Pem 5
Module 2
RESEARCH IN SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY
RESEARCH METHOD
Experiment- involves comparing people’s
responses or performance under two or more
artificially created conditions.
 For example, we might set up two
conditions in which basketball players are
either punished or rewarded as they train,
and thus measure the effect punishment
and reward has upon their motivation and
performance.
Quasi-experiment- involves comparing two or
more naturally occurring groups.
 For example, we might be interested
comparing the personality characteristics
athletes in individual and team sports,
comparing men’s and women’s attitudes
boxing.
Survey- involves asking questions or asking for
responses to suggestions.
 This can be done verbally (interview) or on
paper (questionnaire).
 Surveys are useful in investigating attitudes
and motives.
Observation- involves systematically watching
people’s behavior in particular circumstances. We
might use observation,
 for example, to see how frequency of
aggression changes in response to losing in
a contact sport.
Correlation- involves measuring two or more
variables and seeing how they are related.
In a positive correlation, as one variable increases,
so does the other.
in
of  An example of such a correlation is that
or between physical size and hostility.
to
In a negative correlation, as one variable increases,
the other decreases.
 An example of this is the relationship
between experience as a martial artist and
hostility – as experience increases, hostility
declines.
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 APPROACHES TO PSYCHOLOGY

Approach Main focus of approach Examples in sport psychology

Individual Variation in the characteristics of Personality, attitudes to

differences individuals sport, motivation,
anxiety
Social Ways in which people Attitudes to sport, aggression, team
psychology interact with one another Cohesion, team Leadership
Cognitive Ways in which the mind processes Skill acquisition,
psychology information motivation, imagery
Physiological The relationship between biological and Arousal and performance, biological
psychology psychological functioning basis of personality traits
Developmental The processes of development of Social learning, gender development,
psychology psychological functions and characteristics personality development
across the lifespan

THEORETICAL ORIENTATION

Theoretical Underlying assumptions Examples of

orientation applications in sport
psychology

Behavioral -Focus is on observable Behavior Social learning of attitudes,

(learning) personality,
-Behavior is acquired by Learning aggression
Cognitive -Focus is on mental Processes -Cognitive anxiety

-Mental processes underlie behavior and -Cognitive aspects of motivation

emotion
Psychodynamic -Focus is on the unconscious mind -Personality Development

-There are unconscious influences on us, -Unconscious factors in attitudes

including instinct and early experience
-Instinct and aggression
Humanistic -Focus is on human potential and growth -Achievement motivation

Physiological -Focus is on physiological processes -Trait theories of personality Arousal

Physiology underlies psychological and somatic anxiety
processes
Social -Focus is on interpersonal and group -Social facilitation
processes
-Team membership
-Social situation affects psychological
processes

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