Sports Psychology

Paper Summary:

The science of sports psychology rests uncomfortably between pure science, theory and hype. But, as athletes make their way up successive levels from amateur to semi-professional, from pro to world- class, the physical aspects of the game stay the same. The paper shows that an athlete can only digest so much nutrition, burn so many calories in the weight room and endure a relatively fixed amount of physical training before ready to perform at a peak level. The hypothesis is that the factor which separates one level of athlete from the next, and what often prevents an athlete with much "potential" from reaching his or her goals is the mental game. The paper shows that, although this idea sounds simple, at upper levels of performance the athlete's own body can become one of the opponents on the playing field which must also be conquered. Toward this end, the "science" of sports psychology, including hypnosis, self hypnosis, guided imagery and bio-feedback have come into the sports marketplace in the last 30 years, and have proven that at the levels of performance which test the athletes total ability, conquering the mind game is the cornerstone to victory on the playing field.

Table of Contents:

Abstract
Introduction
History
Sports Psychology and Hypnosis
Desire: the First Requirement
Hypnosis, Self Hypnosis, Biofeedback
Examples of Biofeedback
Guided Imagery
Conclusion
References

From the Paper:

"An associative attentional focus concentrates one's awareness on bodily states, self-perceptions, and pacing or rhythm related to an activity. Conversely, a dissociative attentional focus or distraction diverts attention away from bodily self-awareness and self-perceptions and towards external stimuli or factors not related to an activity (e.g., words of a song, other people exercising). Studies have found conflicting results as to whether association or dissociation is a more effective strategy for improving performance."

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