1. Sport Psychology

2. History of Sport Psych Chinese and Greek Civilizations 1800s
-“Healthy mind in a healthy body
1800s
-First sport psychology research
-Effects of audience on cyclist performance
Past Three Decades
-Recognition and growth of sport psychology discipline

3. Growth of Sport Psychology
Sport psychology has only recently developed and grown due to:
1. Expansion of scientific knowledge and emergence of different branches
2. Increased media attention

4. Outline
In this section you will be introduced to the following sport psychology issues:
-Influence of personality on performance
- Effect of sport on personality
- Relationship between anxiety and performance
- Effect of motivation on sport performance
- Effects of the audience on athletic accomplishments

5. PERSONALITY AND THE ATHELETE

6. Personality:
Pattern of characteristic thoughts, feelings and behaviours that distinguish one person from another and persist over time and situations.

7. The study of personality in sport psychology can help us answer the following questions:
*Do athletes possess different personality characteristics than non-athletes?
*Do winners possess different personality profiles than losers?
*Does personality determine sport preference, or does a particular sport mould our personality accordingly?
*Can personality be changed, or does it remain relatively fixed throughout involvement in sport?

8. Personalities of Athletes vs. Non- Athletes

9. Personalities of Athletes vs. Non- Athletes
Compared to non-athletes, athletes are more:
Stable
Extroverted
Competitive
Dominant
Self-confident
Achievement oriented
Psychologically well adjusted
Conservative with respect to political views
Authoritarian
Persistant
Display higher levels of self esteem

10. Personalities of Athletes vs. Non- Athletes
Although differences exist, clear pattern of differences has yet to emerge

11. Personality Profiles of Athletes Differing in Skill Level

12. Definitions
Personality traits: psychological characteristics of the athlete which remain relatively stable over time
Personality states: “right now kinds of feelings” which are situation-specific
State-trait controversy: disagreement of the relative merits of studying states versus traits
Interactional theory: the best state-trait approach, which considers personality traits and states, as well

13. It is NOT yet possible to distinguish between successful and unsuccessful athletes using personality traits
However, it is possible to distinguish between the elite athletes and the lesser skilled in terms of mood states

14. Mood States of Elite vs. Non-Elite Athletes
Mood states of elite athletes vs lesser skilled athletes are below in:
Tension
Depression
Fatigue
Anger
Confusion
AND ARE MARKEDLY HIGHER IN
VIGOR

15. Iceberg Profile
This mood state profile resembles an iceberg and is therefore often referred to as the iceberg profile

16. Developmental Effects of Sport on Personality

17. Are personality differences due to the athletic experience
Are personality differences due to the athletic experience? OR Do certain personality traits cause the individual to go out for sports ( gravitational hypothesis)? *Evidence tends to support the gravitational hypothesis *HOWEVER, participation in sports can also enhance personality development

18. Personality and the Athlete: Conclusions
Athletes tend to be more extroverted, independent and self-confident than non-athletes: they also tend to be less anxious
Elite athletes can be distinguished from lesser skilled athlete by means of the iceberg profile: it is not possible, however, to distinguish between winners and losers
Individuals with certain personality traits tend to gravitate toward sports;sport also has the potential to enhance certain personality traits

19. ANXIETY AND THE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

20. Arousal Physiological state of readiness and psychological activation
Involves the autonomic nervous system
Body’s way of preparing you for “fight or flight”

21. Stress Non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it
Unemotional bodily response to some type of stressor
Can be either good or bad, depending upon the individual’s personal interpretation
Eustress ie winning the lottery
Distress ie receiving a failing grade on a midterm test

22. Anxiety Tension and worry that results from distress
A negatively charged emotional state characterized by discomfort and nervousness
Two forms of anxiety:
Trait anxiety: a personality characteristic
State anxiety: a “right now” kind of anxiety

23. Anxiety Cont’d Two components of state anxiety:
1. Cognitive state anxiety (psychological component)
Caused by fear of failure
Result of worrying
“I am afraid I am going to lose”
Somatic state anxiety (physical component)
*perception of physiological responses
*’I feel nervous before a major contest”

24. Anxiety and Athletic Performance Relationship

25. Pre-Competitive Anxiety
Temporal changes in cognitive and somatic state anxiety as competition approaches

26. The Effect of Pre-competitive Anxiety on Performance
Relationship between somatic anxiety and performance takes the for of an inverted-U
See graph in Text
Relationship between cognitive anxiety and athletic performance has been shown to be linear and negative.

27. Implications
Increases in somatic anxiety are associated with improved athletic performance up to a certain optimal level; therefore, athletes should attempt to increase their somatic anxiety up to an optimal level by “psyching –up” or “getting pumped up”
The level the of cognitive state anxiety, the better the athlete will perform; therefore, athletes must learn to deal with the symptoms of cognitive anxiety.

28. What are some symptoms of Cognitive State Anxiety?
Use your text.
Provide several examples

29. Relaxation Interventions to lower CS Anxiety
Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR)
Takes time initially, but with practice can be completed in minutes
High Value the night before.
Dave Heinbuch

30. Relax Interventions
Positive Imagery.
Needs practice

31. More Relax Interventions
Positive Self Talk
Reassuring one’s self
Give some examples.