Chapter 4: Sports Psychology Flashcards
(34 cards)
What is a skill?
A learned action/behaviour to bring predetermined results with maximum certainty and minimum outlay of time and energy
For example, passing a netball or shooting in basketball
What are abilities?
Inherited from your parents, abilities are stable traits that determine an individual’s potential to learn or acquire skills
For example, a greater inherited balance will help a gymnast learn the skills required on a balance beam
What are the 4 different skill classifications?
. The basic to complex continuum
. The open-to-closed continuum
. The self-paced to externally-paced continuum
. The gross to fine continuum
What does a basic skill involve?
. Few decisions to be made
. Few decisions affect the success of the movement
. Tend to be taught as a beginner
. Learned fairly quickly
. e.g. walking, jumping
What does a complex skill involve?
. Complex decision making
. Lots of decisions need to be made to be successful.
. Tend to be taught after experiencing success in basic skills
. It can take considerable time to master
. e.g. High jump - requires co-ordinated running in an accurate bend, followed by a correctly timed jump and effective body position to clear the bar
What does an open skill involve?
A skill which is performed a certain way to deal with a changing or unstable environment, e.g. to outwit an opponent
. The way you do it is affected by the people around you
. The skill is often externally paced
. e.g. A football pass - carried out a different way due to oncoming opponents’
- Rugby tackle - change the way you do it to catch and stop an oncoming opponent
What does a closed skill involve?
A skill which is not affected by the environment or performers within it. It tends to be done the same way each time
. Stable environment
. You will not change how you do the skill.
. The skill is often self-paced
. e.g. Somersault in gymnastics - would try to do it the same every time
Javelin throw - replicated each time. Nothing to affect the direction of the throw
What does a self-paced skill involve?
The skill starts when the performer decides to start it. The speed, rate, or pace of the skill is controlled by the performer
. e.g. long jump - you choose when to run up
. long distance race - you decide at what pace you want to run at
What does an externally-paced skill involve?
The skill starts because of an external factor. The speed, rate, or pace of the skill is controlled by external factors, e.g. an opponent
. e.g. when receiving a badminton shot, you only start your return shot after your opponent has performed their serve
What does a gross skill involve?
. Involved big movements of the body
. Involves the use of large muscle groups
. Movements tend not to rely on accuracy and precision
e.g. throwing in javelin
rugby tackle
What does a fine skill involve?
. Involves small, precise movements
. Involves the use of small muscle groups
. Movements tend to involve precision and accuracy.
. e.g. dart throw, archery, table tennis block shot
What are the two types of goals?
. Performance goals
. Outcome goals
What are performance goals?
Personal standards to be achieved. The performer compares their performance against what they have already done or suggests what they are going to do. There is no comparison with other performers
What are outcome goals?
Focusing on the result, for example, winning
Usually involves comparison with other players
It is the outcome that matters
Who are more likely to use performance goals?
Beginners: It may be better for them to focus and better themselves without worrying about the result compared to others. They should avoid outcome goals as they rely on factors that can not be controlled, like other performers. It can also demotivate them
Who are most likely going to use outcome goals?
Elite Athletes: Sometimes driven by only one thing - winning. Performance goals can help to motivate them to work on individual aspects of performance, but the outcome goal of winning, or gaining a medal, may increase their desire even more.
The best performers can persist, and become even more determined to succeed next time
How would you set your targets?
Using the SMART target setting
What does SMART for target setting stand for?
S- Specific (specific to the demands of the sports/muscles used/movements involved
M- Measurable (it must be possible to measure whether it has been achieved)
A- Accepted (it must be accepted/agreed by the performer and the performer’s coach, if they have one)
R- Realistic (it must be possible to complete the goal, and the person is physically capable)
T- Time bound (it must be set over a fixed period
What is information processing?
This is making decisions. It involves gathering data from the display (senses) and prioritising the most important stimuli to make a suitable decision, for example choosing a suitable skill
What is the process for the basic model of information processing?
Input -> Decision Making -> Output -> Feedback -> Input….
What is input in info processing?
. The performer takes information from the environment/display (for example, what they can see, what they can hear, what they can feel)
. They choose the most relevant signal/cue/stimulus to them at the time.
. e.g. sight when watching a cricket ball flying through the air
This is called selective attention - a filtering process whereby they pick out the most important parts of the display that are relevant and discard those that are not
What is decision making in info processing?
. Where the performer selects an appropriate response (movement/skill) from memory, perhaps one they have used in this situation before
. The short-term memory (STM) is the ‘working memory’. Information from the display that has been attended to is held in the short-term memory for a short amount of time (approx. 30 seconds). If your attention is directed to something else, the info is lost
. The long-term memory (LTM) holds info that has been rehearsed and stored. Thus, if a memory or past experience is relevant to what is required at that time, it is compared to info in the short-term memory so that a suitable decision can be made.
e.g. a cricketer, when watching the ball fly through the air, would store it in STM and compare it to LTM so that the catch can take place
What is output in info processing?
The decision is chosen and sent to the appropriate muscles to carry out the response
. e.g. impulses would be sent to the arms and hands to start the appropriate muscular movements for the catch to take place
What is feedback in info processing?
. Information is received via themselves (intrinsic) and/or from others (extrinsic) regarding the success (or not) of the action.
. Note, the feedback received may affect how you complete this skill in the future
. For example, you can feel the ball in the hands (intrinsic), and your teammates cheer when you catch it (extrinsic)
