Motivation and Arousal
Discuss three symptoms of being over aroused.
worrying thoughts
expectations are too high
'Top Response' from excessive tension - increased HR, body temp and muscle tension
Performance drops
What are 4 psychological responses to anxiety?
anxiety, fear, irritation
negative thoughts
confusion and overload
lack of concentration
mental fatigue
memory difficulty
List three types of different distractions a player might experience.
large crowds
weather
noise
Explain the mental rehearsal of imagery; what it is and how it helps performance.
Using all the senses to recreate an experience in the mind.
It assists performance by 'practice' and can improve the neural pathways of sporting performances.
What are 5 performance-enhancing psychological skills?
Imagery/visualisation
Concentration
Self-talk
Simulation training
Motivation
Performance routines
Simulation training
Arousal and relaxation training
Placebos
Goal setting
Team dynamics
What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?
intrinsic - inherent pleasure that comes from within, thoughts and feelings about what you want to achieve
extrinsic - motivated by rewards and outcomes, accolades are a driving force
What are 4 physical responses to anxiety?
increased HR
increased breathing rate
increased muscle tension
lightheaded
nauseous
fatigue
increased blood pressure
muscle aches and pains
Explain the term selective attention.
Focusing on a particular object for a period of time, allows us to tune out unimportant details.
Goal setting is often guided by an acronym. Explain this acronym.
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-framed
Evaluate
Recorded
For a team to be effective explain the three structural characteristics that must develop.
Group Roles - a set of expected behaviours. This can be further divided into role clarity, role acceptance and role conflict
Group Norms - a norm is defined as the structured roles that govern the way that a group is organised and maintained. It sets standards of behaviours.
Social Support - provided to a team by all those involved and manages the diverse backgrounds that can be included. MAPS (Mission, Assessment, Plan, Systematic Evaluation)
What are the four sources of reinforcement?
Social - approval, recognition
Material - awards, prizes
Performance information - accuracy, success
Internal - self control (that felt good)
Discuss the process of progressive muscle relaxation; what it is and what it does.
PMR is a relaxation technique, predominantly used in the days prior to sport
Works on recognising what a tense muscle feels like, then relaxing the muscle and recognising what it feels like to relax. Understanding the contrast between the two feelings and then being able to recognise tension, letting it go and relaxing.
What are the four different types of concentration.
Internal narrow
Internal broad
External narrow
External broad
Explain a performance routine and why it might be helpful in sport.
A performance routine involves the practice of a set routine in a game, and its aim is to ensure that a player focuses attention on the actions that they can control and that are relevant to successful completion of the skill.
What are the three types of goals?
Outcome goals - focus on the result for a particular event eg winning
Performance goals - concentrate on improving an individual performance eg running the 400m under a minute
Process goals - focus on the technique rather than the result eg hurdles with the right strides
Explain the inverted U theory.
Low levels of arousal results in poor performance
High levels of arousal results in poor performance
Optimal level of arousal results in peak performance.
This level of arousal will vary for different sports, but always works under the same idea
Explain the difference between trait and state anxiety.
Trait anxiety is an athletes general predisposition to perceive a situation as threatening or non-threatening. Because they have an underlying tendency to react in a certain way, people who display high levels of trait anxiety usually perceive more situations as threatening than those who have low levels of anxiety.
State anxiety is brought on by an athletes situation or circumstances. It is an emotional response to a particular situation or environment.
Explain two characteristics of narrow-internal attentional focus.
Are able to focus on a single thought or idea and stay with it.
Have enhanced kinaesthetic (body) awareness.
Show dedication, and a capacity to follow instructions and or stick to a game plan.
What is simulation training; give an example and explain how it helps performance?
Simulation training is the process where athletes practise a procedure or routine prior to the competition. It allows you to use different scenarios and environments.
Explain the difference between instrumental and hostile aggression
Instrumental - aggression occurring in the quest of some non-aggressive goal. E.g. cricket bowlers bowling at the body of the batsmen to cramp the playable shots of the batsmen.
Hostile - the primary goal is to inflict injury or psychological harm on another.
Explain the self-determination theory
Individuals attempt to improve by satisfying three psychological needs:
autonomy (self-determination)
competence (overcoming challenges and matching abilities)
relatedness (sense of belonging)
What is the SCAT test and what does it measure?
The Sports Competition Anxiety Test.
It measures your level of anxiety when competing in sport.
What are the two factors that cause errors in performance? Provide an example for each.
Confusion - not understanding what is required of you.
Overload - both internal (when there are two many thoughts running through the athletes head) and external (when there is too much noise, movement, too many complex things to watch or listen to)
Explain the four types of self talk and provide an example for each.
Positive - good shot
Negative - I cant do this
Technical or instructional - Follow through
Neutral - Wonder what is for dinner
Explain the drive theory.
Performance will increase directly as a function of increasing arousal.
It is not always appropriate for complex sporting performances.