Welcome to Sport and Exercise Psychology

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Welcome to Sport and Exercise Psychology
Welcome to Sport and Exercise Psychology
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Personal Project Guidelines

• 1. Identify your goal(s) and the behaviors you
  choose to accomplish them (e.g., I want to lose 5
  lbs by the end of the semester, and I will jog 4x
  per week to reach this goal)
• 2. Identify ways to measure your goals, and keep
  track of the actions you are using to reach them
• 3. For the first week of class, establish
  baseline measures of your goal(s) and chosen
  behaviors, and then begin your modification
  program soon after
• 4. Track techniques you utilize during the
  semester to keep to your goals and behaviors, and
  adjustments you needed to make
• 5. Graph your results (e.g., using Excel) over
  time and turn these records in along with a
  written summary of your self-improvement project
  at the end of the semester

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Putting the Course in Context

• Sport as a microcosm of Life
• sport reflects life
• meaning of sport

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Attacks Hit Sports World

• Golfer, Tiger Woods, reacts to the news of
  Tuesdays terrorist actions.
• Pensacola News Journal, September 12, 2001

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• Sport is an important extension of humanity, and
  the best of athletic competition is in the ideal
  of competing for the joy of it . . . To see
  something clean and noble in it . . . To
  appreciate your personal accomplishments in
  proper perspective
• Brutus Hamilton, Olympic track coach of the 50s
  --

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• Baseball was a way to make myself a better
  person
• --Sadaharu Oh --

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Sport and Exercise Psychology
The scientific study of people and their
behaviors in sport and exercise activities and
the practical applications of that knowledge.
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Sport and exercise psychology applies to a broad
population base
Seniors
The physically and mentally challenged
Children
Exercisers
Coaches, teachers, and fitness leaders
Elite athletes
Average athletes
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Two Objectives of Sport and Exercise Psychology
1. Understand the effects of psychological
factors on physical and motor performance.
2. Understand the effects of participating in
physical activity on psychological development,
health, and well-being.
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Objective 1
Typical questions studied in sport and exercise
psychology Psychology affects performance
How does anxiety affect a basketball players
accuracy in free-throw shooting?
Does lacking self-confidence influence a childs
ability to learn to swim?
How does a coachs reinforcement and punishment
influence a teams cohesion?
Does imagery training facilitate the recovery
process in injured athletes and exercisers?
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Objective 2
Typical questions about how physical activity
affects our psychological life
Does running reduce anxiety and depression?
Do young athletes learn to be overly aggressive
from participating in youth sports?
Does participation in daily physical education
classes improve a childs self-esteem?
Does participation in college athletics enhance
personality development?
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Science of Sport and Exercise Psychology
Science
A process, or method, of learning about the
world through the systematic, controlled,
empirical, and critical filtering of knowledge
acquired through experience.
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Goals of Science

• Describe
• Explain
• Predict
• Control

ROLE OF THEORY
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Scientific Study
Theory
A set of interrelated facts presenting a
systematic view of some phenomenon in order to
describe, explain, and predict its future
occurrences.

• Example Social facilitation theory

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Understanding Professional Practice Knowledge
Professional practice knowledge is what we
learn through experience, using many methods of
knowing.
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Methods of Knowing
Scientific method
Systematic observation
Single case study Personal and shared Experience
Introspection
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Integrating Scientific and Professional Practice
Knowledge
An Active Approach
Apply scientific principles in your professional
work setting.
Evaluate the utility of scientific principles in
the particular context in which you are involved.
Keep current by updating and modifying your
scientific knowledge base.
Hold realistic expectations relative to the
strengths and limitations of scientific
principles.
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Sport and Exercise Psychology as an Art and
Science Integration
The science of coaching, teaching, or leadership
focuses on using general scientific principles.
The art of coaching, teaching, or leadership is
knowing when and how to individualize these
general principles.
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What Sport and Exercise Psychology Specialists Do
Three roles
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Research
Advance knowledge and share it through
professional meetings and journal articles.
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Teaching
Teach university courses either in psychology or
exercise and sport science.
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Consulting
Work with athletes of all ages and abilities
work in the fitness industry and in
sportsmedicine/physical therapy.
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Sport Psychology Specialties Clinical Sport
Psychologists
Licensed psychologists
Trained to work with individuals with severe
emotional disorders
Trained to help athletes with issues like eating
disorders and substance abuse Performance team
Enhancement Issues
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Educational Sport Psychology Specialists
Use mental coach approach understand psychology
of human movement performance.
Have training in physical education, kinesiology,
or exercise and sport science.
Educate and increase athlete and coach awareness
of issues such as anxiety management and
confidence development.
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Relationship of Sport Science and Psychology
Sport and Exercise Psychology
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Three Approaches to Sportand Exercise Psychology
Psychophysiologicalorientation
Socialpsychologicalorientation
Cognitivebehavioralorientation
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PsychophysiologicalOrientation
Examines underlying psychophysiological processes
of the brain in terms of primary causes of
behavior.
Example Biofeedback to train marksmen
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SocialPsychologicalOrientation
Behavior is determined by a complex interaction
of the social environment and the personal
make-up of the athlete or exerciser.
Example How a leaders style and strategies
foster group cohesion
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CognitiveBehavioralOrientation
Behavior is determined by both the environment
and thoughts (cognitions).
Example Studying differences on confidence,
anxiety, etc. among tennis players with or
without burnout