Sport psychology

• Trait theory


  An individual is born with innate characteristics that are stable and stay the same in different situations
• The social learning theory

  Behaviour is learnt from significant others by socialisation
• The interactionist perspective


  explains how aspects of personality are developed and that behaviour is influenced by genetic and environmental factors
• The Lewin approach to personality


  Behaviour is a function of and the environment
• The hollander approach


  Personality is made up of: the core of the performer, typical responses and role related behaviour. The core represents the values and beliefs of the individual, the typical responses are the use of the inherent traits displayed to specific situations and the role related behaviour suggests that the performer might adopt to a specific role when the situation demands it.
• How knowledge of the interactionist perspective can improve performance

  The coach can predict potential unacceptable behaviour and remove the player from the situation. A coach could identify situations that cause inappropriate behaviour and mimic them in training.
• Attitude


  A value aimed at an attitude object
• Components of an attitude - triadic model

  Cognitive - represents your beliefs. Affective - feelings and interpretations. Behavioural - the actions of the performer
• Cognitive dissonance


  New information is given to the performer to cause unease and motivation change by putting pressure on one of the attitude components.
• Persuasive communication


  The communication needs to be relevant and important. The message giver needs to be of high status. Timing is important.
• Arousal


  A level of activation and a degree of readiness to perform.
• Hulls Drive theory


  Increased motivation causes increased drive.
• The inverted U theory


  Performance is improved up to an optimal point - moderate level of arousal
• The catastrophe theory 


  Increased arousal causes performance to peak at an optimal level then a sudden reductio in performance - caused by high levels of somatic and cognitive anxiety
• The peak flow experience


  The intrinsic experience felt by athletes from a positive mental attitude, with supreme confidence, focus and efficiency
• Competitive trait anxiety


  A player feels nervous in before most sporting situations
• Anxiety


  A level of nerves and irrational thinking
• Competitive state anxiety


  A nervous response to a specific sporting situation
• Somatic anxiety


  Physiological - the response of the body to the individuals belief in their lack of ability to complete the task
• Cognitive anxiety


  psychological -refers to the irrational thinking and worries that occur during and before performance
• Anxiety measures


  Questionnaires, observation, physiological testing
• Aggression


  Intent to harm outside the rules
• Assertion


  Well-motivated behaviour within the rules
• Instinct theory of aggression


  All performers are born with an aggressive instinct that will surface with enough provocation.
• Social learning theory of aggression


  Aggressive behaviour is learnt from role models or significant others
• Frustration aggression hypothesis


  Aggression is the result of goals being blocked - results in frustration and an aggressive act taking place.
• Aggressive cue hypothesis

  Agrees that frustration leads to aggression but will only occur if certain cues are present.
• Controlling aggression


  Use mental rehearsal, removal from a situation, highlight non-aggressive role models, channel aggression into assertion, punishment.
• Achievement motivation


  Drive to succeed - fear of failure
• NACH


  Welcome competition, take risks, persistent and welcome feedback
• NAF


  Take the easy option and give up easily. Dislike feedback and exhibit avoidance behaviour
• Incentive value and probability of success

  Achievement motivation is driven by the incentive value and probability of success.
• Achievement goal theory 


  Suggests that motivation depends on the type of goals set by an individual or team
• Outcome orientated goals


  Based on beating others regardless of how it is achieved
• Task orientated goals


  Focusses of the process of success, set against performers own standards
• Social facilitation


  The behavioural effects due to others present
• Zajonc - 4 types of others that can be present - The audience


  those watching the event
• Zajonc - 4 types of others that can be present - Co-actors


  Those who are doing the same task but are not involved in direct competition
• Zajonc - 4 types of others that can be present - The competitive co-actors


  Those who are in direct competition
• Zajonc 4 types of others that can be present - social reinforcers


  Those who have a direct influence on the event