Exercise Psychology

• Sport, Exercise, and Health Psychology

  The scientific study of people and their behaviours in sport and exercise, and the practical application of that knowledge
• Clinical sports psychologists


  • Licensed
  • Trained to work with professional athletes with: emotional disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse etc.
• Educational sports psychology specialists


  • Trained in exercise and sport science, PE, or kinesiology
  • Good understanding of human movement
  • Mental or psychological coaches
  • Educate athletes and coaches – teach psychological skills
  • Can be certified to practice
• Theory development


  1. Observe

  2. Collect preliminary

  3. Hypothesize

  4. Test hypothesis

  5. Repeat

  6. Postulate a theory
• Study


  Observing or assessing variables without changing the environment
• Experiment


  Involves manipulation and observation, examination of cause and effect
• Goal


  Object or aim of an action
• Objective goals


  Attaining a specific standard or proficiency within a specific time frame
• Subjective goals


  General statement of intent
• Types of goals

  • Outcome goals
  • Performance goals
  • Process goals
• Outcome goals


  • Focus on the outcome / competitive results
  • Product orientated
  • Usually based on social comparisons
• Performance goals


  • Specify end products of performance
  • Can be achieved independently of others
• Process goals


  • Specify behaviours/ actions in which the performer will engage in during performance
  • Improving form, technique, strategy
• Outcome goal advantages


  • Facilitate movement away from competition – train harder, aid in completing unenjoyable tasks
• Outcome goal disadvantages


  • Uncontrollable
  • Can increase anxiety and negative thoughts
  • Can distract from competition
• Performance and process goal advantages


  • Controllable
  • Less dependant on others
• Performance and process goal disadvantages

  • Can lead to overthinking and anxiety
  • Difficult to prioritize
• Each type of goal has advantages and disadvantages, important to consider when setting goals
• Early research on goal setting showed both positive and negative results, inconsistent due to methodological issues
• 80% of studies on goal setting demonstrated moderate to strong effects, goal setting works well in sport and physical activity, effects maximised when planning, achievement strategies, rewards, and feedback is included
• Mechanistic view


  Goals influence performance in one of four direct ways: 1) Direct ATTENTION to important elements of the skill performed, 2) Mobilise EFFORTS, 3) Prolong PERSISTANCE, 4) Foster development of new LEARNING strategies
• Indirect thought process view

  Performance is influenced by goals leading to changes in psychological factors like: 1) Lowered ANXEITY, 2) Greater CONFIDENCE, 3) improved SELF-REGULATION, 4) Better at coping with FALIURE
• SMART goals


  • SPECIFIC
  • MEASUREABLE
  • ACHEIVABLE
  • REALAISTIC
  • TIME BASED
• Task


  • Performance goal – improve 5k pb
  • Outcome goal – Win regional champs
  • Process goal - Improve my pedal stroke technique
  • SMART goal – Improve my 5k pb by 30s over the next 6 months
• Effective goal setting principles

  • Set specific goals
  • Set moderately difficult but realistic goals
  • Set long-term & short-term goals
  • Set performance, process and outcome goals
  • Set mastery approach vs performance avoidance goals
  • Set practice and competition goals
  • Record goals
  • Develop goal achievement strategies
  • Consider participants' personalities and motivations
  • Foster an individual's goal commitment
  • Provide goal support
  • Provide evaluation of and feedback on goals
• Common goal setting problems


  • People do not often adhere to the principles
  • Some aren't aware this is effective
  • Some believe it's too much effort
  • Some believe they'll be ok without them
  • Failing to set specific goals
  • Setting unrealistic goals
  • Failing to adjust goals
  • Failing to recognise individual differences
  • Not providing follow-up and evaluation
• Mental Imagery


  An experience that mimics a real experience, we can be aware of sight, feel, taste, sounds
• Mimics a real experience, functional equivalence = shared neuronal activity patterning, huge mental tool
• Uses of imagery


  • Improve concentration
  • Recomposure
  • Improved confidence
  • Improved motivation
  • Adds purpose to tasks
  • Control over emotional responses
  • Get pumped up
  • Calm down
  • Reduce anxiety
  • Practice – fine tune & work on weaknesses
  • Rehabilitation – practice exercises/ drills when recovering
• Types of imagery


  • Internal – POV
  • External – 3rd person
  • Kinesthetic – Feelings and sensations associated with the image
• Why is imagery useful?


  • Can do it anywhere – training, home/work, competition
  • Can do it anytime – Ill/injured, before/during/after, travelling
• Why use imagery in elite sport?

  • Learn and improve skills/ techniques
  • Learn/ develop plans and strategies
  • Improves motivation
  • Modify mindset
  • Manage emotions

  
• Pavio's 2x2 framework


  Cognitive specific - Learn/improve/maintain performance or specific skills or movements

  Cognitive general - Develop/learn/ remember strategies and set plays

  Motivational specific - Motivate and increase effort levels

  Motivational general - Regulate arousal, anxiety and emotions
• Content can have different effects on athletes, original viewpoint: content = function
• Imagery Ability


  An individual's ability to form vivid, controllable images and retain for sufficient time to effect the desired imagery for rehearsal
• Key dimensions of imagery ability

  • Vividness
  • Controllability
  • Accuracy
  • Duration
  • Ease
• Imagery ability can be taught young and maintained through life but falls off later in life, 18-40 sweet spot
• Ways to improve imagery ability


  • Behavioural matching
  • Training exercises
  • Observational and demonstrations
• Ways to measure imagery ability

  • Self-report (Subjective) - questionnaires
  • Behavioural (Objective) - Inspection
  • Chronometric (Objective) - Measure time
  • Self-report (Objective) - computer-based test
  • Self-report (Objective) - brain stimulation
• Behavioural Matching


  Images should simulate aspects of a participants situations, especially the sensations associated relevant movements and their emotional impact