PYC4812 – SPORTS
PSYCHOLOGY
EXAM PREP | EXAM STUDY SUMMARY. This is a complete and an all-inclusive guide too PYC4812 - Sport Psychology
Operant conditioning: the ABC’s of behavior control
To understand what motivates people and controls their behavior we must
take into account the rel...
PART 1: LEARNING, MOTIVATION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
CHAPTER 1
Brief overview of motor learning:
Set of internal processes associated with practice or experience, leading to
permanent changes in in the capability for skilled movement behavior
Cannot measure it (internal) but we can draw inferences from performance
(eg.: improvements made)
Phases
Cognitive phase: learning, developing. Coach helps to teach. Duration differs
depending on what the athlete is learning
Associative phase: Refinement, movements become more automated
(dribbling ball without looking – proprioceptive). Coach will help by designing
appropriate practices to help refine the skill. Duration is much longer than the
first phase. (Not all athletes will move past this phase)
Autonomous phase: when the athlete can perform the skill at maximum
proficiency. Skill is very well developed; athletes can therefore focus on other
things apart from their movement. Coach can help by giving instruction to help
maintain and motivate athlete to continue improving
Correcting errors
Will depend on the severity of the change needed – slight changes, easier to
learn and require less practice
More severe changes require the athlete to return to the cognitive phase of
learning and progress through various stages
Process of relearning is intensive and will impact performance initially
Major changes should take place during off-season
Error identification and diagnosis (Skill analysis)
Observation
Compare athletes technique with correct technique
Determine if the basic movement is sound, don’t focus on smaller details
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Determine the cause of errors (not always related to technique)
Technique
Physiological differences
Inaccurate or delayed decision making
Drill design (make sure it is developmentally appropriate)
Psychological factors
Once the error is identified: feedback
First correct the most fundamental error, which will often be associated with
skills fundamental movement
Often, once this is corrected, other errors will correct themselves as they have
happened as a result of the basic movement being incorrect
Coach may also choose to correct the error that occurs earliest in the
movement (eg: diving board for diver), eliminating errors that occurred later on
in the sequence as a result of this initial problem
Where there are unrelated errors, start with the easiest correction – this will
most likely lead to success hence helping motivate the athlete to continue
making improvements
Intervention strategies: feedback
Provision of feedback: essential for motor skill acquisition
Provides all the info: how to correct, explain errors (why they occur), motivate
Feedback will hinder or enhance depending on timing, frequency, amount and
precision
At first, when learning the skill the athlete will require more feedback
Feedback should lessen as skills become more refined
Avoid athletes becoming accustomed to receiving feedback
o Rather than evaluating response-produced sensory information,
they will wait for the coach to tell them what they did/how to fix it
o Creates a passive learner, hinders performance when they do
not receive feedback such as during competition
Methods for reducing feedback:
1. Faded feedback: feedback reduces as athlete refines their skill
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2. Bandwidth: coach has an acceptable error tolerance, and will only
provide feedback when performance falls outside of this range.
Advantage: depends on the athletes actual performance, not some
arbitrary fixed schedule feedback session
3. Learner-regulated: feedback only given when the athlete requests it.
Thought to benefit from being actively involved in process
Promote active learning: encourage athlete to assess their performance
before telling them what was observed
Ask: if they achieved their movement goal, follow up questions if ‘no’
Questioning approach: promotes reflective thinking, facilitates athletes
problem solving skills
Good feedback:
Encourages learners to explore a variety of movement solutions allowing for
the discovery of the optimal pattern suited for that particular learner
Focus on one correction at a time
Positive, short, simple
Matches the developmental level of the learner (it is not too hard, or too easy)
Should have an external focus as opposed to internal focus (prompt to focus
on the effects of their actions on the environment) eg: instead of telling
sprinter to increase the turnover of their leg action to increase speed, they
could be told to minimize the ground contact
o The latter description is less likely to impact their natural flow of
movement
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