EXERCISE AND SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY EXAM 1

psychology

the study of behavior and mental processes

sport

any activity that involves power, skill, competition, strategy, and/or chance; usually participated in for enjoyment

defining exercise and sports psychology

scientific study dedicated to understanding people and behavior, and applying it to sport in order to achieve performance goals

physical activity

any bodily movement that results in the burning of calories

exercise

a subcategory of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive

physical fitness

result of exercising at the recommended frequency, intensity, and length of time

FITT principle

frequency, intensity, time, and type

FITT-VP principle

FITT + volume & progression (total amount & advancement of exercise)

anaerobic exercise

short-term, high intensity, and explosive; does not rely on the transportation of oxygen

aerobic exercise

longer-term, endurance activities; relies on pulmonary and respiratory systems to transport oxygen

current physical activity recommendation for adults (a week)

- 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise

- 75-150 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise

current physical activity recommendation for children

60 min moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity daily; muscle and bone strengthening activities at least 3 times a week

physical benefits of physical activity

- reduced obesity

- less likely to smoke

- reduced risk for heart disease

educational benefits of physical activity

- higher test scores

- more likely to go to college

financial benefits of physical activity

- earns more money

- save money on healthcare costs

- full week of wages due to less absences

characteristics of performance

preparation, skill, mental readiness

mental training is

a foundation of performance

physical characteristics of performance

- strength

- speed

- stamina

technical characteristics of performance

- skill development

- strategy

- synchronization

psychological characteristics of performance

- confidence

- concentration

- consistency

- control

objectives of sport and exercise psychology

scientific study of how psychological factors affect performance and vice versa

roles of a sport psychology practitioner

teaching, consulting, research

teaching

university professor; typically requires a PhD

research

- research scientist, professor, lab technician

- requires higher learning like a university, hospital or research facility

- employed by government or private industry

consulting

workshops for parents, coaches, and athletes

consultations for parents, coaches, or teams

sports psychology specialties

- clinical sport psychologists

- educational sport psychology specialists

role of clinical sport psychologists

- licensed psychologists

- work with individuals with severe emotional disorders

- help athletes with eating disorders and substance abuse

role of educational sport psychology specialists

- understand psychology of human movement

- training in physical education, kinesiology or exercise science

- educate athletes on awareness of issues like anxiety and confidence

what do applied sport psychologists do?

- performance improvement programs

- psychological assessment

- improve athlete-coach communication

- crisis intervention

- consultation and program development for coaches and trainers

sport and exercise research

method of learning about the world through empirical, systematic, and controlled, acquisition of knowledge through experience

ethical standards of research

- competence

- integrity

- professionalism & scientific responsibility

- respect for people's rights and dignity

- concern for others well-being

scientific theory

a set of related facts and ideas used to describe, explain, and predict a phenomenon.

how is scientific theory helpful?

allows us to organize large numbers of facts into a pattern so that we can understand and explain them

hypothesis

a testable, educated explanation for a specific phenomenon.

variables

a factor whose change or difference you study

independent variable

he variable you change or examine to see how it affects another variable

dependent variable

the outcome or behavior that is measured

types of research

studies and experiments

study

investigator observes or asses; does NOT change the environment in any way

experiment

a study where the researcher changes one or more variables to see how they affect other variables

three approaches to sport and exercise psychology

- psychophysiological orientation

- social-psychological orientation

- cognitive-behavioral orientation

psychophysiological orientation

studies how the brain and body processes, like heart rate and muscle activity, influence behavior

social-psychological orientation

studies how a person's traits and social environment interact to influence behavior

cognitive-behavioral orientation

behavior is determined by both the environment and thoughts/cognitions

strengths of scientific knowledge

- high internal validity

- highly reliable

- controlled

- unbiased

strengths of professional practice knowledge

- high external validity

- holistic

- innovative

- immediate

limitations of scientific knowledge

- oversimplification

- not practicality

- no evolution

limitations of professional practice knowledge

- less reliable

- no good explanations

- bias

personality

the unique patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that make a person who they are

why do we study personality?

helps us work better with students, athletes, patients, exercisers, and coworkers

psychological core of the personality structure

the most basic and deepest attitudes, values, interests, and motives of a person

typical responses of the personality structure

the way one typically responds to the environment

role-related behavior of the personality structure

how one acts in a particular social situation

ways to understand personality structure

- trait approach

- situational approach

- interactional approach

- phenomenological approach

trait approach

personality traits cause people to behave in consistent ways, regardless of the situation

Five Factor Model

Big 5: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism; most widely used model of personality

extraversion v introversion

sociable v quiet; assertive, energetic, enthusiasm, sociability

neuroticism

emotional stability vs emotionally reactive; anxiety, nervousness, anger, depression

openness to experience

originality, intelligence, curiosity, readiness for change

agreeableness

lighthearted, trusting, modesty, social adapibility, kindness

conscientiousness

tendency to be dependable; impulse control and self discipline, achievement oriented

athletes in team sports score higher on _____ and lower on ________ than athletes involved in individual sports

extraversion; conscientiousness

trait approach research strengths

shows the importance of personality traits and ways to measure them

trait approach research weaknesses

- little influence

- traits will not always help predict behavior

sitational approach

behavior is mainly influenced by the situation or environment rather than personality traits

situational approach strengths

emphasizes the importance of the situation

situational approach weaknesses

little influence; situation will not always influence individual behavior

interactional approach

behavior is determined by person, situational factors and how they

interactional approach strengths

major influence: used by most current sports psychologists; consideration of both trait and situational variables and their interaction

interactional approach weaknesses

none!

phenomenological approach

behavior is influenced by how a person experiences and perceives themselves and the world around them.

measuring personality

-rating scales

- unstructured projective tests

- questionnaires

rating scales

judges and observes a situation

unstructured projective procedures

tests used to uncover a person's unconscious or hidden motives

structured questionnaire

paper-and-pencil test

trait vs state measures

a person's current feelings or state can affect their trait scores, making the results less accurate

general vs situation (sport specific)

sport-specific tests measure sport-related feelings or behaviors more accurately than general tests

personality research in sport and exercise psychology

personality has only a small relationship with sport performance and does not clearly distinguish athletes from non-athletes or males from females

profile of mood states (POMS)

measures six moods: tension, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue, and confusion

principals of testing and measurement error

- reliability & validity

- sample characteristics

- social desirability

sources of measurement error

- inaccurate reporting

- over-reporting

- under-reporting

- careless responses

motivation

the direction and amount of effort a person puts toward something

three approaches to motivation

- trait centered view

- situation centered view

- interactional view

trait centered view

motivation is mainly determined by a person's individual characteristics or personality.

determinants of participant/trait centered view

- needs

- interests

- goals

- personality

situation centered view

motivation is mainly determined by the situation or environment

primary determinants of situation centered view

-coach or teacher's style

-facility attractiveness

-win/loss record

interactional view

motivation is a result of the interaction between personal and situational factors

guidelines for building motivation

understand what motivates people, consider both the person and situation, create a motivating environment, and encourage positive behaviors

directly motivating behavior

the way a coach structures practice

indirectly motivating behavior

a fitness instructor's energetic, outgoing personality keeps you coming back

major motives for exercise participation

weight loss, fitness, challenge, enjoyment, organization, leadership, social factors

self-determination theory

explains different types of motivation, how they affect behavior and outcomes, and what strengthens or weakens motivation

extrinsic motivation

doing something because of external demands, pressure, or rewards

introjected regulation

feel like you have to play the sport

identified regulation

performs in behavior as a means to an end

integrated regulation

performs behavior because it aligns with beliefs or values

intrinsic motivation

doing something because you genuinely enjoy it and want to do it

achievement motivation

the drive to succeed, overcome challenges, and perform at a high level

competitiveness

the desire to succeed by comparing your performance to others or a standard of excellence