Reflect back on a time from your personal sporting journey that you can recall vividly. This could be over a few games, or even across a season.
Spend time reflecting on the journey you and the team were on - positive or otherwise, and reflections on why you felt you and your team were experiencing that.
It may be that the outcomes were really good, or bad! It may be that the performances went through a period of really consistent and positive play, or didn't!
What is important is that you use the knowledge you have now to reflect deeply on why you feel that was, using Psychological work you have looked at in the last few weeks.
What were the group and team dynamics?
Was there any social loafing?
Were you exhibiting any of Steiners faulty processes?
What were people attributing performances to?
On reflection, how did this impact you/the team?
Was there any learned helplessness within the team?
Were there some in the team that were striving for mastery orientation?
How was your confidence through that time?
Did it shift from how you were as a trait to state - or were you consistent?
What was your competitive outcomes like?
Were people around you supporting improving your self-efficacy?
This task should require you to step back and see the period of time from a completely different perception.
Challenge yourself to have as rounded and deep a response as you can.
Question (09/06):
Bandura suggested that self-efficacy is influenced by four factors. Identify and apply these factors to a sport of your
choice. (8 marks) Note...do not mention imaginal experiences in the question, only focus on the four other factors.
Explaining
the model – The components of Vealey’s model can be explained
using a player in a school rugby team playing in the county cup final.
·Objective competitive situation
– this refers to the competition or competitive situation. So in this example
the player is playing in the final.
·Trait Sport Confidence
(SC-trait) – like all ‘trait’ theories, SC-trait refers to stable and enduring
sport confidence. It is an innate characteristic which means that a person with
high SC-trait is likely to feel capable of being successful in most situations,
whereas a person with low SC-trait will have a low confidence in most
situations.
·Competitive orientation
– this refers to the level of competitiveness of the player and how much effort
they put into something to be successful. Highly competitive players are more
likely to try to tackle players larger than themselves and take calculated
risks throughout the game. Players with a low competitive drive will avoid the
‘risky’ situations and not exert themselves in the game.
·State Sport Confidence
(SC-state) – this is the actual level of confidence in the situation similar to
self-efficacy (see later). The players will have low, moderate or high
confidence; which is dependant on SC-trait and competitive orientation. One
player may have high SC-trait and approach the game with high competitiveness,
which after the first few minutes of the match, where he has made a few good
runs, tackles and passes his SC-state is high. A player from the opposing team
has low SC-trait and a low level of competitiveness and therefore has low
SC-state.
·Behavioural responses
(performance) – these are the actual behaviours that the players exhibit, this
often reflects the quality of their performance. Players experiencing high SC-state
want to be involved in the action of the game, taking, putting a lot of effort
in and performing skills without fear of failure. However, players with low
SC-state may avoid the situation where they could be brought into the game and
generally shy away from the action.
·Subjective Outcomes
– this is how a player perceives or rates their performance. If the performance
is perceived to be successful then competitiveness and SC-state is increased.
If the performance is perceived as unsuccessful then competitiveness and
SC-state is decreased.
For
example after playing the first 10 minutes if a player has scored an early try
or made a few big tackles they are likely to feel satisfied with the positive
impact they have made in the game. This increases competitive orientation and
as a consequence SC-state. Both these factors impact on SC-state, meaning in
that situation confidence will be high.
Question 16/6:
Drawing on your knowledge and understanding of sports psychology, examine the theories and methods that you might use
to raise the levels of confidence of a sports performer.
Illustrate your answer with practical examples. 15 marks
Maturational influences on confidence and importance of mastery orientation – The rate that an individual matures will impact upon their confidence and the role of mastery orientation. For example, because of their early success, early maturing boys receive a lot of recognition and attention from coaches, which fuels their confidence and motivation in sport but as others catch them up this confidence could be knocked.
Learned helplessness – Learned helplessness happens when people become conditioned to believe that a situation is unchangeable or inescapable. Attributions affect confidence and motivation because they are the reasons young people identify as to why they succeed or fail. Learned helplessness can hamper confidence and motivation to get better because and individual does not believe they can improve.
This is from one of my previous A-level classes. Look at the reasons they wrote down, they have for the most part put them down as controllable, uncontrollable, short term or long term aspects. Task 1:
You need to watch the two tennis videos and explain which section of the attribution theory the different reasons they state falls into.
Then find another video of your own - put a link to the video in a document and explain what sections they attribute the performance/outcome to.
Question 1 (02/06):
The diagram below can be used to explain the attribution theory. Using the diagram, aim to explain the attribution process, use examples that you have already looked at to illustrate your answer.
Question 2 (02/06):
The following is a typical statement made by a young person who has given up sport and leads an unhealthy lifestyle
'I think sport is boring. I am no good at it, I don't enjoy it and I can think of better things to do on a Saturday afternoon.'
Using attribution theories evaluate the reasons why this young person does not take part in sport.
How might you persuade this young person to once again take up sport?
Question: Explain the many important factors that have to be taken into account when setting goals. (10 marks)
Within your answer, refer to a suitable example, or examples to illustrate your points.
In addition, describe the effect it can have on performance.
Tasks:
1) Consider the groups / teams listed below. Then list in order the groups that require the highest level of cohesiveness. Justify your order.
4 x 100m relay
Rowing quad
Tennis doubles
Hockey team
Volleyball team
2) Reflect on a sports group/team you joined and describe in a paragraph for each section how the stages detailed below developed. Were any strategies put in place to support a particular stage, e.g. captains assigned.
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Questions:
1) What is meant by cohesion in the context of teams (4 marks)
2) What advice would you give to a coach of a team to ensure maximum productivity? (5 marks)
3) How can social loafing be reduced? (3 marks)
4) What factors stop a team ever performing to its true potential? (6 marks)
Task:
Hypothesise what the Lions will need to consider to ensure is in place to ensure they reach their potential productivity on any given tour.
Tasks:
1. Draw the Drive Theory graph. Plot on it with an 'x' where the effect of an audience, and therefore increased arousal to produce a dominant response would be for the following different scenarios:
Introvert v Extrovert
Beginner (cognitive/associative) v Expert (autonomous)
Simple skill v Complex skill
Gross skill v Fine skill
2. Consider a moment where a sports person has succeeded or failed in their sport. It may be them winning an event or competition, or choking and not executing the skill effectively causing their side to lose or for them to be punished e.g. sent off.
Find a video of the event and link it to your answer on the Padlet.
Explain how the performer has been socially facilitated or inhibited based on the performance they have executed. Social Facilitation/Inhibition Padlet
Questions:
Zajonc states that when an audience is present, arousal is raised. Explain how different levels of arousal affect those performing sport in front of an audience. Refer to in your answer: Type of task involved, ability level of the performer, personality of the performer (5 marks)
Explain the causes and effects of evaluation apprehension on sports performance and lifestyle behaviours (6 marks)
Use each of the theories to explain the aggression / assertion in the video below.
Questions:
Some team players display unwanted aggression. What are the possible causes of such aggression? (4 marks)
Explain in more detail what is meant by social learning when applied to aggression. How can aggressive tendencies be eliminated in a sports situation? (12 marks)
Using examples from sport, explain the frustration aggressive hypothesis. (4 marks)
Using examples from sporting situations, explain what is meant by instrumental, hostile and assertive behaviour. (9 marks)
Using the videos below, explain which theory of aggression may explain the aggressive / assertive behaviour that is demonstrated.
Methods to Reduce Aggression:
Coaches
and players have a moral responsibility to reduce aggressive behaviours in
sport, because they are role models for youngsters who play the sport. National
Governing Bodies like the FAW and WRU have a major role in reducing aggression
and poor behaviour in professional players in an attempt to stop children
learning aggressive behaviours from their heroes. Aggression is often a result
of over-arousal, this can be manifested cognitive or somatic effects. Players
and coaches can use cognitive techniques, which are methods that focus on
psychological arousal; they are focused on the ‘mind’ of the performer.
Somatic
methods focus on reducing physiological arousal. In controlling this arousal an
aggressive performer may contain their aggressive tendencies and not act
aggressively.
Examiner Tip
There
are many different methods that can be used to reduce or eliminate aggression.
If writing about this topic in the exam try to ensure you describe enough
points to score full marks. Don’t spend too much time outlining how one or two
methods are effective if the question is a 4 to 6 marks question. However,
remember to use relevant practical examples. For example don’t just write ‘a
coach should punish a player who was sent off for being sent off’. Outline how
they could be punished, e.g. fined by the club (if professional), has to pay
their own fine (if semi-professional) or internal suspension from training or
matches.
Coaches and managers can help to
reduce the incidences of aggression by:
Having performers agree to behaviour contracts.
§Punishing performers who are aggressive, even if
they are not punished by the official at the time for example fines or
suspensions. If a manager tells a player who is overly aggressive to leave the
club this helps to show the other players that aggressive actions will not be
tolerated.
§Substituting the player or changing their
position/role.
§Giving aggressive players a position of
responsibility, thus making them a role model, e.g. making them captain,
§Positively reinforce non-aggressive players. For
example praise a player who makes a strong but fair challenge on an opponent.
§Show the players positive role models who are
successful without being aggressive. For example Jonny Wilkinson always plays
hard and rarely makes tackles that are outside the laws of the game.
§Educating the players about aggression; telling
players why opponents try to wind them up and why it is important to play hard
but fair may stop them getting aggressive.
Good referees can also help to reduce the amount of aggression shown by
players. They can do this by talking to players and warning them that they will
be sent off if they act aggressively and this could help to calm them down.
Punishing players, for example sending them to the sin bin or in hockey giving
them a green card, shows to other players that aggressive acts will not be
tolerated. Giving sanctions early in the game also helps to control the
players. Being consistent with implementing the rules and making good decisions
decreases players’ frustrations, possibly decreasing arousal and aggression. Watch the video and answer the questions:
1. What factors resulted in the incident occurring?
2. How would you advise the player in future to control his aggression, as a coach?
The catastrophe theory is used to explain a golfer’s disastrous failure to win a match having been 3 strokes in the lead coming up to the last green. Explain this situation and why this theory might be useful in preventing a repetition. (4 marks)
A number of PE students are attending trials at their chosen sport. Describe the Inverted U theory and explain how it might affect a student’s performance at the trials. (5 marks)
What is the difference between state and trait anxiety? (2 marks)
With reference to sporting performance, explain how cognitive and somatic anxiety differ. (5 marks)
Write down five personal thoughts or opinions are on the images below.
Write down five reasons why someone should take part in these sports/activities.
Write down five feelings performers may get from taking part in these sports/activities, e.g. pride.
If you were a ballet teacher/fitness instructor/cricket coach/netball coach - how would you 'sell' the benefits of taking part in your sport/activity.
TASK:
Consider the Triadic Model of - Cognitive (what you know), Affective (what you feel) and Behavioural (how you act) when completing this work.
Describe how a coach might change the negative attitudes outlined in the scenarios below:
A group of teenage girls think exercise is too hard and boring
A group of teenage boys only want to play matches when they attend training sessions rather than work on skill development.
A group of middle age office workers do not take part in exercise because they claim they don't have the time, money or opportunities to participate in the local area.
