Psychology in sport Mental preparation for sport & Psychological skills training

Arousal Arousal is a physiological and psychological state of being awake or reactive to stimuli A mental preparedness for action, closely associated with the concept of motivation. When motivation increases so does arousal. With arousal the body gears itself up for action, physically and psychologically: -Heartbeat goes faster -Breathing goes faster -Increase in sweat -Better focus -Better concentration Mind interacts with the body

Arousal Physiological arousal Refers to physical readiness for action: heart and breathing rates, sweating, reaction times are indicators for this. Warm-up activities are designed to increase physiological arousal in readiness for peak performance Psychological arousal Refers to the emotional and motivational state of the sportsperson and can range from indifference and boredom to alertness and then high excitement or tension.

Theoretical approaches to arousal Drive reduction theory- proposes that arousal increases to meet the perceived demands of the task, so the performance is more likely to reflect the most usual behavior (dominant habit). Why do performances fluctuate? Inverted U-hypothesis – suggests that (to a certain point) arousal levels are too low for certain performances. Athlete is not ‘psyched up’ enough. But there is a point where arousal turn to anxiety and performance starts to deteriorate (‘psyched out’) Catastrophe theory – multidimensional approach, suggests that performance depends on a complex interaction between arousal and cognitive state anxiety. Performance does not gradually get worse as arousal increases, it rapidly and dramatically deteriorates -> catastrophically

Theoretical approaches to arousal, graphs Drive reduction theoryInverted U-hypothesis

Theoretical approaches to arousal, graphs Catastrophe theory Is it a good thing or a bad thing for a performer to be worried for an event? Does it depend on the type of activity?

Arousal curves What do the arousal curves tell you about the three athletes? Who is capable of the best performance? Who needs to be really psyched up before he performs at his best? Whose level of arousal needs to be very carefully controlled for good performance? 1: Sam 2: Jon 3: Ted

Steffi Graf vs. Jana Novotna “choking” Choking vs. Clutch performance

What are the emotions that influence the preparation or performance in a sport? Participation in sport and exercise influences a range of participant emotions such as depression, anxiety, and pleasure. These are specific emotions that have discrete effect on performance Positive emotions: Excitement, relief, pride, accomplishment Negative emotions: Anger, guilt, shame, anxiety, boredom A negative mood is more likely to prime us to remember negative emotions of past failures, and thus reduce our feelings of confidence to perform A positive mood is more likely to prime us to remember positive previous outcomes and increase our confidence to perform

Anxiety The concept of anxiety is linked to the negative emotional feelings a person experiences such as worry, nervousness, apprehension, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. These feelings are particularly prevalent in sporting situations when winning or not losing are very important for various reasons.

Anxiety Anxiety that results from a changing ‘mood state’ Cognitive anxiety: psychological anxiousness (poor concentration, confusion, negative images of fear/failure) Somatic anxiety: physiological effects (butterflies in the stomach, sweating, tense muscles, nausea) Anxiety more related to a person’s general characteristics and personality traits State anxiety: anxiety about an event/situation, state anxiety can be either cognitive or somatic and it can even be a learned response Trait anxiety: anxiety as a personal characteristic, general acquired behavioral tendency to become nervous

How is anxiety measured? Self report tests, HR monitors, brain scan Trait anxiety: Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT)(SCAT) State anxiety: Competitive State Anxiety Inventory 2 (CSAI 2R) Easy to administrate Can be used with large groups Can be open to bias/respondents can reply how they think they should not how they actually feel Responses are open to misunderstanding by non- experts The questionnaire is not sensitive to small changes in anxiety levels The questionnaire system is inconvenient in a real sport situation/ can actually interfere with anxiety response High scores on the intensity of anxiety do not necessarily mean this state is detrimental

Stress Selye’s definition: “non-specific response of the body to any demand made on it” Sources of stress are called stressors, stressors come in many forms: competition, frustration, conflict, personal, physiological & climatic, audience. Stress is defined as: “a substantial imbalance between the demand (physical and/or psychological) and response capability, under conditions where failure to meet that demands has important consequences”

More examples of sport stressors Rewards, incentives, prizes Prestigious events Representative honours/games Social evaluation Win at all costs attitude Pre-match pep-talks Parental pressure Inconsistent coaching/training Excessive time demands Repetitive practices Excessive expectation Emotional blackmail Concerns about self-image

Stress process Research suggests that in analyzing stress as sequential process it is important to differentiate between the performer’s perception of stress and the actual potential environmental stressors. (stress can have a negative effect on performance but also a positive effect) Many top class performers need to feel under pressure to perform well.

Managing stress Reduce the problem Reduce the stress Control arousal These techniques can be classified as mainly somatic or cognitive, and can be taught through psychological skills training (PST). PST refers to the systematic and consistent practice of mental or psychological skills. mental or psychological skills. Studies and some coaches say that PST can attribute for 50-90% of an athlete’s performance. However, PST is not just for elite athletes Is not just for problem athletes Does not give quick fix solutions

A performer is affected by a range of psychological factors Manipulation of these factors can advance optimal performance “How are psychological skills used in a sporting context?”

PST Psychological Skill training (PST) is an individually designed combination of methods selected to attain psychological skill needs. There is no quick fix single package, each program must be individually based on the psychological state of the individual and, the sport. PST skills: confidence, concentration PST method is the tool that will be utilzed to improve the skill The PST program focusses on optimizing performance by improving self-efficacy and emotional control. The athlete will complete sessions using goal setting, imagery and relaxation. Program consists of three main phases: Educational phase – developing understanding of the importance of PST and how it can help Acquisition phase – Athletes learn how to use PST methods and how to best implement them Practice phase – complete training in both competition and training

PST methods Goal setting Goals are seen as direct motivational strategies setting standards a performer is psychologically motivated to try to achieve, usually within a specific time. Goal setting is generally seen as extremely powerful technique for enhancing performance through self-confidence and motivation. SMARTER S –Specific M – Measurable A – Accepted R – Realistic T – Time bound E – Exciting R - Recorded Types of goals Outcome goals Focuses on the end product Performance goals Comparing present performance with previous performance Process goals Focus on what can be done to improve the performance

Mental imagery Used for control or regulation of arousal, improving concentration, building confidence and controlling emotional responses (stress management) and coping with pain and injury. Imagery is a cognitive function and is associated with long- term changes in performer’s behavior. By recalling appropriate stored information from the memory a player is able to generate images of movement experiences (almost as good and effective as the real thing)

Mental Imagery Internal Imagery: picturing what you would see if you were actually doing the skill yourself (kinaesthetic feeling associated) External Imagery: see yourself as others would you, as if you are watching yourself on a video The mental imagery sessions will use internal (imagination), and external (video demonstration) examples of performances. All sessions will focus solely on optimal performances and will be done in real time and in slow motion. Slo mo is especially good to correct a certain technique. Athlete will develop a competition-specific session, this session will be practiced intensely prior to and competition