PSYCHOLOGY & SPORTS
UNIT-IX
Definition and Importance of Psychology in Physical Education & Sports.
Define and differentiate between growth and development
Development Characteristics at different stages of Development
Adolescent Problems and Their Management
PSYCHOLOGY
The word psychology is derived from a Greek word ‘psyche’ and ‘logos’. ‘Psyche’ - soul or mind’
and ‘logos - study’. Generally it is accepted as study of behavior. Psychology is the study of mind
and behavior.
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY
Sports psychology is the branch of applied psychology which deals with sports performance and
the behavior of a player during training or competitions. Sports Psychology is an applied
Psychology involving applications of psychological principles to the field of physical education and
sports.
Psychology is used in sport to enhance performance and to know the factors which affect our
performance, like - anxiety, stress, personality, motivation, etc.
Importance of Psychology in Physical Education & Sports
1. Enhancement of Physiological Capacities: Sports psychology plays a very unique role in
the enhancement of physiological capacities such as strength, speed and flexibility etc.,
Motivation plays a major role in the enhancement of physical capacity of sport persons. It
is well known as well as an established fact that psychological capacities or powers can
increase physiological capacities of individuals.
2. Learning the Motor Skills: Sports psychology plays its major role in the learning of motor
skills. Motor skills learning depends on the individual's level of readiness, i.e.,
physiological readiness and psychological readiness. Physiological readiness in children is
development of the necessary strength, flexibility and endurance as well as the
development of various organ systems so that they may perform motor skills required in
the activity. Psychological readiness is related to the learner's state of mind. It means the
desire and willingness to learn the particular skill. In psychological readiness, sports
psychology plays an important role. Sports psychology is also helpful in the cognitive
stage, the social-active stage and the autonomous stage of motor skill learning.
3. Understanding the behavior: Sports psychology helps in understanding the behavior of
athletes or sportspersons engaged in competitive sports. Coaches also come to know the
interest, attitude towards physical activity, instincts, drives and personality of
sportspersons. It does not play its role only in understanding of behavior but it also plays
its role in medication of behavior in various sports situations.
4. Controlling the emotions: Sports psychology plays a very important role in controlling the
emotions of sportspersons during practice as well as competition. Generally, these
emotions may bring spontaneous changes in the behavior of sportspersons. These are
anger, disgust, gear, negative self-thinking and feeling of ownership, etc. If these
emotions are not controlled well in time, the performance may be decreased. Sports
psychology plays a vital role at such juncture. It helps in balancing the arousal of emotions
which further improves the performance.
5. Preparation of athletes psycho-logically for competitions: Sports psychology also plays its
role in preparation of athletes psychologically for competitions. Intact, it has become a
trend to give psychological tips to athletes or team players before and after the
competitions. That is why, sports psychologists' services are required with a national level
and international level terms. They create the will 'to win' in the players.
6. Role in the emotional problems of sports persons: Stress, tension and anxiety are natural
during practice period and competitions or tournaments. There may be some other
emotional problems such as depression, frustration. Anorexia and panic etc. The
knowledge of sports psychology may be helpful in such situations. Techniques of
relaxation and concentration for stress management can be applied on sportspersons
who are under such problems. Conclusively, it can be said that sports psychology plays a
very vital role in enhancing the performance of sportspersons. It deals with the various
mental qualities such as concentration, confidence, emotional control and commitment
etc., which are important for successful performance in sports and games.
7. Motivational music: A particularly good way to motivate athletes in training and prior to
competition is through the use of music they perceive to be inspirational.
8. Goal setting: Goal setting is the process of systematically planning ways to achieve specific
accomplishments within a certain amount of time. Research suggests that goals should be
specific, measurable, difficult but attainable, time-based, written down, and a
combination of short-term and long-term goals. A meta analysis of goal setting in sport
suggests that when compared to setting no goals or "do your best" goals, setting the
above types of goals is an effective method for improving performance.
9. Imagery: Imagery (or motor imagery) can be defined as using multiple senses to create or
recreate experiences in one's mind. Additionally, the more vivid images are, the more
likely they are to be interpreted by the brain as identical to the actual event, which
increases the effectiveness of mental practice with imagery. Good imagery, therefore,
attempts to create as lifelike an image as possible through the use of multiple senses (e.g.,
sight, smell), proper timing, perspective, and accurate portrayal of the task. Both
anecdotal evidence from athletes and research findings suggest imagery is an effective
tool to enhance performance and psychological states relevant to performance (e.g.,
confidence). This is a concept commonly used by coaches and athletes the day before an
event.
10. Pre-performance routines Pre-performance routines refer to the actions and behaviors
athletes use to prepare for a game or performance. This includes pregame routines, warm
up routines, and actions an athlete will regularly do, mentally and physically, before they
execute the performance. Frequently, these will incorporate other commonly used
techniques, such as imagery or self-talk. Examples would be visualizations done by skiers,
dribbling by basketball players at the foul line, and pre shot routines golfers or baseball
players use prior to a shot or pitch. These routines help to develop consistency and
predictability for the player. This allows the muscles and mind to develop better motor
control.
11. Self-talk: Self-talk refers to the thoughts and words athletes and performers say to
themselves, usually in their minds. Self-talk phrases are used to direct attention towards a
particular thing in order to improve focus or are used alongside other techniques to
facilitate their effectiveness. Research suggests either positive or negative self-talk may
improve performance, suggesting the effectiveness of self-talk phrases depends on how
the phrase is interpreted by the individual. However, the use of positive self-talk is
considered to be more efficacious and is consistent with the associative network theory of
Gordon Bower and the self-efficacy tenet within the broader Social Cognitive Theory of
Albert Bandura. The use of words in sport has been widely utilized. The ability to bombard
the unconscious mind with one single positive phrase, is one of the most effective and
easy to use psychological skills available to any athlete.
12. 12. Using extrinsic rewards: The key aspect in using extrinsic rewards effectively is that
they reinforce an athlete’s sense of competence and self-worth. Thus, a reward should be
informational in nature rather than controlling. If a reward comes to be controlling, it can
significantly undermine intrinsic motivation. For a reward to be informational, it is
advisable that it has relatively little monetary worth (i.e. it is a token reward), such as a
‘woman of the match’ or ‘athlete of the tour’ title. Also, the reward should be presented
to an athlete in front of all potential recipients with some emphasis placed on the prestige
associated with it. Other popular ways of using token rewards include etching athletes’
names on annual honors boards for their contributions, or awarding a special item of
clothing.
DEFINE GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
The term growth denotes a net increase in the size, or mass of the tissue. It is largely attributed to
multiplication of cells and increase in the intracellular substance.
According to Hurlock “Growth is change in size, in proportion, disappearance of old features &
acquisition of new ones”.
According to Crow and Crow “Growth refers to structural and physiological changes”.
Development specify maturation of functions. It is related to the maturation and myelination of
the nervous system and indicates acquisition of a variety of skills for optimal functioning of the
individual
According to Hurlock “Development means a progressive series of changes that occur in an
orderly predictable pattern as a result of maturation and experience”.
According to J. E. Anderson “Development is concerned with growth as well as those changes in
behavior which results from environmental situations”.
According to Liebert, Poulos and Marmor “Development refers to a process of change in growth
and capability over time, as function of both maturation and interaction with the environment”.
DEVELOPMENT CHARACTERISTICS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
INFANCY (0-2 YEARS)
Exercise to develop head control, sitting & crawling. Gross motor activities should be promoted.
Exercise for moving arms, legs, reaching to objects. Exercise like throwing, catching & kicking a
ball.
EARLY CHILDHOOD (2 TO 6 YEARS)
Exercise to develop competence in movement skills. Emphasis on participation not on
competition. Activities related to fine motor skills. Minimum one hour regular medium exercise.
Recreative & enjoyable methods of physical activities.Clean & safe environment.
LATER CHILDHOOD (6 TO 12 YEARS)
Exercise to develop body control, strength and coordination. Activities related to endurance
should be avoided. Organized or team games to develop social consciousness. Teach basic rules of
sports i.e., fair, play, simple strategies. Introduction to concept of sport training. Exercise to
develop fine & gross motor skills. Exercise to build & improve co-ordination skills. Exercise to
develop synchronize the movements of body’s parts. Introduction of major sports activities
cognitive & social skills.
ADOLESCENCE (12 TO 19 YEARS)
Moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. 60 min to several hrs everyday. Muscle
strengthening exercise at least 3 times a week. Bone strengthening exercise and resistance
exercise by weight training. Running swimming etc. for stamina building.
ADULT HOOD (19-60 YEARS)
Moderate intensity physical every day. Muscles strengthening exercise at lest 2 times a week.
Bone strengthening exercise and resistance exercise. Running, swimming, etc. for stamina
building.
OLD AGE (60 YEARS AND ABOVE)
At least 5 days of moderate intensity activities such as walking, light-jump etc. It should be done
for above 45-60 minutes. These actions should be done over a period of 10-10 minutes. Those
who are more active than an elderly mature, they should do more than 30 minutes of high-
strength activity, combined with the actions of moderate intensity. Such as climbing stairs,
running etc.
ADOLESCENT PROBLEMS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT
Adolescence, transitional phase of growth and development between childhood and adulthood.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adolescent as any person between ages 10 and
19.
Adolescence begins with the onset of physiologically normal puberty, and ends when an adult
identity and behaviour are accepted. This period of development corresponds roughly to the
period between the ages of 10 and 19 years
The term “Adolescence” comes from the Latin word ‘adolescere’ that means “to grow” or “to
grow to maturity”. Maturing involves not only physical but also mental growth. It is a period,
which fills the gap between childhood and adulthood.
Adolescence means 'to emerge' to achieve 'identity’ The time of growing up from childhood to
adulthood is known as the Adolescence. It is a period of physical growth. However, it is more than
that. It is a time for the maturing of mind and behaviors as well. The length of time for this period
of development varies.
Management of Adolescent problems
1. Sympathetic and liberal attitude of parents : A sympathetic and liberal
attitude of parents and their cooperative nature can help in solving
many problems of adolescents, Parents should take note of the
change take place during growth and development of children and
adjust their own behaviour towards the adolescents. Liberal and
sympathetic attitude of parents develops self confidence.
2. Healthy atmosphere at home and school : Unhealthy atmosphere at
home or in school or carelessness towards children can force children
to fall in bad company. In orders to save children from bad habits
and company, it is important to provide sufficient means for the
satisfaction of their interests at home or school. Activities like music,
arts or sports can help in keeping the children busy and indulge in
healthy recreation.
3. Moral and Religious Education : Religious and moral education can
help adolescents to get some peace of mind and direction in their
lives. Moral education should be a part of school education while
home is the best institution for religious education.
4. Friendly attitude : At this stage, adolescent want to accept the friendly
attitudes. So parents and teachers should act more as friends rather
strict, disciplined and rigid parents. More over this friendly attitude will
bring them more close instead of making gaps between them.
5. Reasonable Independence : They should be given reasonable amount of
independence. They should be given the freedom to express themselves and
their point of views should be discussed in reasonable manner. They should
also be given freedom to go out reasonably keeping their safety in mind.
