Sports Psychology

Recommended Prerequisites

The student should be able to read in English and have knowledge on Anatomy and Fisiology.

Teaching Methods

- Theoretical practices, individual and group tasks specific to the content, reading books, book chapters and articles, access and use of specific databases and watching videos.

Learning Outcomes

Master a set of content that enable the student to understand and frame the scope of activities and objectives of sports psychology and mental training;

 Understanding the contribution that sport psychology and mental training can have on improving individual performance, both athletes start sporting activity, and elite athletes;

 Acquire theoretical and practical knowledge about methods and techniques specific to this area, for planning and action together with the athletes, in order to help them overcome situations of mental instability arising from the competition and optimize sports performance.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1 - Introduction to Sport Psychology. Major guidelines and research, sport psychology as a science.

 

2 - Sport and personality development, research and personality assessment instruments.

 

3 - Motivation What is motivation? Summary of main theories of motivation in sport; Developing motivation, Motivation for sports participation and motives. Principles of reinforcement, positive and negative reinforcement; intrinsic motivation.

 

4 - Arousal, stress and anxiety definition of concepts, sources of anxiety and stress; How does the activation and anxiety affect performance. Techniques to reduce anxiety;

 

5 - Analysis of sporting environments. Definition of competition and cooperation, competition as a process, positive and negative aspects; development cooperation;

 

6 - Feedback, reinforcement and intrinsic motivation, principles of reinforcement; guidelines for administering positive reinforcement; approaches to behavior modification, intrinsic motivation and extrinsic rewards, strategies to increase intrinsic motivation.

 

7 - Group dynamics as a group becomes a team? Development of a climate of team; individual and group performance.

 

8 – Communication. The communication process effectively send and receive constructive criticism.

 

9 Techniques to improve performance, mental skills training (Psychological Skills Training); Its importance and basic knowledge, opportunity, planning and implementation of a PST program; most common problems in its implementation.

 

10 Control of arousal, increasing the perception of arousal, using techniques to reduce anxiety, dealing with adversity and using techniques to induce arousal activation.

 

11 Imagery. What is and how it works? Types of imagery Basic principles and development of training programs.

 

12 Objectives Setting. Basics and effectiveness, planning a system of objective setting; Main difficulties in its implementation.

 

13 Concentration. What is concentration? Types of focus of attention, attention problems, advice and exercises to improve concentration.

 

14 - Overtraining and Burnout. Definition. Models. Symptoms of overtraining and Burnout.

Head Lecturer(s)

Pedro Miguel Pereira Gaspar

Assessment Methods

Continuous
Fieldwork or laboratory work: 30.0%
Frequency: 70.0%

Bibliography

Williams, J. (2001). Applied Sport Psychology. Moutain View, California: Mayfield Publishing Company.

Smith, D. & Bar-Eli, M. (2007) Essential readings in sport and exercise psychology. Human Kinetics publishers, Champaign Illino.

Slaikeu, K, Trogolo, R. (1998). Focused for Tennis. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

Weinberg, R.& Gould, D. (2007). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Human Kinetics publishers, Champaign Illinois.

Orlick, T. (1990). In pursuit of Excellence. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

Lynch, J., Scott, W. (1999). Running Within. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Nideffer, R. (1992). Psyched to win. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Hanton, S., Mellalieu, S. (2006). Literature reviews in sport psychology. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Tenenbaum, G. & Eklund, R. (2007). Handbook of sport psychology. Wiley, Hoboken, New Jersey