Applied Psychology Flashcards

Flashcards on Performance Psychology

Performance Psychology

The study and application of psychological principles of human performance to help people consistently perform in the upper range of their capabilities and more thoroughly enjoy the performance process.

Flow State

A subjective state that people report when they are completely involved in something to the point of forgetting time, fatigue, and everything else but the activity itself.

Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Framework Conditions Characteristics

Clear Goals, Challenge-Skill Balance, Unambiguous Feedback, Action-Awareness Merging, Sense of Control, Autotelic Experience, Transformation of Time, Loss of Self-Consciousness, Concentration on task at hand

Integrated Model of Flow and Clutch States - Key differences to previous conceptualization of flow

Proposes two distinct, yet overlapping, optimal psychological states; Emerged from a different methodology (e.g., event-focused interviews); Highlights a chronological, sequential process in the occurrence of these states

Process of Occurrence of Flow States

Positive event, Positive feedback, Confidence builds, Challenge appraisal, Setting open goals

Process of Occurrence of Clutch States

Challenge appraisal, Identify fixed goals, Decision to increase effort and intensity

Getting into Flow - Positive feedback

Explicit feedback indicating positive performance; Internal feedback (e.g., how you feel); Using positive self-talk; Drawing on previous positive performances

Getting into Flow - Challenge appraisal

Viewing the performance situation as a challenge; facilitated through high self-efficacy, perceived control, and an approach-goal orientation; focus should be on novelty and exploration

Getting into Flow - Open goals

A focus on discovery, exploration, and novelty; devoid of specific performance outcomes, may help create an optimal level of challenge, may help shift the focus towards to process of the activity itself

Getting into Flow - Attentional focus

Placing attentional factors away from inhibitors of flow; E.g., music, esthetically pleasing environments

Getting into Clutch - Challenge appraisal

Knowing what needs to be done to perform in the situation; specific goals relevant to situational demands; Often outcome focused

Getting into Clutch - Increased effort and intensity

A deliberate stepping up of intensity and effort; May be physical or mental; A sense of “this is the time”

Getting into Clutch - Perceived control

A sense of “exerting control” over the situation; Control the controllables

Getting into Clutch - Attentional focus

Drawing on active self-regulation strategies; Micro-goals; Motivational or instructional self-talk; Self-monitoring; Tactical decisions

Pressure

Any factor or combination of factors that increases the importance of performing well on a particular occasion

Choking under pressure

An acute and considerable decrease in skill execution and performance when self-expected standards are normally achievable, which is the result of increased anxiety under perceived pressure

Characteristics of Choking under pressure

Acute and drastic performance decrease; Debilitative interpretations of anxiety; Lack of perceived control; Self-presentation concerns

Distraction theories of choking

In response to increased anxiety, attention is diverted towards task- irrelevant internal distractions (e.g., worry) or external distractions (e.g., crowd)

Self-focus theories of choking

In response to increased anxiety, performers allocate conscious attention to movement execution (e.g., “how do I throw the ball?)