PEDU-6216     Sports Psychology                                                                              3 (3+0)

The course is an introduction to the theoretical and practical aspects of Sports Psychology. The purpose of the course is to provide the student with the basic knowledge of psychological factors and processes that influence the individual in sports. Focus is placed on a research-to-practice orientation that is used to prepare for sports performance. The main objective of the designed content is as the bridge to meet the gap in psychological disorders and elite sports performance also inspiring the students to enhance their ability to work closely with both performers and coaches. It also focuses on teaching skills to enhance athletic performance such as goal setting, imagery and injuries rehabilitation. Moreover, helping the athletes and people to achieve their full sporting and exercise potential by solving their complex problems and working as the part of a team. This course also examines psychological theories and research and their application to the sport/physical activity-related affect, behaviours and cognitions of participants as well as the individual and environmental factors which shape these outcomes. Students will understand and be able to apply critical psychological knowledge to enhance learning and sports performance, such as Psychological Skills Training (PST). Applications are made to future practitioners of coaching, teaching, sports medicine, counselling, sport management, and fitness instruction.

Contents

1. Introduction to Sports Psychology
2. Personality and sports
3. Nervous System of Human Body
4. Arousal, stress and anxiety
5. Cognitive and Behavioural Interventions for Peak Performance
6. Motivation and Performance
7. Concentration
8. Aggression in sports
9. Stress
10. Goal Setting
11. Self Confidence
12. Group Cohesion

Recommended Books

1. Tenenbaum, G. (2015). Applied sport psychology (7thed.). Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
2. Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2019). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology (7thed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Suggested Readings

1. L., V. R., & Brewer, B. W. (2014). Exploring sport and exercise psychology (3rded.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
2. Horn, T. S., & Smith, A. L. (2019). Advances in sport and exercise psychology (4thed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
3. Tod, D., & Eubank, M. (2020). Applied sport, exercise, and performance psychology: Current approaches to helping clients. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
4. Lox, C. L., A., M. G., Gainforth, H. L., &Petruzzello, S. J. (2020). Thepsychology of exercise integrating theory and practice (5thed.). New York: Routledge.

COURSE OUTLINE                                                                        

Course Title:    Sports Psychology

Course Code: PEDU-6216

Credit Hours:  03

DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

This course intends to provide an insight into the psychological factors associates with sports performance, Exercise and other type of physical activities.  Students are guided to provide psychological assistance with injury rehabilitates, pain tolerance, performance enhancement, relaxation etc

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

The focus is primarily in helping athletes using psychological principles and skills to achieve optimal mental health and to enhance performance.  After this course students are able

• To deal Psycho-Pathological disorders of the athletes
• Consult with athletes and teams with a view to providing psychological skills training appropriate to the individual and commensurate with their level of participation.
• Consult with organizations, individuals and exercise professionals with regards to exercise psychology skills training and consultation.
• Organize and operate workshops for coaches, teachers and exercise specialist in aspects of sport and exercise psychology.

• Guide and advise clubs, schools, coaches, parents and athletes in the application of sport psychology theories and practices and assist in the area of planning and implementing policy relating to participation, performance and periodisation of the training from a psychological perspective.
• Provide an arena for sports people to engage in reflective assessment of their involvement in sports, exercise and future developments.
• Plan and conduct research in sport and exercise

COURSE CONTENTS

1. Introduction to Sports Psychology

• Introduction of sports psychology
• Significance of psychology in sports
• Psychological obstacles for performance

1. Personality and sports

• Introduction
• Theories of personality
• Measurement of personality
• Personality and sports performance

1. Nervous System of Human Body

• Structure and control of movement
• Factors affecting performance
• Fatigue (central and peripheral)
• Glands and their effects on behavior
• Response mechanism is human body
• Neuro physiology of arousal

1. Arousal, stress and anxiety
   1. Defining and understanding arousal anxiety and stress
   2. Identifying source of stress and anxiety
   3. Theories of stress
   4. Neuro chemical aspects of stress
   5. Dynamics of sports stress
   6. Effects of sports stress
   7. Connecting arousal and anxiety to performance
2. Cognitive and Behavioral Interventions for Peak Performance

• Relaxation strategies (breathing, meditation, progressive relaxation techniques, bio feedback, autogenic training and mind to muscle or muscle to mind relaxation).
• Arousal energizing strategies (goal setting, pep talks, pre competition work outs, self talks, self thoughts, interaction between parent coach and athlete coach, fan support publicity and news coverage).
• Hypnosis (suggestions)

1. Motivation and Performance

• Introduction to motivation
• Types and theories of motivation
• Sports motivation scale
• Positive reinforcement and performance feed back
• Self confidence
• Goals setting

1.  Concentration

• Types of intentional focus (measurement of intentional focus, experimental approach, psychometric approach and neuro scientific approach).
• Importance of concentration in sports
• Principles of effective concentrations
• Factors that effects concentration
• Techniques to enhance concentration
• Aggression in sports

• Introduction and types of aggression?
• Theories of aggression
• Measurement of aggression in sports
• Reducing aggression in sports

1. Goal Setting

• Introduction of goals settings in sports
• Types of goals
• Rational of goal settings
• How goals effect performance
• Criteria for goal selection (guide lines for principles of goal settings)
• Common pit falls in goals setting

1. Self Confidence

• Introduction of sports self confidence
• Influence of self confidence on sports performance
• Conceptual models of self confidence
• Sources of self confidence
• Development of self-confidence through self-talks self-thoughts and psychological momentum for peak performance.

1. Group Cohesion

• Introduction and types of cohesion
• Measurement of cohesion
• Factors effecting cohesion
• Interventions to enhance sports cohesion
• Introduction of conflicts
• Types of conflicts
• Strategies of conflict management

READINGS

1. Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. S. (2018). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. Human Kinetics.
2. Perry, J. (2016). Sport psychology: A complete introduction. Teach Yourself.
3. Lane, A. M. (Ed.). (2015). Sport and exercise psychology. Routledge.
4. Van Raalte, J. L., & Brewer, B. W. (2014). Exploring sport and exercise psychology American Psychological Association.
5. Moran, A. P. (2013). Sport and exercise psychology: A critical introduction. Routledge.