INTRODUCTION TO SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

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INTRODUCTION TO SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

• Damon Burton Andy Gillham
• University of Idaho

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SPORT PSYCHOLOGY BASICS

• What is sport psychology?
• What do sport psychologists do?
• How old is the profession?
• What are the key events in the history of sport
  psychology?
• What career options are available?

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ORIGINS OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

• Psychology has a Greek derivation
• Psyche means mind or spirit
• Logos means sayings or speakings of
• Literally means speakings of the mind
• 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

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ACADEMIC ORIGINS OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
Biological Sciences
Social Sciences
Physical Sciences
Biomechanics
Psychology
Exercise Physiology
Sport SociologyCultural Anthropology
Sport PsychologySocial Psychology of SportMotor
LearningMotor DevelopmentMotor Control
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TWO TYPES OF QUESTIONS

• How do psychological factors impact sport and
  exercise?
• How do sport and exercise influence psychological
  development?

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HOW PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IMPACT SPORT

• How does anxiety affect a basketball players
  free-throw shooting accuracy?
• Does self-confidence influence a childs ability
  to learn to swim?
• How does coach reinforcement and punishment
  influence team cohesion?
• Does imagery training facilitate the recovery
  process in injured athletes and exercisers?

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IMPACT OF SPORT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Does running reduce anxiety and depression?
• Do young athletes learn aggression from
  participating in youth sports?
• Does PE class participation facilitate
  childrens self-esteem development?
• Does participation in college athletics enhance
  character development?

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HISTORY OFSPORT PSYCHOLOGY

• Early Years (1895-1924)
• Griffith Era (1925-1938)
• Dark Ages (1939-1964)
• Contemporary Era (1965-present)

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BASICS OF ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES
Research
Consultation
Teaching
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EARLY YEARS (1895-1924)

• Research
• Triplett (1899) 1st social psychology
  experiment,
• lab based procedures,
• topics focused on personality and motor learning
• Teaching none
• Consultation -- none

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GRIFFITH ERA (1925-1938)

• Research
• conducted a systematic program of theoretical and
  applied research
• lab-based
• topics focused on motor learning and sport
  performance (e.g., football stance)
• Teaching
• developed sport psychology class and taught
  principles in several classes

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GRIFFITH ERA (1925-1938)

• Consulting
• wrote books
• Psychology of Coaching
• Psychology and Athletics
• outlined functions of sport psychologists
• consulted with a wide variety of Illinois
  athletic teams
• consulted with 1938 Chicago Cubs to improve
  hitting

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GOALS FOR SPORT PSYCHOLOGISTS

• Observe the best coaches and teachers, record the
  psychological principles they use and convey
  these principles to new teachers and coaches.
• Adapt the information gained in the psychological
  lab to sport.
• Use the scientific method and the experimental
  lab to discover principles which will aid in
  answering specific problems of teachers and
  coaches.

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DARK AGES (1939-1964)

• Research
• little systematic lab-based research
• Alan Slater-Hammel -- motor learning
• Emma McCloy -- motor abilities
• Teaching
• John Lawther (1951) Psychology and Coaching
• Consultation
• minimal consultation being conducted

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CONTEMPORARY ERA (1965-PRESENT)

• Research
• In 1965, 1st International Congress of Sport
  Psychology in Rome
• Research mushroomed to help develop a strong
  knowledge base
• In 1967, North American Society for the
  Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity
  (NASPSPA) founded.
• In 1979, Journal of Sport Psychology started to
  publish research

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CONTEMPORARY ERA (1965-PRESENT)

• Research
• In 1981, Martens Smocks to Jocks articles
  promoted field research
• In 1986, Association for the Advancement of
  Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP) founded,
• In 1987, APA Division 47 Sport Exercise
  Psychology founded
• In 1987, The Sport Psychologist started

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CONTEMPORARY ERA (1965-PRESENT)

• Research
• In 1989, Journal of Applied Sport Psychology
  founded
• Teaching
• Specialized courses and graduate programs
  developed in late 1960s
• In 1972, 6 grad programs in U.S.
• Today, over 140 grad programs
• Textbooks and supplemental materials developed
  (e.g., over 30 texts today)

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CONTEMPORARY ERA (1965-PRESENT)

• Consultation
• In 1967, Ogilvie and Tutko wrote Problem Athletes
  How to Handle Them
• In 1981, Martens pioneered psychological skills
  concept
• In 1983, USOC developed Sport Psychology Registry
  to deal with quality control
• In 1983, Burton 1st paid sport psychologist in
  university athletic program

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CONTEMPORARY ERA (1965-PRESENT)

• Consultation
• In 1984, NASPSPA certification vote prompted
  development of AAASP
• In 1989, AAASP approved certification of sport
  psychology consultants
• Today, most professional and Olympic teams have
  sport psychologists
• Only about 20 universities have full-time sport
  psychologists.

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EDUCATIONAL VERSUS CLINICAL SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
Clinical Sport Psychology
Educational Sport Psychology
X
NormalBehavior
Supernormal Behavior
Abnormal Behavior
develop mental skills
solve problems
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CLINICAL SPORT PSYCHOLOGISTS (CSP)

• 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).

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EDUCATIONAL SPORT PSYCHOLOGISTS (ESP)

• 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.

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FOCUS OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY CONSULTATION

• achieve optimal performance or Flow play your
  best when your best is needed
• maximize personal development in sport and life
  by optimizing mental skills develop the athlete
  and the person
• promote optimal experiences create personal
  highlights

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SPORT PSYCHOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS

• Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport
  Psychology (AAASP)
• APA Division 47 Sport Exercise Psychology
  (DIV-47)
• North American Society for the Psychology of
  Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA)

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ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF APPLIED SPORT
PSYCHOLOGY (AAASP)

• This organization is designed to promote research
  and practice in applied sport and exercise
  psychology. Three specialty areas focus on
• health/ exercise psychology,
• intervention-performance enhancement,
• social psychology

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APA DIVISION 47 - SPORT EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY

• The American Psychological Association (APA) is
  the largest professional psychology organization
  in the U.S. Division 47 is one of the newest of
  APAs almost 50 divisions. Division 47
  emphasizes both research and practice in sport
  psychology.

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NORTH AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE PSYCHOLOGY OF
SPORT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

• NASPSPA is the oldest organization focusing on
  the psychological aspects of sport and physical
  activity. The organizations main focus is on
  research in the sub-disciplines of
• motor development,
• motor learning and control, and
• sport and exercise psychology.

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SPORT PSYCHOLOGY JOURNALS

• Journal of Applied Sport Psychology (JASP)
• Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology (JSEP)
• The Sport Psychologist (TSP)

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SPORT PSYCHOLOGY JOURNALS

• Journal of Applied Sport Psychology
• Begun in 1989, JASP is the official journal of
  AAASP and publishes applied sport psychology
  research and professional practice articles.
• Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology
• JSEP publishes basic and applied sport and
  exercise psychology research. Begun in 1979,
  it is the oldest and most-respected research
  journal in the field.

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SPORT PSYCHOLOGY JOURNALS

• The Sport Psychologist
• TSP began publication in 1987 and publishes both
  applied research and professional practice
  articles designed to facilitate the delivery of
  psychological services to coaches and athletes.

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SPORT PSYCHOLOGY CAREER FIELDS

• college teaching
• performance enhancement consulting
• health and exercise psychologist
• sports medicine psychologist

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COLLEGE TEACHING

• Position Availability - 200 positions in U.S.
• Salary Range - 35-100,000
• Job Responsibilities
• teach grad and undergrad courses
• conduct and publish research
• mentor graduate students
• secure grants to fund research
• consult with coaches athletes

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COLLEGE TEACHING

• Professional Competencies
• good teaching skills
• good research skills
• good helping skills
• ability to juggle a variety of projects and roles.

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PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT CONSULTANT

• Position Availability 3-5,000 PE consultants in
  U.S.
• Salary Range - 35-300,000
• Job Responsibilities
• see clinical patients 6-8 hours daily
• be on call for clients in crisis
• may travel with junior players
• consult with high school, college and pro
  athletes and teams (50 practice)

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PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT CONSULTANT

• Professional Competencies
• good helping skills
• enjoy helping others solve their problems
• independence self-sufficiency
• business skills to run practice

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HEALTH EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGIST

• Position Availability 1000s of private and
  corporate fitness facilities in U.S.
• Salary Range - 20-200,000
• Job Responsibilities
• develop programs to attract new clients
• modify existing programs to minimize dropouts
• provide workshops on psych factors that influence
  exercise health

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HEALTH EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGIST

• Job Responsibilities (contd)
• train other personnel to enhance sensitivity of
  psych factors
• conduct applied exercise psych research
• consult with high school, college and pro
  athletes and teams (50 practice)

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HEALTH EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGIST

• Professional Competencies
• good teaching skills
• well-developed consultation and helping skills,
• skill to develop programs that will appeal to a
  broad range of clients
• ability to juggle a variety of projects and roles

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SPORT MEDICINE PSYCHOLOGIST

• Position Availability 1000s of private clinics
  and hospitals in U.S.
• Salary Range - 25-250,000
• Job Responsibilities
• promote psych aspects of rehabilitation
• teach clients the value of health and exercise in
  quality of life
• teach pain management strategies
• promote injury and disease prevention

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SPORTS MEDICINE PSYCHOLOGIST

• Professional Competencies
• good consultation helping skills
• ability to work with other members of sports
  medicine team
• understanding of how mental factors influence
  illness injury
• strong desire to help others

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BEST SPORT PSYCHOLOGY CONSULTANTS

• likeable and perceived as having something very
  applied and concrete to offer
• flexible and knowledgeable enough to meet
  individual needs by providing athlete input
• accessible enough to establish a rapport with
  individual athletes and to care about what
  happened to them

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BEST SPORT PSYCHOLOGY CONSULTANTS

• stared working with a team at least 9 months
  prior to the Olympics and most had begun an
  ongoing mental training program 2-3 years prior
• had multiple contacts with individual athletes,
  usually beginning with the first training camp of
  the year
• conducted several follow-up sessions with
  individual athletes before and during the
  competitive season

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WORST SPORT PSYCHOLOGY CONSULTANTS

• poor interpersonal skills (e.g., not liked by
  athletes, viewed as wimpy or domineering, wanted
  the athlete to carry their bags, turned people
  off with their personality, didnt fit in)
• ineffectively applied psychology to sport (e.g.,
  not applied enough or didnt fit the sport or
  situation in training or competition)

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POOR SPORT PSYCHOLOGY CONSULTANTS

• lacked sensitivity or flexibility to individual
  needs (did not adapt input to meet the needs of
  different individuals on the team, werent
  flexible to individual needs, imposed own
  methodology on everyone)
• limited contact with athletes (too much group
  work, too many lectures, not enough one-on-one
  time)

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POOR SPORT PSYCHOLOGY CONSULTANTS

• demonstrated inappropriate application of
  consulting skills on-site at a competition or
  inappropriate behavior on site (e.g., crowding
  athlete, staring at athletes, getting athlete to
  fill out forms or answer questions just before
  competing), thereby altering the athletes
  familiar pre-event preparation pattern

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POOR SPORT PSYCHOLOGY CONSULTANTS

• had bad timing (i.e., their involvement began too
  close to major international event, or in some
  cases even at an international event, without
  knowing athletes beforehand)
• did not provide enough consultant input or
  feedback (i.e., contact with athlete was too
  infrequent, particularly ongoing feedback was too
  limited to make a difference)

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SPORT PSYCHOLOGY BASICS

• What type of training is required to become a
  sport psychologist?
• masters
• Ph.D.
• How do students find out about graduate school?
• AASP Graduate Directory
• How do I find out more about sport psychology?
• Books, journals, conferences