Psychology within the Coaching Process II

CSC206 Week One

Learning Outcomes
To understand the method of delivery for the module To provide a broad overview of sports psychology To develop a critical understanding of psychological, biological and sociological paradigms of thinking

Module Description
This module builds on and develops the module Psychology within the Coaching Process Ito further the students knowledge and understanding of psychological processes in coaching. The focus of this module will, however, move away from motivation and team dynamics towards issues of stress, anxiety and competitive pressure. The module will focus on how the coach can develop techniques to alleviate these stressors both in adult and child performers.

Indicative Module Curriculum

The module will explore and examine the psycho-social processes that conspire to determine and influence the enjoyment of sporting competition. The module will describe the means through which sports competitions are perceived, the antecedents and consequences of anxiety and mood, factors influencing concentration and coping styles. In addition to these areas the module will seek to identify and evaluate strategies for enhancing psychological functioning in competitive sport. In addition to this, and in keeping with the philosophical nature of Foundation Degrees as being vocationally oriented, this module will enable students to develop small scale research skills within the area of mental skills training as well as continue to develop presentation skills.

How These Sessions Will Work

Weekly lectures on the appropriate subject matter
Typically two hours in length

Tutorial support is available in the hour after the lecture to consolidate learning
Occasional practical workshops will take place of tutorials

Each sessions is a step in the process of conducting a project

This leads you slowly towards the completion of your assignments

Additional material will be available on Moodle

Module Assessment
Presentation Summary
1,500 Word Research Report

Exam
1 Hour Unseen Exam 30% Weighting

10 Minute Presentation 30% Weighting

Weeks 10 & 11

40% Weighting Submitted by Tuesday 27th November 10:00am Deadline

Taken in Week 14 or 15 (TBC)

Lecture Series Outline 1

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Introduction to the module and explanation of assessment Broad overview of sports psychology Arousal & Activation Anxiety, Stress & Competitive Pressure The antecedents & consequences of anxiety &mood Introduction to mental skills training Goal setting & imagery Relaxation & positive self-talk Motivation & stress management How to approach the research project Single-case experimental design Reading week (This week must be used to undertake your research project)

Week 8

Lecture Series Outline 2

Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Week 15 Directed study and tutorials (this week must be used to undertake your research project) Presentations Presentations Formative examination (submission date for the 1200 word summary) Tutorials and independent study Examination week Examination week

First Principles: Paradigms

How do humans seek to explain life, behaviour, and society?
Biological
Genetics, gender, age

Sociological
History, assumptions, society

Environmental
Nature, setting

Psychological
Character, individual differences, thoughts

Classic Example
Nature versus Nurture

Group Activity 1
Sports Participation Approximate gender participation statistics
Males = 59% Females = 39%

In small groups:
Why is this the case?

Sporting Example Mens 100m Sprint

Group Activity 2
Will a 'white' male sprinter can ever hold the 100m world record again? Why have the men's sprint finals have been exclusively comprised of athletes of African genetic descent at world level for the past 20 years?
Generate several plausible answers

Group Activity 3
Sort your answers into:
Biological Sociological Environmental Psychological

Biological
People of different relative genetic descents have different physiological make ups?
True or false?

Sociological
Athletes societally directed into particular systems
Limited to pre-determined configurations according to physical and mental attributes

Psychological
Sir Roger Bannister , the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes, spoke in 1995 as a neurologist at a British Association for the Advancement of Science meeting of 'certain natural anatomical advantages' possessed by 'black sprinters and black athletes in general', he provoked a mixture of fear, anxiety and silence. Garth Crooks, the former Spurs striker who is now BBC football reporter, said at the time: 'I don't think it matters what the biological conclusions are. It forges a distinction between black and white athletes which is unhealthy, unhelpful, and untrue.' Linford Christie, the only Briton ever to run under 10 seconds was less condemnatory. But he refused to accept Bannister's argument: 'What Sir Roger said is a cop out, in a way. As long as white people believe that black people can run faster, they always will. It makes my job a lot easier. I'll accept that. But Allan Wells was an Olympic champion. Valeri Borzov was an Olympic champion. So it can be done. Anthony, A. (2000) White men can't run: a critical review of Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports And Why We're Afraid To Talk About It, The Observer, 4th June.

Another Psychological Example

Matt Shirvington 19 years old 10.03 seconds Fastest ever Australian Second fastest white man ever In the lead up to the Sydney Olympics a shoe firm offered $1,000,000 reward if he broke 10 seconds

And Another
Badminton Since 1992 all Olympic gold medals have been won by China, Indonesia or Korea Why?

Next Week
Physiological Arousal and Activation Homework
Think of a sporting occasion from your own competitive experience in which being overly physiologically aroused (psyched up) interfered with your performance Come to next weeks session prepared to discuss what was occurring psychologically