Introduction to Psychological Skills Training

chapter 11 Introduction to Psychological Skills Training

Session Outline • What Is Psychological Skills Training (PST) and Why Is It Important? • Why Are Psychological Skills Neglected? • PST Myths • PST Knowledge Base • PST Effectiveness (continued)

Session Outline (continued) • Three Phases of PST • Self-Regulation • Who Should Implement PST Programs, When, and for How Long? • Designing a PST Program • Common Problems in Implementing a PST Program

Psychological Skills What is psychological skills training (PST)? Psychological skills training refers to the systematic and consistent practice of mental or psychological skills for the purpose of enhancing performance, increasing enjoyment, or achieving greater self-satisfaction.

PST Program Facts • PST methods and techniques come from a variety of sources, mostly from mainstream psychology. • PST programs can be comprehensive and involve a variety of skills or might just focus on one or two skills. • PST can have major effects on performance.

Mental Toughness • Mental toughness is an athlete’s ability to focus, rebound from failure, cope with pressure, and persist in the face of adversity. It is a form of mental resilience. • Mentally tough athletes have a high sense of self-belief and an unshakeable faith that they can control their own destiny. They can remain relatively unaffected by competition or adversity.

Components of Mental Toughness • Control—Capacity to feel and act as if one could exert an influence on the situation in question. • Commitment—A tendency to take an active role in events. • Challenge—The perception of change as an opportunity to grow and develop rather than as a threat. • Confidence—The strong sense of self-belief.

Importance in Terms of Time Spent Training Psychological Skills • During the season, how long do you spend physically training for competition? _____________ Average time spent per day • During the season, how long do you spend practicing psychological skills for competition? _____________ Average time spent per day (continued)

Importance in Terms of Time Spent Training Psychological Skills (continued) • How important do you think psychological or mental skills are to your performance and success? (1 = Not important; 10 = Essential)

Why Is PST Important? Key Psychological factors account primarily for day-to-day fluctuations in performance.

Why Are PsychologicalSkills Neglected? • Lack of knowledge and comfort with teaching mental skills • Misunderstandings about psychological skills (e.g., belief that they can’t be learned) • Lack of time

PST Myths • PST is for “problem” athletes only. • PST is for “elite” athletes only. • PST provides “quick fix” solutions. • PST is not useful.

PST for Special Populations: Intellectual Disabilities • The development of trust and rapport is critical • The consultant must work at the individual’s level of understanding • Soliciting help from relatives, case managers, or residential staff is important. • Instructions should be kept simple, skills should be broken down into smaller teaching components, and sessions should be fun and enjoyable.

PST for Special Populations: The Physical Disabilities • Ensure that venues are accessible. • If working with athletes in wheelchairs, communicate by being in their level (e.g., in a chair). • If the physical disability affects the control of muscles required for speech, be patient with verbal communication. Speak directly to the athlete even if a parent or other caretaker is present. • Be careful of the temperature of the room, since certain disabilities (e.g., spinal lesions) are negatively affected by certain temperatures.

Keys to Understanding PST • While PST is a proven technique, users must be realistic in their expectations. PST is neither a magical elixir nor useless bunk. • Psychological skills can be learned but must be practiced and integrated into a person’s daily routine.

PST Knowledge Base Research on elite athletes shows that most successful athletes differ from less successful ones in the following ways: • They have higher confidence. • They have greater self-regulation of arousal. • They have better communication. (continued)

PST Knowledge Base (continued) Research on elite athletes shows that most successful athletes differ from less successful ones in the following ways: • They have more positive thoughts and images. • They have more determination or commitment.

PST Knowledge Base Athletes and coaches identified these as the most useful PST topics: • Arousal regulation • Imagery and mental preparation • Confidence building • Increased motivation and commitment (goal setting) (continued)

PST Knowledge Base (continued) Athletes and coaches identified these as the most useful PST topics: • Attention or concentration • Self-talk • Mental plans

PST Effectiveness • Educationally based psychological skills training enhances sport performance. • Intervention must be individualized, employed systematically over time, and multimodal (combining different psychological skills, such as imagery, self-talk, and goal setting).

Three Phases of PST • Educational phase Psychological skills need to be learned and practiced. Expect improvement as you develop these skills and refine them over time. (continued)

Three Phases of PST (continued) • Educational phase Increasing awareness of mental skills Green light = flow Yellow light = caution or refocus Red light = real trouble and need for major coping (continued)

Three Phases of PST • Acquisition phase Focus on strategies and techniques for learning the different psychological skills. Tailor training programs to meet individual needs. You can provide general information to the group or team, but be specific when developing an individual’s PST program.

Three Phases of PST • Practice phase Learning psychological skills should progress from practices and simulations to actual competitions. This phase focuses on automating skills through overlearning, integrating psychological skills, and simulating the skills you want to apply to actual competitions. Log books help athletes chart progress and provide feedback for improvement.

Moving Psychological Skills Beyond Sport • A physical educator might use relaxation training toteach a hyperactive child to calm down. • An athletic trainer might use mental imagery to help rebuildconfidence in an athlete recovering from a kneeinjury. • A physical therapist might use goal setting to maintain motivation for an individual out with a serious, prolonged injury. • A fitness instructor might use positive self-statements to enhance self-esteem in a client who is overweight.

Self-Regulation:The Ultimate Goal of PST • After psychological skills training, an athlete should be able to monitor and self-regulate his or her own emotional state. • Self-regulation is the ability to work toward one’s short- and long-term goals by effectively monitoring and managing one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Kirschenbaum’s (1984) Modelof AthleteSelf-Regulation

Implementing PST Programs • Who should conduct PST? (Sport psychologist or coach.) Recognize potential conflicts of interest. • When should you implement PST? (In the off-season when there is more time.) • How long should training last? (10 to 15 minutes a day, three to five days per week.) • Mental training should continue throughout an athlete’s sport participation.

Designing a PST Program • Discuss your approach. • Assess the athlete’s mental skills. • Determine which psychological skills to include. • Design a PST schedule. • Evaluate the program.

Designing and Implementing a PST Program: Discussing Your Approach • Identify services to be provided. • Explain the difference between educational and clinical sport psychology consultants. • Discuss your approach. • Build trust and a good relationship with the client.

Designing and Implementing a PST Program: Assessing Athletes’ Mental Skills • Assess strengths and weaknesses (either objectively and subjectively). • Use psychological assessment techniques (performance profiling, oral interviews, psychological inventories). • Consider the unique demands of the sport. • Obtain the perspectives of other parties involved (e.g., coaches, athletic trainers).

Designing and Implementing a PST Program: Determining Which Skills to Include • Skills are qualities to be obtained (e.g., self-awareness, confidence). • Methods are procedures or techniques to develop psychological skills (e.g., arousal regulation, imagery, goal setting).

Designing and Implementing a PST Program: Determining A Schedule • Hold frequent, shorter meetings rather than longer, less frequent meetings. • Hold informal as well as formal meetings. • Whenever possible, begin PST before the season begins. • Systematically schedule PST as part of daily practice.

Designing and Implementing a PST Program: Evaluate the Program • Don’t overlook evaluation. • Trainers have an ethical obligation to evaluate program effectiveness. • Use interviews, written assessments, and objective performance measures to evaluate.

Performance Profile Adapted, by permission, from R. Buthler and L. Hardy, 1992, "The performance profile: Theory and application," The Sport Psychologist 6(3): 257.

Characteristics of Effectiveand Ineffective Sport Psychology Consultants Effective consultants • were accessible and could establish rapport with athletes, • were flexible and knowledgeable enough to meet the needs of individual athletes, • were likable and had something very concrete or practical to offer, (continued)

Characteristics of Effectiveand Ineffective Sport Psychology Consultants (continued) Effective consultants • conducted several follow-up sessions with athletes throughout the season, and • were trustworthy and able to fit in with the team.

Characteristics of Effectiveand Ineffective Sport Psychology Consultants Ineffective consultants • had poor interpersonal skills, • lacked sensitivity to the needs of individual athletes, • lacked specific psychological knowledge to apply to the sport setting, (continued)

Characteristics of Effectiveand Ineffective Sport Psychology Consultants (continued) Ineffective consultants • demonstrated inappropriate application of consulting skills at competitions, and • relied on a “canned” approach when implementing psychological skills.

Common Problemsin Implementing a PST Program • Lack of conviction • Lack of time • Lack of knowledge of sport • Lack of follow-up

Introduction to Psychological Skills Training