Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Overview of Sport Performance

MODULE- 2
20% Weightage

MANSI SHARMA,
VISTING FACULTY
AIPS
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

TOPICS TO BE COVERED
• The role of arousal, anxiety and attention, in the
performance of individual and team sports.

• Role of cognitive- motor processes

• Psycho-physiological processes and conscious- unconscious

attentional processes in Sports performance

• Motivation and deliberate practice

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Sport performance- Recap

• Since the early-2000s, the analysis of performance in sport
has seen a dramatic transformation in both its methods (i.e.
incorporating advanced statistical modelling and new
analytical frameworks) and technologies (i.e. GPS tracking,
time-lapsed notational analysis software and a large variety
of tracking sensors and other tracking equipment). What
started as shorthand notations with pen and paper has since
evolved to advanced computerized systems and technologies
that collect vast amounts of performance-related data.
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• Sport performance is the manner in which sport participation

is measured. Sport performance is a complex mixture of
biomechanical function, emotional factors, and training
techniques.
• Traditionally, Sports Performance Analysis has been defined as
an observational analysis task that goes from data collection all
the way to the delivery of feedback, and aims to improve sports
performance by involving all coaches, players and analysts
themselves. The observation of performance is carried out
either live during the sporting event or post-competition
through video footage and gathered statistics.
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Role of arousal, anxiety and attention in the performance of

Individual and team performance

Arousal
• Arousal is referred to as a psychological state of alertness and
anticipation that prepares the body for action. Individual
athletes have different levels of arousal and it is either negative
or positive but neutral.
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Theories of Arousal
• Sporting performance and its relationship with arousal can be
demonstrated by several theories:

Drive Theory
Inverted U hypothesis
Catastrophe Theory
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• Drive Theory
This is a linear relationship
between arousal and
performance, as arousal
increases so does performance.
However evidence suggests that
this theory is only relevant up to
a point, after which an athlete
can be over aroused and
performance decreases.
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• Inverted U hypothesis
This theory states that there
is an optimal level of arousal
(which will differ from sport
to sport and athlete to
athlete). Performance levels
will be at their highest at the
optimal point of arousal. If
arousal is too low or too
high performance will be
lower.
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• Catastrophe Theory
This theory differs from the
inverted U hypothesis by linking
arousal and anxiety. If the
athlete is experiencing high
levels of cognitive state anxiety
as arousal rises towards the
athletes threshold, the athlete
experiences a dramatic drop in
performance. This theory does
also rely on the need for both
arousal and cognitive anxiety to
achieve optimal performance.
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• Stress is a stimulus resulting in a positive or negative response to

a specific situation. It produces both physiological and
psychological symptoms.
• Stress has two forms: Eustress – this is positive and gives a feeling
of fulfilment and arousal. Distress - this is a negative form of
stress and in extreme cases causes anxiety and apprehension.
• Depending upon the athlete’s level of ability, level of competition
or personality stress can have a big impact on performance.
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• Anxiety is a negative emotional state associated with stress,

feelings of worry, nervousness and apprehension.
• There are two main types of anxiety: Trait anxiety – this is the
personality core, State anxiety – this is changeable and varies
depending upon the situation.
• There are two types of state anxiety: Cognitive state anxiety –
amount of worry, Somatic state anxiety – is the physiological
changes due to perception
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• Effects of arousal on sporting performance

If the performer perceives arousal levels to be positive it will have a positive
impact on performance (getting in the zone). However if the changes are
viewed as negative it will increase both somatic and cognitive state anxiety.
Choking occurs in high-pressure situations and this heightened state cause
extreme nervous and performance catastrophe.
• Controlling stress, arousal and anxiety
Progressive muscular relaxation is a technique used to remove tension in the
muscles. This technique allows the athlete to contract relaxation and tension
within the muscles. It also combines the control of breathing helping with
the symptoms of somatic state anxiety. There are many different types of this
biofeedback control.
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• Imagery allows athletes to increase/decrease arousal/ anxiety levels by

visualising aspects of previous positive performances. If psyching up is
required the athlete focuses on performances that required high levels of
energy and feelings of heightened arousal. If anxiety and stress need to be
reduced the athlete focuses on the feelings of well-being and positivity.

• Self-talk focuses on the performer convincing themselves that they are

good enough to perform and play well, most sportspersons will have used
it e.g. ‘Come On you can do it!’.
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Role of cognitive- motor processes in sport

performance
• Sports performance at the highest level requires a wealth of cognitive
functions such as attention, decision making, and working memory to be
functioning at optimal levels in stressful and demanding environments.
Whilst a substantial research base exists focusing on psychological skills
for performance (e.g., imagery) or therapeutic techniques for emotion
regulation (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy), there is a scarcity of
research examining whether the enhancement of core cognitive abilities
leads to improved performance in sport. Cognitive training is a highly
researched method of enhancing cognitive skills through repetitive and
targeted exercises.
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• Cognition: It refers to processing information in the covert physic-

psychological systems of the man.
Cognition involves all the process by which the sensory input is
transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recollect, and used (neisser,1967)
It includes such complex mental activities as using thinking, remembering,
conceptualizing, imagining, learning, and information processing.
Success of an athlete in the arena of competitive sports depends to a great
extent on his or her cognitive functions.
For overpowering the rival in the hours of the contest, sports man requires
correct goal setting, good decision making, and accurate perception,
retention of motor – learning skills, and developing plans.
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• Sensation: the stimulation of sensory receptors and the transmission of

sensory information to the nervous system are called sensation. e.g.:
sportspersons receive information from the coach/game situation by
means of sensory reception.
All our contact with other human beings is mediated by senses.
Information reaches the brain by the sensory receptors and neural pathway.
• Perception: Perception is the process by which organisms interpret and
organize sensation to produce a meaningful experience of the world.E.g.
perceiving ball as ball.
When we attend to a stimulus, the sense impression will be interpreted by
the respective sensory area of the cortex of the brain.
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• Brain organizes the transmitted sensory coded message into some

meaningful pattern. Perception includes receiving, organizing and
processing of information.

• Information is sorted out in the brain and becomes the foundation for
decision making. Athlete’s perception of the situation in the sport will
determine the degree of the success.
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Psycho-physiological processes in sport performance

Psychophysiological monitoring provides a great amount of information on
the athlete's performance-related states: heart rate, heart rate variability,
brain waves, muscle activity, and autonomic nervous system data are
crucial, as they provide a holistic view and a better understand of
performance states.
In the field of cardio-vascular disease, researchers are looking more and
more at the physiological impact of mental and emotional stresses and
mental illness, e.g. anxiety, bipolar disorder and depression. As a result, we
now better understand how mental and emotional states can effect the body
(e.g. changes in heart rate, blood pressure, adrenalin levels and platelet
formation) all of which has enormous implications for competitive sport;
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• Techniques like “mindfulness "into training programs including

measuring pre (mindfulness) / post (mindfulness) performance of athletes
with fMRI technology; Many professional teams are using psycho-
physiology by measuring brain wave activity as one indicator of over-
training, over-reaching and fatigue.
So What does this mean to Athletes ?
For athletes, SPP offers unlimited potential for enhanced performance.
Traditionally we have prepared athletes for the most part from a
physiological standpoint: speed, strength, endurance, power, agility,
flexibility…..and then sent them out to “battle” in great physical shape. The
“mental” side of preparation we have left to a few war crys, the pre-match
psyche up and the ubiquitous (but generally useless) motivation speech.
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What does it mean for Coaches ?

• The key for coaches is to integrate SPP into their training and preparation
environments by the addition of a mental component in their planning,
periodization and exercise prescription.

• So, in practical terms, it means adding a mental element to every training

set, every skill practice routine, every fitness activity: to change your
programming tools from just volume, intensity and frequency to volume,
intensity, frequency AND a mental factor.
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Conscious- unconscious attentional processes in Sports

performance
• In sport today, there is one fundamental variable for reaching sporting
success which is more important than technical skills and tactics. It is the
psychological process of attention: by exercising optimum control over their
attention, players can obtain the best possible results in competition. Only
when the player is capable of maintaining and focusing attention on the
execution of a task, controlling negative thoughts and avoiding distractions, is
when players perform to their best.

As Holzman (1994) indicates, attention is a complex concept that encompasses

a wide variety of physiological phenomena which can be classified into
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• Focused attention: based on the amount of information selected

in any given moment.
• Sustained attention: attention over time, i.e. the amount of time
that a task can be executed for, and the consistency of the
execution of that task over a period of time. It’s related to the
concepts of continual performance (the task requires a continued
response) or vigilance (the task requires a more spaced out
response, with long periods of motor control and remaining
alert).
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• Vigilance: is the ability to detect and respond to the occurrence

of slight changes in the environment over time.
• Selective attention: is the ability to focus on one specific task
even in the context of stimulus from distractions or competition.
It relates to the concepts of concentration (selecting and
assembling all the relevant stimulation to focus on) and
attentional change (the ability to be flexible with your focus
depending on the demands of the task).
• Divided attention: the ability to respond to two or more tasks
simultaneously, or to more than one stimulus in the same task.
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• Alternating attention: the ability of having the mental

flexibility to allow the individual to switch their attention
effectively and move between tasks with different cognitive
requirements.
• Attentional control: the planning, regulation and checking of
goal-oriented behavior.
• Every sports player has a dominant style of attention, and that
style depends on individual differences, the skills required by
the sport they play and the activation of these skills in the
athlete.
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Non-Conscious Behavior & New Perspectives from Sport

Psychology
• Unconscious Behavior is a Learnable Skill
Whether we shoot a basketball, drive a car, or are choose a yogurt at the grocery
store – the behavior becomes unconscious when it is learned over time and with
repetition. To master movements and acquire automaticity, people need to practice
that particular skill so many times that it’s retained in your mind and muscles to
retrieve the memory and complete the movement subconsciously
Sport psychologists have long studied skill acquisition and developing expertise
which involves transitioning from conscious to non-consciously performing
behaviors. The sport psychology research has considerable implications for
cultivating an “implicit consumer expertise” where brands can shape subconscious
purchasing patterns.
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 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

Ensuring sports performance of the athletes

• Vary Your Workouts
For many athletes, functional exercises are the name of the game. Improving athletic
performance isn’t about sculpting your body or dropping weight for the sake of it. It’s
about improving your muscle strength, response time, and mental prowess on the field.
Functional exercises are a great foundation and should always be a part of your
workouts.
• Track & Measure Your Performance During Training
Modern technology has made it incredibly easy to measure your performance. Fitness
watches can act as an informational hub, constantly recording different parameters of
your movement. The most advanced gear is capable of measuring running distance,
heart rate, exercise reps, and so much more. Push that data to your computer, tablet, or
smartphone and you’ll be able to analyze it fully.
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• Make Proper Hydration a Priority

It should go without saying, but staying hydrated needs to be your top priority during
your workout. It’s not hard to get dehydrated. Whether you’re out on the field or in a
cool gym, your body is going to lose fluids through sweat. As you’re exercising, your
muscles are producing heat. This increases your core body temperature by quite a bit.
Sweating is just your body’s attempt at cooling you down.
• Dedicate Enough Time for Recovery
The recovery process is just as important as the workout itself. There are several reasons
for this. One, it helps to prevent injury. Your muscles need time to heal. Every time you
exercise, your muscle tissue is experiencing tiny little tears. It’s a crucial part of getting
stronger and bulking up. Secondly, you need to replenish your store of energy. Muscle
glycogen, which is basically the stored form of carbohydrates, is used when you exercise.
It’s you’re muscle’s energy supply. During the recovery phase, you can restore your
muscle glycogen supply for the next workout.
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• Train Your Brain

You may have heard the phrase, “The mind is the body’s most powerful muscle.” While
the brain technically isn’t a muscle, that powerful saying has a lot of truth to it. Sports
and athletic endeavors aren’t just about well your muscles perform. Most sports rely
heavily on your mental abilities as well. For example, football, soccer, and hockey players
have to make thousands of split-second decisions, and any one of them can drastically
impact the outcome of the game.
This means if you want to improve your athletic performance, you need to train your
brain as well! Many of these devices take advantage of visual stimulants. Performing
mental exercises involves responding to the stimulant as quickly and accurately as
possible.
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• Fuel Your Body the Right Way

You are what you eat, right? For some, improving athletic performance can be as simple
as eating the right foods. Obviously, peak athletes are on much stricter diets than your
average Joe. To push your body as far as it will go, you need to eat healthy foods at the
right time.
After intense exercise, lymphatic fluid builds up in the muscles. It’s a common cause for
muscle stiffness and cramps. Massages can mobilize the lymphatic fluid, essentially
flushing it from your system.
At the same time, your blood will have an easier time flowing around your body. As a
result, your heart can pump oxygenated blood and essential nutrients directly to your
sore muscles to speed up the recovery process.
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Athlete Motivation and deliberate practice

• Motivation is a key determinant of behavior in sport. It is a complex
construct, with athletes having diverse and dynamic motives for
initiating, directing, sustaining, and terminating effort. Athletes can be
motivated by internal or external factors, or a combination of both,
which may vary by context and time.
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Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences
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Mental toughness and sport performance

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• Mental toughness is a measure of individual resilience and confidence that

may predict success in sport, education and the workplace. As a broad
concept, it emerged in the context of sports training, in the context of a set
of attributes that allow a person to become a better athlete and able to cope
with difficult training and difficult competitive situations and emerge
without losing confidence.
• In more recent times, mental toughness is being recognized more and more
for how important it is due to the benefits an athlete gains by being
mentally tough. It is likely that children and adolescents with a high degree
of mental toughness achieve better competitive outcomes, have more
positive experiences in sports, and are much more set for the rest of their
lives by obtaining this skill. Mental toughness can directly lead to thriving
and being in a good mental health scenario.
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences
Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences
 Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences

• Class test of module- 2

• Maximum marks- 15
• NUMBER OF QUESTIONS- 02