Chapter 2 Sports Psych

Front 1

Definebehavior assessment

Back 1

Behavior assessment is concerned withidentifying and describing a target behavior, identifying possible causes ofthe behavior, selecting anappropriate treatment strategy to modify the behavior, and evaluating treatmentoutcome.

Front 2

:Describe 4 misconceptions that many people have about sport psych.

Back 2

* “To do well in competition, youhave to really get yourself psyched up”

* “Sport psychology alone can make asuper athlete.”

* “Sport psychologists only consultwith athletes at competitions.

* “To get really good at mentalpreparation, all you have to do is talk to a sport psychologist.”

Front 3

Describethe four main areas of athletic preparation. For each area, list a relevantitem from the sport psychology questionnaire for basketball players.

Back 3

Athletes need to understand thatexceptional athletic performance requires preparation. In four mainareas.

Physical – they must be in excellentphysical condition. A relevant item for this would be “17. Having abetter health management plan before games?”

Technical – their technical skillsmust be correct, highly practiced, and second nature to them. A relevantitem for this would be “9. Improving your consistency and fine tuning theskills you already preform, rather than just going through motions?”

Tactical – they must have a game planfor dealing with certain opponents, running certain races, skiing certaincourses. A relevant item for this would be “11. Communication tacticallywith teammates?”

Psychological – this refers generallyto mental preparation. A relevant item for this would be “3. Stayingrelaxed and not getting too nervous before, and during a game?”

Front 4

Whatare the four possible causes of slumps identified by Taylor? Briefly describe aspecific sport example of each.

Back 4

1. Slumps may have a physical cause.Loss of visual acuity, for example, could certainly affect a batter's abilityto hit a ball.

2. Slumps may be the result of someslight change in the athlete's technique. A golfer may be unaware of the factthat the way that she grips the golf club has changed subtly over time, and yetthat change in grip could cause considerable change in the outcome of the golfshots.

3. Slumps might be caused by slightchanges in the equipment used in a particular sport. Taylor described a case ofan alpine ski racer who experienced a significant deterioration in performanceduring the latter half of the season. This cause was eventually determined tobe worn ski boots that affected the way that the racer stood on his skis.

4. slump is due to inadequate mental preparation. Having a deathin the family causes upset and mental disturbances in an athlete, which candisturb ones, performances in any sport.

Front 5

List six objective dimensions fordescribing behavior.

Back 5

1. Topography: or form

2. Frequency (or rate):

3. Duration:

4. Intensity (or force):

5. Stimulus control:

6. Latency: or reaction time

Front 6

What are two reasons for being specificin the identification of target behaviors?

Back 6

Two reasons for being specific in theidentification of target behaviors are that

(1) it helps to ensure the reliabilityof detecting improvements in the behaviour and

(2) it increases the likelihood thatyour treatment program will be applied consistently.

Front 7

Name and describe the three minimalphases of a behavioral treatment program.

Back 7

(1) During the baseline phase, the target behavior is assessed in order to determine its level prior to the introduction of the intervention.

(2)The Treatment phase involves that period of time, after the initial baseline assessments, during which you intervene in various ways to attempt to help an athlete.

(3) The follow up phase is carried outto determine whether the improvements achieved during treatment are maintainedafter the termination of the program.

Front 8

Whatis baseline? Briefly describe the baseline conditions in Coach Keedwell’sprogram with swimmers.

Back 8

A baseline is the target behaviors'level prior to the introduction of the intervention. The baseline conditions inCoach Keedwell's program with swimmers were the total number of missed turnsand unscheduled stops of the swimmers (approx. 140 per practice, approx. 23times per swimmer).