opportunities

choking under pressure

• associated with failure in key situations

• process that leads to poor performance

• usually occurs in situations of emotional importance - pressure causes muscles to tighten, attention changes, coordination breaks down

• you have control over “choking” if you think about ‘how to perform properly’

visual distractors

spectators, scoreboard, opponents, etc.

auditory distractors

crowd noise, screaming coaches, etc.

gamesmanship distractors

make the athlete “think too much”

improving focus: self-talk

• self- statements made prior/during/after performing

• positive/instructional

• negative/instructional

• identify your self-talk (helpful/harmful)

thought changing

change negative self-talk to positive

thought stopping

use trigger word- “STOP”

strategies for improving concentration

• practice with distractions

• develop competition plans/game plan

• use cue/trigger words

• establish routines/rituals

imagery and visualization

• improve concentration, confidence, preparation, anticipation

• maintain self-control, composure, emotions

• enhance mastery of skills

• cope with adversity

• creating/recreating experiences in the mind

• involves all 5 sense

1st person imagery perspective

internal perspective. visualizing the execution of a skill from own vantage point

3rd person imagery perspective

external perspective. visualizing yourself as if you were watching yourself on TV

psychoneuromuscular theory of imagery

imagery programs the muscles for actions through mental stimulation/activation- similar to actual physical practice

symbolic learning theory of imagery

understanding movement patterns- serves as a mental blueprint of what to do

vividness

using 5 sense for clear image- environment, sounds, sights, smells, etc. make the vision as real as possible

controllability

manipulate images so they do wha you want them to

• DO spend time visualizing correcting mistakes

• DO NOT spend time visualizing making mistakes

developing an imagery training program

• individualize- needs, abilities, interests of the athlete

• evaluate current imagery skills

• encourage consistent practice- build into daily routine

• use imagery in addition to physical training, not in place of training

• learn in a quiet setting at first

• positive focus, relaxed concentration

• realistic expectations, sufficient motivation

• use before, during, after practice/competition

  • personal time, recovering from injury

• develop triggers and scripts

  • words/ images associated with specific performances

  • create your own reality of what you’d like to do

prioritize schedule

• make to-do list

• rank most/least important

schedule priorities

• identify what you value

• work in other priorities

subjective goals

• vague

• “do my best/ have fun”

objective goals

• specific standard

• shoot 10 free-throws

performance goals

comparing to self

process goals

execution of the details

outcome goals

• end result

• facilitate short-term motivation

• increased anxiety

• less focus on “the how”

process/performance goals

• process over outcome

• less anxiety

• strong sense of control

problem with goal setting

• convince athletes to do it

• failing to set specific goals

• setting too many goals too soon

• failing to adjust unrealistic goals

• failing to recognize individual differences

• not providing follow-up and evaluation with athletes

SMART goal setting

• specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based

1. develop overall purpose

2. ensure flexibility with goals

3. set both short-term and long-term goals

4. set performance/process goals before outcome goals

5. set practice and competition goals

6. ink it, don’t think it

7. visualize yourself achieving goals

8. state goals in a positive manner

9. have support system in place

10. prepare for the problems

optimism bias

• believing you are more/less likely to experience a positive/negative event

• stems from desired outcomes and perceived control

  • “I won’t miss a big serve in the match today”

  • “What happened to her won’t happen to me”

  • “I never dehydrate on runs so it’s nothing to worry about”

• for every roadblock you identify, develop a strategy to manage it should it arise

psychological momentum

• increased confidence during periods of perceived psychological momentum

• an apparent shift in ‘good fortune’ or ‘luck’ for individuals or teams in all sports- everything seems to go right or wrong

• defined as “positive or negative change in cognition, affect, physiology, and behavior caused by an event or series of events that will result in a commensurate shift in performance and competitive outcome”

key piece of psychological momentum

• the precipitating event (confidence/momentum trigger) that leads to the momentum shift

  • slam dunk, great save, strikeout, defensive play

• experienced athletes are more likely/ better able to recognize precipitation events, more likely to posses skills necessary to take advantage of the events, better mobilize against negative momentum

negative momentum

conditions necessary to precipitate positive momentum on the part of the opposing team

multidimensional model

• momentum seen as either positive or negative

• major element is the precipitating event

• LOOK AT MODEL IN SLIDES

common triggers for psychological momentum

• negative body language

• opponents mistakes/weaknesses

• confidence/ positive attitude/ encouragement

• good fortune

• positive outcomes- scoring a goal

• good/bad calls by a ref

• past experiences

projected performance model

• developed in 1997 (Cornelius and others)

• proposed the notion of psychological momentum has little effect on performance

• positive or negative momentum are only labels used to describe performance

  • large positive fluctuations in performance

  • large negative fluctuations in performance

• during course of a game, teams and players cycle through phases of both positive and negative performances

• often labeled as “momentum” but no cause and effect between labels and performance

hot hand phenomenon - real or myth?

• performance of a player temporarily improves following a stretch of success

• coach instructs players to get him/her the ball

• research from 1985 and 2003 concluded it was a MYTH

  • better to rely on a player’s base shooting % to determine who should take the last shot rather than giving it to the "‘hot hand”

practical applications of psychological momentum

• teams and players can learn how to prepare for psychological momentum shifts

• precipitating events can lead to momentum shifts provided athletes are skilled and mentally conditioned to take advantage

• teams getting avalanched needs to have learned strategies for halting the momentum

  • slow the game down

  • calling timeouts

  • playing with better discipline

perceptions of momentum

• can be brief moment

• can be longer duration

• can roll over from game to game

flow in sport

• intrinsically motivating but uncontrollable experience when totally involved in activity

  • different from a “peak performance,” as flow is a temporary sensation

  • results from controlling your mental state

  • physical skills needed, but mindset provides opportunity to reach flow

  • can experience flow during an average performance

challenge high, skill low

anxious

challenge high, skill high

flow

challenge low, skill low

apathetic

challenge low, skill high

bored

9 factors of flow

1. challenge~skills balance: ability to cope with demands

2. action-awareness merging: at one with movements

3. clear goals: knowing exactly what you want to do

4. unambiguous feedback: from body and environment

5. concentration of task: managing irrelevant thoughts

6. sense of control: feelings of empowerment, free of fear

7. loss of self-consciousness: getting ‘lost in the moment’

8. transformation of time: your perception of time distorts- hours can feel like minutes or time can seem to slow down

9. autotelic experience: the activity is intrinsically rewarding and performed for its own sake rather than for external goal or reward

achieving flow

1. motivated to achieve success- challenging goals increase motivation and ability to perform well

2. optimal intensity- controlling anxiety, relaxed but energized

3. confidence and mindset- attitude over ability, feeling in control, smooth, and effortless

4. pre-competition and competition plans- having routines increase confidence, control, and preparing for the unexpected

5. optimal physical conditioning- feeling physically prepared through proper training, tapering, nutrition

6. optimal environment/situation- no outside pressures, positive feedback, optimal performing conditions

preventing/ disrupting flow

1. non-optimal preparation/ readiness

2. non-optimal environment/ situation

3. lack of confidence/ negative mental state

4. internal pressures

5. inappropriate focus

6. lack of motivation/ motivated to avoid failure

7. pre-competition anxiety

8. overall poor performance