How beliefs shape motivation in sports psychology

Sports psychology is the study of the mental foundations, processes, and effects of sport, including how thoughts and feelings affect performance and how sport affects well-being. The lessons answer how beliefs shape motivation and improvement, helping readers understand how athletes' reasons for participating can support or hinder progress. They connect motivation with goal setting, mental practice, and the environments that shape athletes' efforts.

2 articles, 1 video, 1 book · about 1 hr 38 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   sports psychology · Wikipedia · 60+ min read

   Coaches can create task-oriented climates that emphasize skill-building, improvement, complete effort, and mastering a task, or ego-oriented climates that emphasize superior ability and competition without promoting effort or individual improvement. A task-oriented climate has been found to develop greater intrinsic, self-determined motivation in athletes than an ego-oriented climate, linking a focus on self-improvement with motivation. Sports psychology research suggests goals should be specific, measurable, difficult but attainable, time-based, written down, and combine short-term and long-term aims. A meta-analysis of goal setting in sport suggests these goals improve performance compared with setting no goals or "do your best" goals. In sports psychology, Knapp (1963) defined skills as the learned ability to bring pre-determined results with maximum certainty, often with the minimum outlay of time, energy or both. As a skill develops, the error is diminished.

2. Read
   

   "Understanding Student-Athlete Burnout" · appliedsportpsych.org · 6 min read

   Athletes can sometimes feel controlled by rewards such as trophies, scholarships, money, celebrity or approval as they advance through competition, a change that often brings added pressure. This may undermine their desire to participate and potentially fuel burnout.

3. Watch
   

   How I dealt with Performance Anxiety (as an "Anxiety Expert") · YouTube · 15 min watch

   Seven practical strategies can manage performance anxiety, including positive self-talk, a mindset shift and ways to regulate the body. The speaker draws on managing stage fright during a keynote speech.

4. Book
   

   Mindset: The New Psychology of Success · Bookshop.org

   Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck describes how athletes can use the belief that abilities can be developed to foster outstanding accomplishment. Dweck introduces false growth mindset and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset.

Book links are Bookshop.org affiliate links. Curiate may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you — Bookshop.org also gives a share to independent bookshops.