Sport Psychology

Code:

LPSI311

Acronym:

PD

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Psychology

Instance: 2024/2025 - 2S

Active?	No
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	First degree in Psychology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
LPSIC	0	Official Curricular Structure	2	-	3	27	81

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students
Obs.: As aulas e os solides apresentados estão em português, mas a maioria dos materiais de apoio, incluindo vídeos, são apresentados em inglês. É feita uma versão dos testes em inglês para quem manifestar interesse.

Objectives

This course has the following main goals:

1. To provide a contextualization of the national and intrnational state of the art concerning Sport Psychology;
2. To discus the role of cognitive, socio-emotional and motivational processes in the practice of sport from both teaching and learning viewpoints;
3. To present a set of evidence-base practices effective in the promotion of ahtletes' psychological skills;
4. To discuss the cooperative nature of the coach-athlete/s relationship;
5. To reflect on the major risks and benefits associated with the practice of sport, including the identification of good practices to minimize the risks;
6. To show the more and more relevant role of the sport psychologist to assure sucess in sport contexts.

Learning outcomes and competences

After attending this course, students should be able to:

1. Define Sport Psychology and characterize its evolution to present days, at national and international levels;
2. Describe the process of motor learning and identify evidence-based teaching strategies to promote it and facilitate its transfer;
3. Understand the role of motivational and socio-emotional factors in the practice of sport;
4. Identify practices of mental training to maximize performance across different sport contexts;
5. Acknowledge the complexity and importance of the coach-athlete/s relation and the psychologist role on it;
6. Discuss from a grounded viewpoint major risks and benefits associated with the practice of sport;
7. 7. Understand the importance of sport psychologists and their main areas of activity.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Introduction to Sport Psychology: definition; history; state of the art.
2. Motor learning: OPTIMAL theory; skills acquisition and automatization; teaching strategies.
3. Motivation theories applied to sports: self-determination; achievement goals; causal attributions; self-efficacy.
4. Socio-emotional skills: self-control; resilience and mental toughness; coping and emotional regulation.
5. Mindfulness and psychological skills training: goals setting, relaxation, concentration, mental imagery, etc.
6. Coach-athlete/s relationship: micropolitics; power, leadership, and communication; team dynamics.
7. Negative effects of practicing sports: injuries, burnout, violence, substance abuse, eating disorders, discrimination, etc.
8. Sport as a promotor of public health: physical and psychological benefits; character development; impact on well-being throughout the lifespan

Mandatory literature

Biddle, S. J. H., Mutrie, N., & Gorely, T. ; Psychology of physical activity: Determinants, well-being and interventions , Routledge, 2015
Dosil, J. ; The sport psychologist's handbook: A guide for sport‐specific performance enhancement, John Wiley & Sons, 2006
Hanrahan, S. J., & Andersen, M. B. ; Routledge handbook of applied sport psychology: A comprehensive guide for students and practitioners, Routledge, 2010
Richard M. Ryan; The^Oxford handbook of human motivation. ISBN: 978-0-19-936623-1
Gershon Tenenbaum; Handbook of sport psychology. ISBN: 978-0-471-73811-4

Comments from the literature

Other articles will be recommended during the classes.

Teaching methods and learning activities

1. Independent study through the reading of papers;
2. Expositive presentation of the topics by the professor through PPTs and illustrative videos;
3. Presential debates and exercises based on the class presentations in articulation with previous readings;

keywords

Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Psychology > Applied psychology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Teste	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	54,00
Frequência das aulas	27,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

Though not mandatory, attendance is recommended.

Calculation formula of final grade

Continuous evaluation through two tests (50%+50%).

Examinations or Special Assignments

None.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Special conditions maybe exceptionally considered. The student must directly contact the professors up to the second class of the semester.

Classification improvement

It is possible to improve the classification in a single time through the completion of an exam up to the appeal season of the academic year immediatly after the one in which approval was attained.