1. Goals and Goal Setting in Sport Injury Rehabilitation
Module 5
PSYCHOLOGY 310:
Sport & Injury Psychology
University of Mary
Instructor:
Dr. Theresa Magelky

2. Goal Setting
Goal setting is one of most popular and widely-used psychological interventions in sport
Implemented by athletes to improve performance
3 Different Types of Goals:
Outcome goals – focused on the outcome of an event such as winning or earning a medal and involve interpersonal comparison
Performance goals – involve intrapersonal assessment, as they are typically focused on achieving a particular level of performance in comparison to one’s previous performance and not to that of other competitors
Process goals – focused on the actions and required tasks in which an individual must engage to achieve the desired performance outcome

3. Goal Setting
Mechanistic Goal Setting Theory (Locke & Latham, 1990) – proposes that a linear relationship exists between the above-mentioned goals and performance
Goals which are difficult yet realistic, specific, and measurable lead to greater performance improvement than vague, easy, and do-your-best goals

4. Purpose of Rehabilitation Goal Setting
Injured athletes’ use/disuse of psychological strategies (e.g., goal setting, a behavioral response) can have impact on athlete’s cognitive appraisal of the injury (e.g., ability to adjust their goals or rate of perceived recovery), which can have an impact on their emotional responses to injury
Cyclical relationships between:
Cognitions
Emotions
Behaviors

5. Benefits of Goal Setting to the Athlete
Goal setting during rehabilitation can have multiple benefits to the athlete:
Positive effect on the athlete’s physiological and psychological healing
Pain management when obtaining normal range of motion, muscular strengthening, and numerous sport-related skills
Goal setting has positive effect on overall injury process – it enables faster recovery and return back to sport
Has been found to impact injured athletes’ attitude, successful appraisal/acceptance of the injury, overall confidence in injury recovery, & adherence to the rehabilitation program

6. Benefits of Goal Setting to the Athlete (cont.)
Main reason goal setting appears to be useful for injured athletes during rehabilitation – goal setting has positive effects on adherence
This is important because …adherence is a key determinant of whether or not an athlete is able to cope successfully with their rehabilitation
Goal setting has been found to facilitate athletes’ levels of motivation, effort, and persistence – this is beneficial in enhancing adherence
Goal setting increases athletes’ levels of self-efficacy & self-confidence, and decrease loss of motivation and apathy

7. Benefits of Goal Setting to the Athlete (cont.)
Taylor & Taylor (1997) propose that difference levels of goals should be considered during sport injury rehabilitation
4 Levels of Goals:
Recovery Goals – associated with final level of recovery (long-term goals)
Stage Goals – consist of specific objectives for each of the different stages of rehabilitation (medium-term goals)
Daily Goals – relate to daily objectives and targets for each rehab session (short-term goals)
Lifestyle Goals – goals related to athlete’s lifestyle

8. Process of Using Goal Setting for Rehabilitation
Phase 1: Assess and identify athletes’ personal and physical needs
Phase 2: Identifying and setting effective goals: Key characteristics
Phase 3: Identify and consider factors affecting goal setting effectiveness
Phase 4: A step-by-step program to integrate goal setting into injury rehabilitation

9. Process of Using Goal Setting for Rehabilitation
Phase 1: Assess and identify athletes’ personal and physical needs
Through use of rehabilitation profiling – which can help to gain an understanding of athlete’s perceptions of their current personal and physical factors influencing rehab and recovery
Profiling enables injured athletes and sport medicine professionals to gain a visual display of a range of factors

10. Process of Using Goal Setting for Rehabilitation
Phase 2: Identifying and setting effective goals: Key characteristics
Guidelines on setting effective goals:
Understand importance of setting the right type of goals
Set goals that are specific and measurable
Set challenging but realistic and attainable goals
Focus on the degree of, rather than on the absolute, attainment of goals
Set goals that are stated in a positive manner

11. Process of Using Goal Setting for Rehabilitation
Phase 3: Identify and consider factors affecting goal setting effectiveness
Factors that can have impact on goal setting effectiveness:
Ensure that goal setting is fully integrated into rehabilitation
Consider goal setting as an individualized mutual sharing and dynamic process
Understand importance of goal acceptance/commitment
Monitor and evaluate set goals regularly
Prepare a written contract with injured athlete
Be aware of variability in goal setting effectiveness

12. Process of Using Goal Setting for Rehabilitation
Phase 4: A step-by-step program to integrate goal setting into injury rehabilitation
Start with conversation between rehabilitation professionals and the athlete
Set clear goals for each of components of physical recovery: range of motion, strength, stability, stamina, flexibility, other relevant physical parameters
Discuss psychological goals in a similar manner by using a tool such as rehabilitation profiling
Agree upon any strategies needed for achieving goals
Remember to revise and assess your goals regularly

13. References
Arvinen-Barrow, M., & Walker, N. (2013). The Psychology of Sport Injury and Rehabilitation (1st ed.). Routledege.
Kremer, J., Moran, A., Walker, G., & Craig. C. (2012). Key Concepts in Sport Psychology. Sage Publishing.