EXSD199 - Psychology of Sport

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Nil

Incompatible

EXSC199 Psychology of Sport

Unit rationale, description and aim

In prescribing and delivering sport performance programs, effective practice requires the use of evidence-based behavioural strategies that align with the unique needs of those in performance settings. This is consistent with the professional standards for any accreditations, including those for Exercise Science. This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the psychological influences on performance and well-being in sport settings. Students will explore evidence-based psychological, interpersonal, and leadership skills for use in performance settings, as well as the role of psychology in contemporary sport issues. 

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Critique athletes’ use of psychological skills and how they affect performance and well-being (GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8)

LO2 - Evaluate interpersonal skills and leadership practices in relation to performance and well-being (GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8)

LO3 - Examine contemporary issues in sport from a psychological perspective including that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (GA1, GA2, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA7, GA8, GA9)

LO4 - Understand theories and evidence underlying the psychological influences on performance and wellbeing in sport settings (GA5, GA7)

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

Content

Topics will include:

• Mental skills for performance enhancement and well-being in sport settings
• Interpersonal skills development
• Models of leadership in sport
• Contemporary issues in sport
• Multicultural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in sport.

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The learning and teaching strategies of this unit are designed to allow students to meet the aims, learning outcomes of the unit and graduate attributes of the University. They are intended to reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to engage actively with unit content and learning activities.

The unit contains three distinct modules that complement the learning outcomes. The first module considers the psychological skills athletes can employ to enhance their own performance and well-being. The second module focuses on the leadership styles and practices coaches can use to influence the performance and well-being of athletes. The third module takes a contextual perspective and considers contemporary issues and challenges that professionals in high performance settings might face and how to react to them. Learning is scaffolded within and across activities with the intention of combining knowledge and promoting deep and critical thought. Strong emphasis is placed on scientific enquiry and the links between theory, evidence, and practice. To support this emphasis, learning activities engage students in independent thought, collaborative discussions, and applied practice. 

Further to this, to ensure students are ready to transition from the Diploma and articulate into the second year of undergraduate study, transition pedagogies will be incorporated into the unit as the key point of differentiation from the standard unit. This focuses on an active and engaging approach to learning and teaching practices, and a scaffolded approach to the delivery of curriculum to enhance student learning in a supportive environment. This will ensure that students develop foundation level discipline-based knowledge, skills and attributes, and simultaneously the academic competencies required of students to succeed in this unit.

Assessment strategy and rationale

A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements.

The first two assessment tasks require students to critique athletes’ use of psychological skills and how they affect performance and wellbeing. The third assessment task has students evaluate interpersonal skills and leadership practices in relation to performance and wellbeing. The final assessment task asks students to examine contemporary issues in sport from a psychological perspective. In addition to these summative assessment tasks, students will have the opportunity to engage in the dynamic world of exercise and sport science by participating in or observing applied work.

Strategies aligned with transition pedagogies will be utilised to facilitate successful completion of the unit assessment tasks. For each assessment, there will be the incorporation of developmentally staged tasks with a focus on a progressive approach to learning. This will be achieved through activities, including regular feedback, particularly early in the unit of study to support their learning; strategies to develop and understand discipline-specific concepts and terminology; in-class practice tasks with integrated feedback; and greater peer-to-peer collaboration. 

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Cecchini, Fernandez-Rio, J., Mendez-Gimenez, A., Cecchini, C., & Martins, L. (2014). Epstein’s TARGET Framework and Motivational Climate in Sport: Effects of a Field-Based, Long-Term Intervention Program. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 9(6), 1325–1340. https://doi.org/10.1260/1747-9541.9.6.1325

Cheon, S.H., Reeve, J., Lee, J., & Lee, Y. (2015). Giving and receiving autonomy support in a high-stakes sport context: A field-based experiment during the 2012 London Paralympic Games. Psychology of Sport & Exercise 19, 59-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2015.02.007 

Vella, S. A., Oades, L. G., & Crowe, T. P. (2013). A pilot test of transformational leadership training for sports coaches: Impact on the developmental experiences of adolescent athletes. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 8(3), 513-530. https://doi.org/10.1260/1747-9541.8.3.513

Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2019). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology (7th ed.). Human Kinetics.

Williams, J., & Krane, V. (2021). (Eds.) Applied sport psychology : personal growth to peak performance (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.