1. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Chapter 13
Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective
Text Sources
Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3&4: 4th Edition – Malpeli, Horton, Davey and Telford 2006.
2. Live It Up 2: 2nd Edition – Smyth, Brown, Judge, McCallum and Pritchard 2006.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

2. Psychological Skills Training
Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

3. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Sports Psychology
Sports Psychology; Study of people’s behaviour in the field of sport.
There are three main fields of sport psychology
Social Psychology – Social/personal interactions determine behaviour
Psychophysiology – Physiological effect of the brain
Cognitive-behavioural Psychology – How an individual’s thoughts affect their behaviour.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

4. Psychological Skills Training
Focuses on cognitive behavioural aspects of sports psychology.
Psychological skills, like physical skills, can be learnt via training (PST).
PST can dramatically improve performances
PST programs are individualised
Techniques include; Goal setting, arousal, mental rehearsal, confidence and concentration
PST has three main stages;
Education – What techniques are currently used and being told about other options
Acquisition – Taught how to use the technique
Practice – Use of the technique in training and competition.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

5. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective
Goal Setting
Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

6. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Goal Setting
Goal setting is where athletes set down clear targets, priorities and expectations.
Goal setting has been shown to increase work out put up to 40-50%.
Goals need to be set up for both training and competition.
Long term goals aim at the broader target, whereas short term goals provide more manageable focus points.
See Fig 13.2 p.313
Types of goals;
Outcome goals – Focus on end results, times, finishing places or medals.
Performance goals – Focus on comparing present performance levels with those obtained previously. Independent to other competitors.
Process goals – Focus on physical movements and game strategies.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

7. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Goal Setting - SMARTER
The National Coaching Association has set down the following ‘SMARTER’ way of setting goals;
Specific – Clear goals to focus on
Measurable – Need to be assessed against previous performances
Accepted – Acceptance by the all parties involved
Realistic – Goals need to be within the athlete’s capacity
Time Phased – Specific date for completion needs to be set
Exciting – Challenged, inspired and rewarding goals
Recorded – Goals should be written down and kept
Goal setting improves performance by;
Focusing attention on important elements of the skill/s being performed
Activating and organising an athlete’s efforts
Encouraging athlete perseverance
Promoting the development of new learning strategies
Refining movements and set plays
Contributing towards a positive psychological state
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

8. Goals (Short and Long Term)
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

9. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Coursework 13.1
Complete the case study task on page 317 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

10. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective
Arousal
Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

11. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Arousal
Arousal is the amount of readiness or activation a person experiences when faced with a task.
Athletes need an optimal level of arousal to experience success.
Moderate level is ideal zone.
Note. Arousal levels and performance outcomes vary in athletes
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

12. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Coursework 13.2
Complete the structured questions on page 318 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

13. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Checkpoints
Complete questions 1-3 page 314 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

14. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective
Arousal Regulation
Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

15. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Arousal Regulation
Arousal reduction techniques;
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)
Breath control – Used to relax and refocus
Biofeedback – Sensors detect raised tension or stress in the body
Stress-inoculation training (SIT) – Building immunity to stress via training.
Arousal promotion techniques;
Elevated breathing rate – Increases state of awareness in CNS.
Act energetic
Positive talk and sounds: ‘Talk it Up!’
Energising imagery
Pre-competition workout
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

16. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Checkpoints
Complete questions 1-5 page 319 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

17. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective
Mental Imagery
Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

18. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Mental Imagery
Mental Imagery, or visualisation, is used by athletes when they imagine themselves performing skill before actually doing them.
It is a form of simulation
Sensory experience which occurs in the mind via thought
Strengthens neural pathways
Images can be kinaesthetic, auditory and tactile.
Mental rehearsal needs to be done in a relaxed state for 5-10 minutes at a time.
Simulation training is considered more effective than mental imagery in that it replicates the game situation.
Visuo-motor behaviour rehearsal (VMBR) – Requires a relaxed state to perform mental imagery and then conducting the skill under simulated conditions.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

19. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Checkpoints
Complete questions 1-4 page 322 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

20. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Coursework 13.3
Complete the laboratory task on page 321 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

21. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective
Concentration
Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

22. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Concentration
Concentration contains three parts;
Focusing on relevant environmental clues
Maintaining attention focus over time
Having awareness of the situation
Note. Concentration and attention are used interchangeably in sports psychology.
Attention can be described in terms of width and direction.
Broad-internal – Focus on thoughts and feelings
Broad-external – Focus outwards on an opponents actions
Narrow-internal – Mentally rehearse movements
Narrow-external – Focus on very few external cues
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23. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Concentration
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24. Concentration and Choking
Factors leading to a lack of attention;
Focus on past experiences
Can’t ‘let things go’
Future orientated thinking
‘What if’ questions
Focusing on negative aspects of their game
Concentration can improved via;
Simulation
Use of cue words
Having set routines
Over-learning skills
Choking can also cause concentration to falter.
Occurs when pressure is built up
A lot is riding on the next phase of play
Causes attention to narrow and become internal
Can impair timing and coordination
See figure 13.7 p.324
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25. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
The Choking Process
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26. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective
Confidence Building
Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

27. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Confidence Building
Self-confidence is the belief individuals possess in becoming successful.
Self-confident athletes;
Believe in themselves and their skills
Exhibit positive emotions
Remain calm under pressure
Work towards their goals
More likely to take risks during games
See fig 13.8 p.325
Improving confidence
Achieving success at training and during competition
Thinking more positively
Using positive imagery
Ability to follow and understand game plans
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

28. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Confidence Levels
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

29. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Checkpoints
Complete questions 1-6 page 326 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

30. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Test Your Knowledge
Complete the review questions 1-6 page 329 of Nelson Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

31. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Peak Performance
Complete the chapter questions on page of Nelson Peak Performance Physical Education VCE Units 3 & 4.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

32. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
PHYS ED Notes
Read the summarised information of pages of PHYS ED Notes and complete the revision questions.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

33. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Web Links – Chapter 13
Australian Institute of Sport – Performance psychology research:
Athletic Insight – online journal of sport psychology:
Australian Psychological Society (information about sport psychologists):
Psych web – Sport psychology:
Sport psychology resrouces (Psychwatch.com):
Sports science library (Gatorade Sports Science Institute):
Peak performance sports – mental resources:
Article – In the zone: Training your mind as well as your body (CNN):
Australian Sports Commission:
Find 30 promotion (Government of WA Department of Health):
Walking School Bus promotion (UK):
Ministry of Health (New Zealand) toolkits:
The 10,000 Steps Rockhampton project:
Travelsmart Australia:
World Health Organisation:
Heart Foundation Australia:
VicHealth (The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation):
Be Active promotion (Government of South Australia):
Go For Your Life:
Physical Activity Resources for Health Professionals – Introduction (Centre for disease control and prevention – USA):
Health Promotion (Public Health Agency of Canada):
Strategic Inter-Governmental Forum on Physical Activity and Health (SIGPAH):
Healthy youth (Centre for disease control and prevention (USA):
America On The Move promotion:
Papers from the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity:
Department of health and aging (Australian government):
Building a healthy, active Australia (Australian government):
National Public Health Partnership:
Sport and Recreation Australia:
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4