Sports Psych MidTerm

When did psychology become a scientific discipline?

Late 1800’s

When did Norman Triplett conduct cycling research about social facilitation and what was the result?

In 1898 and he determined that the presence of others can influence performance.

When did Coleman Griffith (father of American Sport Psychology) establish an early sport psych laboratory?

1925

When did International Society of Sports Psychology (ISSP) and Associations for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) help establish the field professionally?

1965/1986

What is happening today?

Sports psych is applied across sport, military/tactical, performing arts, business, healthcare.

What was the big shift for the timeline of Sports Psych?

From studying athletes to actively helping performers apply psychological skills

What is a fixed mindset?

A belief that personal traits such as intelligence, talent, and basic abilities are innate, status and unchangeable.

If one has a fixed mindset, how do they see failure, feedback, challenges, comparison?

Failure = evidence of inability

Feedback can feel personal

Challenges may be avoided

Comparison protects or threatens ego

Language: “I’m just not good at this.”

Define a growth mindset

The belief that your basic abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed and improved over time through dedication, effort, strategy, and support.

If one has a growth mindset, how do they see failure, feedback, challenges, and comparison?

Failure = information

Feedback is a tool

Challenges create learning opportunities

Strategies can be adjusted

Language: “What needs to improve?”

Does a growth mindset mean just try harder?

Growth mindset ≠ “just try harder.”  It means learn, seek feedback, adjust strategy, and continue developing.

Setback: Lose starting position… how would a growth and fixed mindset interpret the situation?

Growth: What broke down?

Fixed: I’m not good enough.

In the same situation, how would a growth and fixed mindset respond?

Growth: Seek feedback/adjust

Fixed: Avoid/blame

In the same situation, how would a growth and fixed mindset perform at their next performance?

Growth: Preparation improves

Fixed: Development stalls

True or false: Reframing is pretending everything is always positive.

Reframing is not pretending everything is positive. It changes the question from “What does this say about me?” to “What can I do next?”

Define motivation

Process that gives behavior its direction and intensity.

What are the three aspects of motivation?

Direction, Intensity, and Persistence

Define direction in terms of motivation

What are you choosing to pursue? Where are you putting your effort?

Define intensity in terms of motivation

How much effort and energy are you investing?

Define persistence in terms of motivation

How long do you continue when a task becomes difficult?

What are the two forms of motivation?

Intrinsic and extrinsicD

Define intrinsic motivation

Doing the activity for enjoyment, interest, challenge, or mastery.

Define extrinsic motivation

Doing the activity because it leads to a separable outcome. Extrinsic does NOT automatically mean “bad”

What is the self-determination theory?

Higher-quality motivation is more likely when three basic psychological needs are supported

What are the three basic psychological needs that the self determination theory supports?

Autonomy, competence, and relatedness

What is autonomy in connection to the self determination theory?

Choice + ownership

“I have a meaningful say in what I’m doing.”

What is competence in connection to the self-determination theory?

Capability + improvement

“I can succeed, learn, and get better.”

What is relatedness in connection to the self-determination theory?

Connection+ belonging

“I am respected, valued, and part of this group.”

What is the motivation continuum?

The key question: how self-directed has the motivation become?

What is amotivation?

No intention

What is external motivation

Reward/punishment

What is introjected motivation

Guilt'/ego/pressure

What is identified motivation

Personally important

What is integrated motivation

Fits values and identity

What is intrinsic motivation

Enjoyment/interest

What is the main idea of the motivation continuum?

You are more self-determined the more self-directed the motivation is (Intrinsic motivation is very high self determination where amotivation is very low)

True or false: a behavior has to be fun to be meaningful

a behavior does not have to be fun to be personally meaningful and self-directed.

What is the seven step process of goal setting?

1. Define the goal

2. Know where you are now

3. Decide what to develop

4. Plan steady improvement

5. Set short-term goals

6. Commit completely

7. Monitor and evaluate

What is mental contrasting?

Imagining the desired future—then honestly confronting the present obstacles

How does a goal become a plan?

current reality → specific action → likely obstacle → preplanned response → monitor and adjust

What are SMART Actions?

Specific

Measurable

Action-focused

Realistic

Time-bound

What is the When-Then idea?

WHEN the situation/obstacle occurs…

THEN I execute my preplanned response

What does W.I.N stand for?

What’s important now?

What is the more important action I can execute TODAY?

Define monitor in comparison to goal setting

Track effort and behavior

Know whether the plan is actually being executed

Define evaluate and adjust in comparison to goal setting

Goals are plans—not contracts with the original strategy. Monitor what is working, evaluate progress, and adjust when needed.

What is the stress process?

Demand: Something matters and requires a response —> Appraisal: what does this situation mean to me?—> Response: physiology+thoughts+emotion+behavior—>performance: The response shapes the execution

True or false: Stress is just an event

Stress is not just the event — it is the person–environment transaction.

Define arousal

General activation of body and mind

Ranges from low—>high

Can be pleasant or unpleasant

Define stress

A demand is perceived as important or taxing

Depends heavily on appraisal

Can be acute or chronic

Define anxiety

Emotional response involving worry and/or physiological activation

Cognitive = thoughts / worry

Somatic = body sensations

State = situation-specific

Trait = more stable tendency

What is the inverted U?

A useful starting point

Too little activation can reduce readiness. Too much can disrupt attention and motor control.

Performance often peaks somewhere in the middle.

What will happen with each activation

Low Activation: Flat energy, Drifting attention

Useful activation: Alert, Decisive, Task focussed

High Activation: Narrowing, Rushing, Muscle Tension

Overload: Threat Focus, Errors, Loss of Flexibility

What is the goal with the inverted U

Right activation for the task

What does IZOF stand for and what is it?

Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning

One “optimal” level is too simple

Athletes differ in their best emotional intensity

Task demands and experience matter

What are the task demands rated to IZOF?

Fine motor/decision tasks often need control

Power/explosive tasks may tolerate activation

Experience changes what feels manageable

Define catastrophe

High physiological arousal + high cognitive anxiety can produce a sharp performance decline.

Recovery may require a meaningful reset. (Three R’s: Recognize, Reset, Refocus)

What can cause a spiral?

A small trigger.

worry—> tension—> attention disruption—> more errors

What is challenge appraisal?

I have the resources to meet this.”

Attention stays closer to the task.

Pressure can feel energizing.

More approach-oriented behavior

What is threat appraisal?

“The demands exceed my resources.”

Attention shifts toward consequences.

Pressure feels controlling.

More protective / avoidance behavior.

What are the earliest reliable signs of your stress signature?

Physical: Heart rate and tension

Cognitive: Overthinking and doubt

Emotional: fear and frustration

Behavioral: rush, freeze, and avoid

What is the anxiety loop?

Trigger (pressure, uncertainty, evaluation) —> interpretation (“this is going badly”) —> body (breathing speeds up + tension rises) —> Attention (threat focus+ internal monitoring) —> Behavior (rush, freeze, avoid, force)

Define intervention point

Interrupt the loop before it owns your attention

What is the goal when interrupting the loop?

It is not “never get nervous,” the goal is recover quickly and return to execution

What is 4-6 breathing?

Inhale ~4

Exhale ~6

Smooth, slightly longer exhale when down-regulation is the goal.

What is box breathing?

Inhale 4 • hold 4

Exhale 4 • hold 4

Structure + attentional control.

What is PMR?

Tense briefly → release longer.

Learn the difference between tension and release.

What is the big reminder when doing breathing techniques?

DON’T OVER-BREATHE

Quiet and comfortable. Bigger is not always better

What is the 3-step-reset?

1. Exhale: one deliberate breath out

2. Release: drop jaw, shoulders, hands

3. One external cue or next action

Define imagery

Creation or recreation of an experience in the mind using MULTIPLE sense

What sense are used for imagery?

Visual: What do you see?

Kinesthetic: What does movement feel like?

Auditory: What do you hear?

Tactile: What contact/texture?

Olfactory: Are there meaningful smells in the environment?

Emotional/physiological: What do confidence, nerves, effort, or calm feel like in your body?

When is imagery effective?

When it is purposeful, meaningful, and connected to a specific performance goal

What is the difference between internal and external imagery?

Internal: through your own eyes

External: watching yourself as if on video

Neither is automatically “better”

What is process vs. outcome in imagery?

outcome: desired result

process: behaviors that produce the result

See the outcome, rehearse the process.

What is vividness and controllability in imagery?

How clear and detailed is the experience?

Can you intentionally direct or change the image?

What is adversity and response in terms of imagery?

Useful imagery can include mistakes, fatigue, pressure, and unexpected events—as long as you rehearse an effective response.

What is the PETTLEP model for imagery?

Physical—body position/equipment/breathing

Environment—venue/surface/sounds/people

Task—specific decisions +actions

Timing—real-time consequences

Learning—current cues involved with the skill

Emotion—Realistic pressure +response

Perspective—internal/external viewpoint

What is an important reminder about the PETTLEP model?

It isn’t seven different exercises, they work together to increase functional similarity to the real task.

Define self-confidence

Broader belief or degree of certainty about your ability to succeed.

Can influence challenge choice, effort, persistence, attention, and recovery after mistakes.

Define self-efficacy

Situation-specific belief about your capability to organize and execute the actions needed for a particular task.

Ask: “Can I execute THIS task under THESE conditions?”

True or false: confidence is pretending you cannot fail

Confidence is not pretending you cannot fail. It is believing you can response effectively.

According to Robert Bandura, what are the four sources of self efficacy

1. Mastery Experiences: Past successful execution—generally the strongest source

2. Vicarious experiences: seeing a relevant.comparable model perform

3. Verbal Persuasion: Credible, specific feedback tied to controllable behaviors

   1. Physiological and emotional states: How you interpret heart rate, tension, nerves, fatigue, emotion

How do you build a confidence bank

preparation, quality reps, difficult wins, recovery, feedback, consistency

What is the difference between automatic and intentional self talk?

Automatic = immediate thought that appears

Intentional = deliberately chosen cue to direct attention or response

You may not control the first thought — you can train what happens next.

What is the difference between instructional and motivational self talk?

Instructional = technique / strategy / attention

Motivational = effort / persistence / confidence / emotional control

Cue words should be SHORT, SPECIFIC, and ACTIONABLE

What are common thinking traps?

Castastrophizing, mind reading, all-or-nothing, overgeneralizing, outcome fixation, comparison

What is the difference between a fact vs. story?

FACT = directly observable information

STORY = interpretation, prediction, or meaning added to the fact

“I missed two shots” ≠ “I’m going to blow this.”

What are the there R’s?

Recognize—> What thought showed up? Is it a fact, interpretation, or prediction?

Reframe—> Build a believable, useful, performance-relevant interpretation

Refocus—> Return attention to ONE controllable target: breath, posture, cue, next play, next question

What is the point of the three R’s?

Replace an unhelpful interpretation with a more useful, realistic one — then return attention to the next controllable action.