Contemporary Issues in Sport and Exercise Psychology

Missouri Western State University William Russell, PhD, Dept. of HPER

What is Sport Psychology?

1.

2 main objectives:
To understand how psychological factors affect in individuals performance

2.

To understand how participation in sport and exercise affects ones psychological development, health, and wellbeing.

What Sport and Exercise Psychologists Do:

Research role Teaching role Consulting role Policy Making / advocating role

Global Sport Psychology Specialties:

1.

Clinical Sport Psychology

Have training in PSYCHOLOGY to learn about diagnose and treat emotional disorders Licensed by state boards to treat clinical conditions

Have additional training in sports & exercise sciences

2.

Educational Sport Psychology:

Extensive training in sport sciences have large background in psychology Serves as mental coach / mental trainer works through individual/group sessions and teaches the development of psychological skills

Sport and Exercise Psychology Orientations:

1.

Psychophysiological Orientation:

Best way to study behavior during sport / exercise is by examining physiological processes in the brain; brainbody connections EX: using biofeedback to train biathletes to shoot between heartbeats; examining changes in serotonin as explanation for psychological benefit of exercise

Sport and Exercise Psychology Orientations:

2. Social Psychological Orientation

Assumption is behavior is determined by interchange between person and their environment EX: How does leader behavior influence team cohesion; Are people with high SPA more comfortable in same-gender exercise settings?

Sport and Exercise Psychology Orientations:

3.

Cognitive-Behavioral Orientation:

Emphasis is on athletes / exercisers thoughts and behaviors EX: Is there a self-fulfilling prophecy linking self-talk and batting slumps?

Main Organizations involved in Sport and Exercise Psychology:

International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP)

www.issponline.org

North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA)

www.naspspa.org www.aahperd.org www.aaasponline.org

The Sport Psychology Academy (SPA)

Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP)

American Psychological Association Div. 47 (APA, Div. 47)

www.psyc.unt.edu/apadiv47 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

www.acsm.org www.usoc.org

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC)

Membership Comparisons of AAASP and NASPSPA:

Interest Areas Ex. & Sp Psych n = 258 38%

Motor Learning / Control n=266 39%

Motor Development n=155 23%

Psychologists N=495 45%

Sport Science N=572 52%

Others: N=40 3%

Applied Sport Psychology: Sport Psychology and Its Growing Pains:

Concerned with extending theory/research to educate coaches, athletes, and parents regarding goals for facilitating optimal sport involvement and performance,

Usually involves individual/group consulting and counseling Many specific concepts (goal setting, imagery, concentration, relaxation, imagery) BUT

General goal is teaching athletes mental skills necessary to perform consistently and realize their potential as people and athletes.

Focal Areas of Applied Sport Psychology: 1. Performance enhancement / intervention 2. Social Psychology 3. Health and Exercise

1. Performance Enhancement / Intervention:

Focus is on performance improvements in any achievement setting Also concerned with effects of interventions on wellbeing of sport / exercise participants Examples: Stress Inoculation Training (SIT) with athletes Attentional Training effectiveness Flow experiences in sport

2. Social Psychology Emphasis

Uses theory / research to focus on group processes in sport & exercise settings Social factors are examined as they relate to athletes, coach, team, and spectators Examples of special interests:

Achievement motivation (Achievement Goal Theory) Moral development through sport Peer relationships in physical activity and sport Youth sports (The reversedependency trap) Social Physique Anxiety in Sport and Exercise Settings (A problem at both ends of the spectrum)

3. Health and Exercise:

Focuses on role of psych. Factors in exercise; as they pertain to resistance to disease development & remediation, coping with stress, and health promotion Primary interest is link between mental and physical health. Examples of special interest areas:

Problem-focused vs. emotion focused coping and health Hardiness and disease risk (Control, Challenge, Commitment) Exercise and Psychoneuroimmunology Psychological benefits of exercise

Major Splits in Recent Years within the Field:

Sport Psychology

Sport Psychology

Health Psychology

Exercise Psychology

Why the Need for Exercise Psychology?

60 50 40 30 20 10

Prevalence of risk factors for CHD in the general US population for 1980 - 2005

Physical Inactivity

High BP

Smoking

Chol

Why the Need for Exercise Psychology?

Behaviors are easier to maintain in environments that are supportive of that behavior- for better .. Or worse

Sample Interest Areas within Exercise Psychology:

Designing exercise programs to maximize psych. Benefits Exercise addictions Exercise adoption, maintenance, and adherence Exercise as a stress management technique Gender / Sex-role influences on exercise Overuse injuries in exercise settings The runners/exercisers high Psychotherapeutic influences of exercise for depression Psychological benefits for specific populations

The Certification Issue: AAASP

Required Coursework for becoming an AAASP certified consultant
EITHER SPORT SCIENCE OR PSYCHOLOGY COURSES Courses Description 1. Professional ethics 1 course 2. Sport psychology 3 courses in all subdisciplines 3. Research Design, Stats or 1 course in any of these areas psychological assessment 4. Biological bases of behavior 1 course in comparative psychology; physio psychology 5. Cognitive Affective bases Course in cognition, motor development or motor learning 6. Social Bases of behavior 1 course in social psychology

The Certification Issue: AAASP

Required Coursework for becoming an AAASP certified consultant
PRIMARILY SPORT SCIENCE COURSES:
Course 1. Biomechanical / physiological bases
2. 3.

Historical, philosophy, sociology Skills, techniques, analysis

Description 1 course in kinesio., Ex. Physio, Biomechanics 1 course in this area of sport sci 1 methods course in sport area

PRIMARILY PSYCH COURSES: 1. Psychopathology 2. Counseling skills

3.

Individual Behavior

1 course in abnormal course work to foster basic counseling skills 1 course in developmental, personality theory, individual differences

Supervised Consulting Experience: Verification of at least 400 hours of supervised experience in exercise and sport psychology

Achievement Goal Theory:

3 major factors in determining the motivation levels of children in youth sport settings:

1.

2.

Goal Orientation Task-orientation success is defined as self-referent improvement Ego-orientation success is defined by social comparison and out-doing others Motivational Climate
Mastery climate focus is on learning, effort, cooperative strategies, and skill development Performance climate competitive, beating teammates, demonstrating superiority over others

3.

Perceived ability
High greater competence Low less competence

Ego-oriented children seek competence through comparison

Ego orientation may undermine the value attached to fairness and justice in
sport settings

Who would you most want to have as a young athlete?

Hi task/hi ego? Hi task/low ego? Low task/High ego? Low task/Low ego?