Module SPRT3191: APPLIED SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

Department: Sport and Exercise Sciences

SPRT3191: APPLIED SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

Prerequisites

• SPRT1261 Introduction to Sport Psychology

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To develop comprehensive knowledge and critical understanding of the psychological theories and strategies associated with optimising competitive performance and athlete well-being in sport;
• To develop comprehensive knowledge and skills required to apply psychological theories and strategies associated with optimising competitive performance and athlete well-being in sport within real-world consultancy contexts, including multi-disciplinary teams and complex organisations.
• To develop an understanding of, and an ability to apply, personal attributes (e.g., social responsibility) for client-based consultancy.

Content

• This module builds on and extends the sport psychology knowledge and skills offered in year one. The content of the module focuses on theories and application of psychological strategies within real-world consultancy contexts. These strategies are studied with respect to their application in two domains: performance enhancement in sport and the enhancement of psychological well-being, especially in relation to injury and stress. Some attention will also be given to issues of ethical and professional conduct in the practice of sport psychology.

Learning Outcomes

• Critically evaluate theoretical models and research underpinning the application of psychological strategies for the purpose of enhancing performance, participation and well-being;
• Justify the application of specific psychological strategies in addressing performance, participation or stress-related problems.

• Demonstrate knowledge of effective and sensitive communication skills and appraise their own mastery of these skills;
• Plan, implement and evaluate a basic intervention programme involving psychologically-based performance-enhancement strategies.

• Formulate applied questions, selectively summarise relevant literature, and critically appraise available research and theories in relation to these questions;
• Use IT and library facilities to conduct a search of relevant literature;
• Manage their time appropriately in order to meet the requirements of independent study;
• Find and synthesise information from a range of sources to manage specific applied problems.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Staff-led content, including individual and group-based activities, will serve to provide general outlines of the concepts and theories, and to direct students to relevant literature;
• Interactive group activities (seminars) serve to familiarise students with basic practical applications of intervention techniques and skills, and to provide opportunities to critically reflect on research articles;
• Independently, students will be required to invest time in directed reading, research activities, and study tasks.
• Assessment 1 provides students with an opportunity to critically reflect on the theoretical models and available research underpinning the application of psychologically-based performance enhancement strategies to an individual athlete within a one-on-one sport context;
• Assessment 2 provides students with an opportunity to critically reflect on the theoretical models and available research underpinning the application of psychologically-based performance enhancement strategies to a group (e.g., a team or squad) of elite junior athletes.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative feedback is provided on seminar activities that train students to use key needs assessment tools and to design mental skills intervention programmes.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University