Sports Psych 1

What are the three main purposes of sport psychology?

Sport psychology studies how psychological and emotional factors influence sport and exercise performance, how participation in sport affects mental and emotional well-being, and how mental skills can be taught to athletes and coaches so they can regulate their own performance.

What is the purpose of professional organizations in sport psychology?

Professional organizations help advance sport psychology by setting ethical standards, offering certification, promoting research, and providing networking and mentoring opportunities for professionals in the field.

What is an AASP Certified Consultant?

An AASP Certified Consultant is a professional trained to help athletes and performers develop mental skills that enhance performance, personal growth, and enjoyment of sport while following ethical guidelines.

What is the difference between clinical, educational, and research sport psychologists?

Clinical or counseling sport psychologists treat emotional and psychological disorders in athletes. Educational sport psychologists focus on performance enhancement and mental skills training, while research sport psychologists conduct scientific studies to build knowledge in the field.

What are major ethical concerns in sport psychology?

Ethical concerns include sexual harassment, romantic relationships with athletes, confidentiality issues, and conflicts of interest that may harm athletes or compromise professional judgment.

How do racial and gender issues relate to sport psychology?

Racial and gender issues in sport psychology involve discrimination, unequal access, and systemic privilege. These factors influence athlete experiences, mental health, and opportunities within sport.

What is personality? Can it predict athletic success?

Personality refers to consistent patterns of behavior and responses across situations. Research shows that personality alone does not reliably predict future athletic success because performance is influenced by many situational factors.

What is the psychodynamic theory of personality?

Psychodynamic theory suggests personality is shaped by conflicts among the id, ego, and superego. Behavior results from how these three systems balance pleasure, logic, and morality.

What is Social learning theory

Social learning theory explains personality as a result of learned behaviors from the environment through observation, reinforcement, and social interactions.

What is Humanistic theory

Humanistic theory focuses on the hierarchy of needs and the drive toward self-actualization. It emphasizes personal growth, free will, and fulfilling human potential.

What is Trait Theory

Trait theory states that personality is made up of stable and enduring traits that remain relatively consistent across different situations and over time.

What is Jung’s theory

Jung’s theory emphasizes genetic influences and individual differences in attitudes such as introversion and extraversion, as well as mental processes like thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuiting.

What is the difference between team vs individual sports

Team sport athletes tend to be more extraverted and sociable, while individual sport athletes are often more autonomous. Higher-level athletes typically show higher conscientiousness and lower neuroticism.

How do Personality and skill level differ across sports

Personality alone cannot account for the dynamic and high-pressure nature of sport. Behavior results from the interaction between personal traits and situational factors, as explained by the Interaction Model and CAPS.

Why doesn’t personality strongly predict behavior?

Global self-confidence is a stable belief in one’s abilities across situations. Situational self-confidence is temporary and depends on the specific context or performance situation.

What is the difference between Global vs situational self-confidenc

Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s ability to successfully perform a specific task. It strongly influences effort, persistence, and performance in sport.

What is Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s ability to successfully perform a specific task. It strongly influences effort, persistence, and performance in sport.

What is motivation?

Motivation refers to the internal and external forces that initiate, direct, and sustain effort and behavior. Higher motivation often leads to greater persistence and improved performance.

What are the main components of Bandura’s self-efficacy theory

The main sources of self-efficacy are past performance accomplishments, observing others succeed, verbal encouragement, and emotional or physiological arousal.

What is Harter’s Competence Motivation Theory

This theory proposes that individuals are motivated to feel competent and seek mastery experiences. Successful attempts at mastery increase perceived competence and motivation.

What is Vealey’s Multidimensional Model of Sport Confidence

Vealey’s model explains sport confidence as multidimensional, including cognitive efficiency, physical skill and training, and resilience, all of which influence performance.

What is psychological momentum?

Psychological momentum is a positive or negative shift in thoughts, emotions, and behavior caused by events during competition that can influence performance outcomes.

How do gender differences affect self-confidence?

Self-confidence differences between genders are influenced by stereotypes, quality of feedback, task ambiguity, and whether competition or cooperation is emphasized.

What is intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation?

Intrinsic motivation comes from enjoyment and personal satisfaction, while extrinsic motivation is driven by external rewards or avoidance of punishment.

What is Cognitive Evaluation Theory?

Cognitive Evaluation Theory explains how extrinsic rewards can either increase or decrease intrinsic motivation depending on whether they support or undermine autonomy and competence.

What is goal orientation?

Goal orientation refers to how individuals define success and competence in achievement situations, such as sport or exercise.

What is the difference between task and ego goal orientation?

Task orientation focuses on personal improvement, effort, and mastery, while ego orientation focuses on outperforming others and social comparison.

How goal orientation develops with age

• Young children tend to be task-oriented, focusing on effort and learning. As they age, ego orientation develops and becomes more influenced by social and environmental factors.

What is motivational climate?

Motivational climate is the overall environment created by coaches, parents, and peers that influences athletes’ motivation and goal orientation.

What is a mastery vs competitive climate?

A mastery climate emphasizes effort, learning, and cooperation, while a competitive climate emphasizes comparison, winning, and punishment for mistakes.

How does goal orientation relate to moral functioning?

Task orientation is associated with ethical behavior and fair play, while ego orientation can increase the likelihood of unethical behavior when winning is prioritized.

What is the Matching Hypothesis?

The Matching Hypothesis suggests that optimal outcomes occur when an athlete’s goal orientation aligns with the motivational climate they are in.

What are the benefits of youth sport participation?

Youth sport provides physical health benefits, skill development, enjoyment, and social interaction, while also promoting confidence, motivation, and cooperation.

Why do youth withdraw from sport?

Youth often withdraw due to lack of fun, poor team atmosphere, limited skill development, or shifting interests.

What are risks of parents serving as coaches?

Parent-coaches can create high-pressure environments that increase anxiety, burnout, and strain parent-child relationships.

How can parents positively influence youth sport participation?

Parents can support healthy participation by emphasizing effort, enjoyment, development, and positive sportsmanship.

What is sport commitment model?

The Sport Commitment Model emphasizes enjoyment as the primary factor influencing long-term participation in sport.