Practice Quiz - Sport Psychology

Pierre de Coubertin

First used the phrase "La psychologie du sport"

Norman Triplett

Observed that cyclists are faster when they race with others than when they race alone

Coleman Griffith

Developed the class, "Psychology and Athletics"

Established the first Sport Psychology lab

Hired by the Chicago Cubs (1938) to help the team improve team performance

Dorothy Yates

First woman to conduct sport psychology research

1980

Olympic Committee develops Sport Psychology Advisory Board

1985

First full-time sport psychologist hired

1988

Sport psychologist accompanies the U.S. Olympic team

Sport psychology legitimized by the APA (Division___)

Division 47

Fields that research on sport psychology issues are conducted across

Social, personality, and cognitive

How we test research ideas

Question, choose research method, collect and analyze data, develop theory

What is a theory?

An organized set of principles used to explain phenomena.

What does a theory provide for future research?

A potential explanation to help generate ideas.

Descriptive methods

Used to describe the association between two or more variables; ex. coaching style and athlete's motivation

4 main descriptive methods

Survey/interview technique, qualitative research, archival research, meta-analysis

What is a survey/interview technique?

A method to ask people questions about their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.

What is an example of a survey technique?

Using a scale to assess perfectionism.

What can be correlated with scores from a perfectionism scale?

Athletic performance.

What is cultural competence?

The ability to understand other cultures and being aware of one's own cultural assumptions.

Why is cultural competence important for sport psychology practitioners?

It is an important skill for effectively working with diverse populations.

How effective do most respondents find cultural competence?

They find it only moderately effective.

What type of research does not use quantifiable numbers or statistical procedures?

Qualitative research

In what type of settings is qualitative research often conducted?

Naturalistic settings

Does qualitative research manipulate variables?

No

5 methods of qualitative research

Naturalistic observation, case studies, focus groups, archival research, meta-analysis

Naturalistic observation

Observe and measure behavior in everyday settings

What is a case study?

Studying a small number of individuals in great depth.

What is the purpose of a case study?

To determine causes of behavior and to predict behavior in others.

Focus groups

Asking a small group for their thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes

Archival research

Using already recorded behavior (can be qualitative or quantitative)

What is a meta-analysis?

A statistical technique for combining data collected by different researchers.

What is a key benefit of conducting a meta-analysis?

Strengths and weaknesses of individual studies even out when considered simultaneously.

Descriptive method advantages

Easy to conduct and cost efficient; exame real-world situations

What is a limitation of the descriptive method related to participant honesty?

Inaccurate reporting about behaviors and attitudes (Lying)

What type of bias can affect the results of descriptive research?

Researcher Reporting bias

What is a limitation of the descriptive method concerning the observer's impact?

Influence of an observer

What is a limitation of the descriptive method regarding the applicability of findings?

Generalizability

What is a key limitation of the descriptive method in terms of causation?

Cannot explain or predict behavior, cannot prove one variable causes another

What is the purpose of the experimental method?

To manipulate the independent variable and measure its effect on the dependent variable.

What are the two conditions typically involved in an experimental method?

Treatment condition and control condition.

Random assignment

Every person has an equal chance of being in either of the conditions; increases the internal validity

Internal validity

The degree to which independent variable cause the effects obtained on the dependent variable

What is a quasi-experiment?

A study that follows the basic form of an experiment but does not use random assignment.

What is a key characteristic of the independent variable in a quasi-experiment?

The independent variable is an innate difference between participants.

What is external validity?

The degree to which there can be reasonable confidence that the same results would be obtained for other people and in other situations.

What does external validity assess?

The generalizability of research findings to other populations and contexts.

How to improve sport psychology research

Diverse populations, different populations, ecological validity

Diverse populations

Most studies have samples of white male athletes which makes finding hard to generalize to other athletes

Different populations

Produce reasonable confidence that the same results could be obtained for other people and in other situations

What is ecological validity?

The degree to which the methods, materials, and setting of the study resemble the real-world issue being examined.

What does ecological validity assess?

The application of study findings to the real world.

6 AASP ethical principles

Competence, integrity, professional and scientific responsibility, respect for people's rights and dignity, concern for other's welfare, social responsibility

Competence

Awareness of limits of knowledge and expertise

Integrity

Fairness and honesty about qualifications, services, fees

Professional and scientific responsibility

Holding one's self and others to the highest standards

Respect for people's rights and dignity

Ensuring privacy and confidentiality as well as avoiding bias and discrimination of all kinds

Concern for other's welfare

Understanding cases in which a power imbalance exists between sport psychologists and clients

Social responsibility

Conducting ethical research and protecting individuals' rights

What demographic changes are needed in sport psychology?

More women and people of color

What is an important awareness issue in sport psychology?

Awareness of multicultural issues that influence athletes

What should graduate programs in sport psychology educate about?

Multiculturalism

What is needed for research in sport psychology?

More diverse samples

What does CSP stand for in the context of college athletics?

College Sport Plantation

Who developed the term College Sport Plantation?

Eitzen (2000)

What does the term College Sport Plantation describe?

The stressors that Black college athletes face that are different from White athletes

In which context is the term College Sport Plantation particularly relevant?

Major college programs

What is a CSP stressor related to racial stereotypes?

A sense of perpetuating racial stereotypes

What is a CSP stressor related to campus representation?

Lack of representation on campus

What is a CSP stressor that athletes may feel?

Feeling like a 'commodity', particularly basketball and football players

What should you learn about when practicing CSP?

The status quo

What is one way to enhance your understanding in CSP?

Seek alternative perspectives

What role should you take on in the practice context of CSP?

Become a researcher

What skill is important to develop in CSP?

Meaningful communication

What should you engage in to practice CSP effectively?

Cultural praxis

Learn about the Status Quo

Sport psychology is grounded in positivism (data), often unquestionably; Know the uses and limits of mainstream knowledge; Learn where research come from and the belief system from which facts emerged

What should you do to seek alternative perspectives?

Explore competing perspectives (interpretivism, narrative)

What is one way to seek alternative perspectives?

Study other disciplines

What should you avoid when seeking alternative perspectives?

Using performance as an outcome variable (it is too overly narrow)

Become a researcher in the practice context

Shift the focus from problem solving to problem setting; Keep track of two simultaneous ideas: What information warrants further exploration? What values and experiences shape your understanding and interpretation of the problem as well as your consequent decisions?

Develop meaningful communication

Achieve meaningful communication with clients; Intentionally break down the power distance between you and client; Plan how to discuss each other's culture

What is a current issue in sport psychology related to empirical research?

Lack of emphasis on empirical research

What is a concern regarding the effectiveness of techniques in sport psychology?

The effectiveness of techniques is sometimes unverified through scientific research

What type of research is lacking in sport psychology?

Not enough experimental research with random assignment, manipulation of variables, and use of a control group