PE paper 2 sport psychology

• Social Learning Theory


  - Suggests that behaviour is learned from significant others by socialisation.

  - Bandura, 1977

  - Bobo doll experiment, 1961

  
• Trait Theory


  - Suggests that innate characteristics produce consistent behaviour.

  - Personality is fixed.

  - Stable.

  - Attempt to predict behaviour.
• Interactionist Perspective


  Combines trait and social learning to predict behaviour in a specific situation.
• Lewin Approach


  B = f(PxE)

  - Behaviour is a function of personality and environment.

  - Accounts for behaviour change.

  - Helps coaches to predict behaviour.

  Suggests a performer will adapt to the situation they find themselves in
• Credulous Approach


  When the link between personality and behaviour is accepted.
• Sceptical Approach


  When the link between personality and behaviour is doubted.
• Hollander Approach

  - Interaction can predict behaviour.

  1. Psychological core (values/beliefs)

  2. Typical Response (inherent traits displayed in certain situations)

  3. Role related behaviour (adapt to specific situation)

  
• Attitude

  - A value aimed at an attitude object.

  - Formed by picking up opinions/values from significant others.

  - Can become conditioned if behaviour is successful and reinforced.
• Triadic Model


  - The three parts of an attitude:

  1. Cognitive (your beliefs)

  2. Affective (feelings/interpretations)

  3. Behavioural (actions)

  
• Cognitive Dissonance


  New information given to the performer to cause unease and motivate change (e.g. rewards/role models).
• Persuasion

  - An effective communication to promote change.

  - Relevant, understandable and clear.

  - High status person.

  - Timing (after an incident when change is needed).

  
• Arousal

  A level of activation, a degree of readiness to perform.
• Causes of increased arousal

  - Level of competition

  - Increased spectators

  - Loss of confidence

  - Self-doubt

  - Pressure

  - Poor performance

  - Anxiety
• Drive Theory


  P = f(DxH)

  - Performance is a function of drive and habit.

  - As arousal increases, so does performance.

  - Unrealistic as it cannot continue in a linear fashion; variables out of your control could increase arousal. Also, the relationship between performance and arousal is different for everybody.

  
• Dominant Response


  - The stand-out response that the performer thinks is correct.

  - Usually correct for elite athletes.

  - Usually wrong for novices.

  - At high arousal, less information is processed so the performer will concentrate on their dominant response.

  
• Inverted U theory


  - Increased arousal improves performance to an optimal point at moderate levels of arousal. Further increases in arousal can cause performance to deteriorate.

  - Optimum arousal depends on:

  1. Experience (novice/experienced)

  2. Personality (introvert/extrovert)

  3. Size (gross/fine)

  4. Skill (complex/fine)

  
• Catastrophe Theory


  - Suggests that increased arousal improves performance to an optimal point but there is a dramatic reduction in performance when arousal increases beyond the optimal.

  - The cause of this slump is high levels of both somatic and cognitive anxiety.

  - Player tries to regain control, but only returns to optimal if anxiety is mild and they have time.

  - More often than not, performer fails to regain control and panics, causing further increase in arousal and decline in performance.

  
• Zone of Optimal Functioning


  - Rather than a point of optimal arousal, there is a zone.

  - Varies for different performers/sports.

  - Psychologist Hanin.

  
• Peak Flow Experience


  - The ultimate intrinsic experience felt by athletes from a positive mental attitude, with supreme confidence, focus and efficiency.

  - Factors that disrupt peak flow:

  1. Poor mental preparation

  2. Environmental influences

  3. Injury/fatigue

  
• Somatic Anxiety


  Physiological anxiety (e.g. increased heart rate).

  
• Cognitive Anxiety


  Psychological anxiety (e.g. worrying about losing).

  
• Anxiety


  A level of nerves and irrational thinking.

  - Competitive trait anxiety = a disposition to suffer from nervousness in most sporting situations.

  - Competitive state anxiety = a nervous response to specific sporting situations.

  
• Questionnaire

  A set of questions to measure or assess something.

  - Sports Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT)

  - Competitive Sport Anxiety Inventory (CSAI)

  - Cheap, quick and efficient, but answers may depend on mood state and player may not understand question.

  
• Observation


  Gaining a measure of anxiety simply by watching the performer.

  - Realistic, but subjective, time-consuming and results may be invalid if performer knows they're being watched.

  
• Physiological Measures


  Measures of bodily responses to assess anxiety levels (e.g. heart rate, blood pressure).

  - Objective and comparisons easily made.

  - Can be expensive, can sometimes restrict movement and may cause additional stress.

  
• Aggression

  Intent to harm outside the rules; hostile behaviour.

  
• Assertion

  Well-motivated behaviour within the rules.

  
• Instrumental Aggression


  Has an intent but is within the rules.

  
• Instinct Theory

  - When aggression is spontaneous and innate.

  - All performers are born with an aggressive instinct that will surface with enough provocation.

  - Problem is that not all aggression is reactive and spontaneous - some is learned and pre-meditated.

  
• Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

  - Inevitable frustration occurs when goals are blocked and performer becomes frustrated.

  - Frustration is reduced by an aggressive act (catharsis).

  - If they're unable to release the aggression, self-punishment may occur, leading to an increased aggressive drive.

  
• Aggressive Cue Hypothesis


  - Suggests that aggression is caused by a learned trigger.

  - Certain learned cues act as a stimulus for performer to act aggressively.

  
• Social Learning Theory (Aggression)


  - Aggression is seen as a learned response that is copied from significant others, especially if their behaviour is reinforced.

  - Observe > Identify > Reinforce > Copy

  - More likely to be copied if it is consistent, powerful, bright and live.

  - Problem with SLT is that aggression can also be instinctive and reactive.

  
• Catharsis


  Cleansing the emotions; using sport as an outlet for aggression.
• Strategies to combat aggression


  - Stress management techniques

  - Positive role models

  - Code of conduct

  - Substitutions

  - Rewards

  - Bans/fines

  - Fair play awards

  
• Motivation


  A drive to succeed.

  
• Intrinsic Motivation


  Motivation from within.

  - Desire to overcome the problem.

  - Achieved by repeatedly setting goals that help performer to develop feelings of pride.

  - Strongest, longer-lasting form of motivation.

  
• Extrinsic Motivation


  Motivation from an outside source.

  - Can lead to too much pressure and a "win at all costs" attitude.

  - Manipulates behaviour.

  
• Rewards

  Tangible = rewards that can be touched or held, physical. Should be used sparingly with young athletes.

  Intangible = non-physical rewards. Should be used on a regular basis to encourage athlete to repeat the behaviour (stronger dominant response).

  
• Achievement Motivation

  The tendency to approach or avoid competitive situations.

  -Drive to Succeed minus Fear of Failure

  
• Achievement Motivation Theory


  - Sports scientist Atkinson, 1964.

  NACH = need to achieve/approach behaviour. Task persistence, seek challenge, value feedback/evaluation, attribute success internally.

  NAF = need to avoid failure/avoidance behaviour. Dislike feedback, give up easily, lack confidence, take easy option.

  - Depends on interaction of personality and situation, as well as probability of success and incentive value.