SPORTS AND

EXERCISE
PSYCHOLOGY
1
Norman Triplett
He performed a study in 1898, recently it is
believed as the first research study in
sport psychology. He wrote what is now
recognized to be first published study in the
field of social psychology.
He noticed that cyclists racing against
others in events were swifter than those
who participated alone for a time-trial,
even when the gap was similar.

2
Coleman Griffith
He is believed the founder of
sport psychology, as the first
researcher to study in the field.
He lectured a course called
“Psychology and Athletics,” and
in 1925, launched the first
research lab focusing on sport
psychology matters.

3
 “
What is Sports and E xercise
P sychology?

4
Sports Psychology
+ Sports psychology is the study of how psychology
influences sports, athletic performance, exercise and
physical activity

+ Some sports psychologists work with professional

athletes and coaches to improve performance and increase
motivation.

5
+ An interdisciplinary science that draws on
knowledge from many related fields including
biomechanics, psychology, kinesiology and
psychology. It involves the study of how
psychological factors affect performance and
how participation in sports and exercise
affect psychological factors and physical
factors

6
Exercise Psychology
+ A practice of human body which helps people
to become more active, promising and
dauntless. It focuses much to the goal of
health and well being, rather than
performance. It may use as legitimate
interventions for some psychological
disorders such as anxiety and depression

7
PSYCHOLOGICAL
FACTORS OF
PERFORMANCE

8
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF PERFORMANCE
+ Awareness

+ Focus / Concentration

+ Anxiety

+ Confidence

+ Motivation

9
Awareness
+ Awareness is the recognition of the need to do something to
gain control. Moreover, it is the first step to gaining control of any
pressure situation. The athlete must “check-in” and determine if
the different aspects of his or her mental, emotional, and physical
state need adjustment in order to give the best opportunity for
success. checking-in on the various aspects of one’s person helps to
create awareness within the athlete, and gives the person a
foundation in which he or she can begin to optimize performance.

10
Focus / Concentration
+ Concentration and attention are very important aspects of
athletic performance. There are two general ways to use
concentration, and that is through either a process focus or an
outcome focus. A process focus involves directing one’s attention to
the act of completing a motion in the respective sport, while an
outcome focus involves directing one’s attention to an end product,
or result. Both methods can be either beneficial dangerous,
depending on their use. It is important to use both, and the key is
the timing in which they are implemented.

11
Anxiety
+ Anxiety is defined as an unpleasant emotional state. This
construct can be divided into two basic sections: state anxiety
and trait anxiety. State anxiety is specific to a certain situation
or environment, while trait anxiety is specific to a certain
person or team, regardless of the situation. Think of state
anxiety as something that happens periodically (but not
randomly) and trait anxiety as something that always happens,
no matter the environment. Too much or too little of either can
negatively affect performance.

12
Confidence
+ Confidence is a result of how one thinks, what one focuses on,
and how one reacts to the events in one’s life. Most of all, a
decision to not be bound by a fear of failure will allow an athlete
to put total effort into the present task. Failure has the natural
consequence to judge and classify based on “worthiness.”
Successful athletes have a tendency to ignore the natural
consequences of failure and focus on his or her specific job at the
present moment.

13
Motivation
+ Motivation is a key psychological factor of sport
performance. Motivation influences the amount of effort
expended, the ability to bounce-back after setbacks, how
long an athlete will endure long and/or difficult training
periods, and actual competition results. The good news is
that motivation is the factor over which athletes have the
most control.

14
ENHANCING ATHLETIC
PERFORANCE

15
Enhancing athletic performance
+ Performance Routines
+ Goal Setting
+ Imagery / Visualization “Seeing is Believing”
+ Positive Self-talk
+ Relaxation Techniques
+ Coping with Adversity
+ Focusing

16
Performance Routines
+ Sequence of task relevant thoughts and
actions which an athlete engages in
systematically prior to his or her
performance of a specific sport skill.

17
Goal Setting
+ It provides:
Motivation Commitment Direction
+ Examples:
Short-term goal: Training four times per week for the
next six weeks
Long-term goal: Representing Slovakia in the next Olympic
games.

18
Imagery / Visualization “Seeing is Believing”
+ Visualization is the mental rehearsal technique which
involves the athletes creating a picture in their minds. This
may be either an internal or external picture.
In order for visualization to work effectively, the person
must firstly, believe that the strategy is effective and
secondly that it is a skill which requires practices,
patience and time. “Seeing is believing”.

19
Positive Self-talk
+ Internal dialogue. It’s influenced
by subconscious mind, and it’
reveals your thoughts, beliefs,
questions and ideas

20
Relaxation Techniques
+ Meditations
+ Breathings
+ Yoga
+ Repetitive Prayer
+ Guided Imagery

21
Coping with Adversity
+ It means that effectively deals with a
very difficult situation, either work,
work around problems in a way that
keeps your life in balance

22
Focusing
+ It can be used in any kind of therapeutic
situations, including peer to peer sessions,
non-judging attention to an internal
knowing which is directly experienced but
is not yet in words

23
…HISTORY…

24
PSYCHOLOGY
GREEK
+ Psyche means “mind or spirit”
+ Logos means “sayings or speaking of”
+ Literally means “speaking of the mind”

25
■ Definitions of Psychology
• William James (1890): “The science of
mental life”
• Current Definition: “The study of behavior”
■ Scope of Discipline
• from animals to humans
• from nerve cells to attitudes and
personality

26
 ACADEMIC ORIGINS OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

Physical Sciences Biological Sciences Social Sciences

Biomechanics Psychology
Sport Sociology
Exercise Physiology
Cultural Anthropology

(1)Sports Psychology, (2)Social Psychology of Sport Motor Learning,

(3)Motor Development, (4)Motor Control
Sports psychology has two main objectives, the two main
objectives are:
1) To understand how psychological factors,
influence physical performance;

2) To understand how participation in sport affects

psychological development

28
 BASICS OF ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES
R ES EA R CH

TEACHING CONSULTATION

29
Roles of Sports
Psychologists
Roles of Sports Psychologists
RESEARCH
Inquiry aimed at advancing knowledge and sharing it through
professional meetings and journal articles

TEACHING
Teaching university courses in either psychology or
exercise and sports science

31
CONSULTING
Working with athletes of all ages and abilities in the fitness
industry and sports medicine and physical therapy

SPORT AND EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGIST

Assess client that needs and abilities and monitor sporting
performance and behaviour. Also implement strategies to help
clients overcome difficulties, improve performance, or realize
potential

32
Two types of Sports
Psychologists

33
1. Clinical sports
psychologists
Are on the front line in the treatment of
the mental health problem

34
+ Trained as clinical or counseling psychologists (i.e.,
licensed by state)
+ CSPs deal with clients who have some type of
psychological problem (i.e., neuroses & psychoses),
+ Their goal is to help person function normally in daily
life by overcoming psychological problem(s)
+ Therapy often lasts months, and even years, using
intense, one-on-one psychotherapy sessions to
identify and correct problems (i.e., psychoanalysis)

35
2. Educational Sport
Psychologists
Educate and increase athletes’ and
coaches’ awareness of issues such as
anxiety management and confidence
development

36
+ Trained in sport/exercise science programs to teach
“mental skills,”
+ Deal with clients who are psychologically normal but have
to perform in ultra intense, pressure-packed situations
(i.e., Superbowl, Olympics, Masters or Wimbleton),
+ ESPs are “mental coaches” whose goal is to help athletes
develop “super normal” mental skills necessary to (a)
perform optimally in challenging situations, (b)
experience personal highlights and (c) develop to their
full potential

37
Sport and Exercise Psychology as an Art and
Science
+ The science of coaching job, teaching, or
leadership focuses on victimization general
scientific principles. The art of coaching job,
teaching, or leadership has known once,
and the way to individualize these general
principles. Discourse intelligence is vital

38
Three Approaches to
Sport and Exercise
Psychology
39
Psycho physiological Orientation
+ Examines underlying psycho
physiological processes of the brain in terms
of primary causes of behaviour. (Example: a
training program to trained marksmen)

40
Social–Psychological Orientation
+ Behaviour is set by a complex interaction of the
social atmosphere and therefore the personal
composition of the participant or sports
equipment. (Example: however, a leader’s
vogue and methods foster cluster cohesion)

41
Cognitive–Behavioural Orientation
+ Behaviour is set by each Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
atmosphere and
thoughts (cognitions).
(E xample: finding out
variations in confidence
and anxiety among
court game players with
or while not burnout)

42
ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR
SPORT AND EXERCISE
PSYCHOLOGISTS

43
1.Competence. Maintain the absolute best standards in your
work and acknowledge the bounds of your experience

2. Integrity. Clarify roles and do not incorrectly advertise

3.Skilled and scientific responsibility. Continually places the

interests of purchasers

44
4. Respect for people’s rights and dignity. Respect such basic rights
as privacy and confidentiality among purchasers

5. Concern for the welfare of others. Continually contributes to the

welfare of these with whom you are employed

6. Social responsibility. Contribute to information and human welfare,

whereas, continually protective participants’ interests

45
 SPORTS
AND
PERSONALITY
Personality
+ It is the sum of the characteristics that
make a person unique. The study of
Personality helps us work better with
students, athletes, and exercisers

47
Structure of
Personality

48
Psychological Core
+ Most Basic or deepest level of Your attitudes,
Values, interests, motives, and beliefs yourself
& Self-worth. Example: A person’s Religious
values

49
Typical Responses
+ The ways we each learn to adjust or respond to
the Environment Example: Might be happy,
G o-lucky, Shy,

50
Role Related Behaviour
+ How you act based on what you perceive your
social situation. Example: Behaviour as a
Student/Athlete, Teacher, Coach, and Parents

51
52
 Five Major Ways of
Studying Personality in
Sports & Exercise

53
The Psychodynamic Approach
+ The personality is characterized by two themes
(Cox-1998)
+ First, its places emphasis on unconscious
determinants of behaviour (the super-ego)
+ Second, this approach focuses on understanding
the person as a whole rather than identifying
isolated traits or dispositions

54
Trait Approach
+ Behaviour is determined by relatively
stable traits that are a fundamental unit
of personality
+ These Traits predispose one to act in a
certain way, regardless of the situations

55
Situational Approach
+ Behaviour is determined largely by the situation or
environment. This situation is a more important
determinant of behaviour then particular personality
traits. Y ou might act confident for instance, in one
situation but tentative in another situation. If you are
introverted and shy, you still might act assertively or
even aggressively if you see someone getting mugged
(inside the match or outside the match) like football and
Cricket players

56
Interactional Approach
+ Behaviour is determined by both the person
and the situational factors as well as by their
interaction. The majority of contemporary
sports and exercise psychologist favour the
interactional approach

57
Phenomenological Approach
+ Behaviour is best determined by accounting for
both situations and personal characteristics. A
person understanding and interpretations of
you and environment are critical

58
Behaviour patterns
It is associated with cardiovascular
disease and appears to be altered via
exercise. E xercise and increased
fitness appear to be associated with
increases in self-esteem especially in
individuals with low self-esteem

59
 Cognitive Strategies and Mental Strategies
+ Cognitive strategies + Cognitive strategies are
reflect the behaviour related to superior
aspect of personality performance in elite
and interact with sport
personality
characteristics

60
MOTIVATION

61
Motivation
+ Internal drive or neural process that arouses and directs behavior
+ Is considered with the arousal of the interest in learning and to
that extend, is basic to learning. (Crow and Crow)
+ Motivation is the central factor in the effective management of
the process of learning. Some types of motivation must be
present in learning. ( Kelley)

62
 Two dimensions of motivation
• Direction aspect that affects choices about
time and commitment to exercise and other
program goals

• Intensity with which choices are pursued

63
Reinforcement
+ R einforcement increases the likelihood that a target or
operant behavior will be repeated
+ P ositive reinforcement gives something to a client/athlete
in response to a behavior (e.g., social approval or
congratulations on a good workout)
+ Negative reinforcement takes something away from a
client/athlete in response to a behavior (something
aversive is removed or taken away to reward behavior such
as not requiring clients or athletes to rack their plates after
a good workout is completed)
Punishment
+ P unishment decreases the likelihood that a target or
operant behavior will be repeated
+ P ositive punishment involves presentation of something
aversive such as criticism of a client for poor exercise
techniques
+ Negative punishment involves removal of something in
order to decrease the likelihood of a behavior such as
removal of a privilege because of poor exercise
techniques or failure to reach a goal

65
Self Determination or Internalization
+ Intrinsic motivation - engaging in a behavior for the sense of
enjoyment derived for it; true love for the experience of exercise a
sense of fun during its performance
+ E xtrinsic motivation - engaged in a behavior to achieve another
goal or outcome; desire to be engaged in a behavior to get an
external reward
+ Intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation lies on a continuum
+ Intrinsic motivation typically results in greater exercise adherence
+ Important to know where a client or athlete falls on the continuum
of motivation

66
Major Points on the Continuum from External to Internal Motivation of a
Client/Athlete
+ Amotivation - total lack of motivation
+ External regulation - engagement in a behavior to avoid
punishment
+ Introjected regulation - engagement in exercise as a means to a
valued end
+ Identified regulation - follows trainer’s leadership because it is
perceived as beneficial instead of personally initiating exercise
behavior
+ Integrated regulation - personally values exercise behavior,
internalizes it, and freely engages in it; client/athlete and
trainer agree on the goals of the client

67
 Effects of Reward
+ External rewards can play a role in increasing
intrinsic motivation and exercise adherence
+ Rewards can also reduce intrinsic motivation if
they are “controlling”
+ Rewards can be viewed as “controlling” if the
recipient perceives a contingency or connection
between the behavior and the reward; removal of
the reward may decrease the likelihood of the
intended behavior occurring

68
When to Intervene with Motivational Efforts
+ The transtheoretical model helps identify the
stage of readiness for exercise participation
+ By identifying a client’s or athlete’s stage of
readiness, the trainer can apply the appropriate
processes for change or interventions in order to
move the client or athlete to the next level with
the ultimate goals of action and maintenance

69
Stage of Readiness of a client / athlete
+ Precontemplation - no thought or intention of becoming
physically active
+ Contemplation - thinks about and intends to become physically
active; not physically active yet
+ Preparation - accumulates 30 minutes of moderate-intensity
physical activity one day per week
+ Action - accumulates 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical
activity five or more days per week, but has done so for less
than six months
+ Maintenance - accumulates 30 minutes of moderate-intensity
physical activity five or more days per week for more than six
months

70
Self-Efficacy: Building Confidence
+ Performance accomplishments or successful performance of a
behavior
+ Modeling effects or observing others perform a target behavior
enhances imitative behavior
+ Verbal persuasion from a respected source
+ Before or during exercise physiological arousal/self-belief can increase
self-efficacy whereas anxiety/disbelief can decrease self-efficacy
+ Achieving success has more impact than anything else on raising self-
efficacy

71
 ..End of
Discussion ..
72