The document discusses the topic of aggression in sports. It notes that while sport psychologists focus on issues like goal setting and performance enhancement, the media tends to highlight more negative topics involving athlete behavior such as violence, substance abuse, and gambling scandals. The document explores the differences between instrumental aggression which is goal-directed and reactive aggression aimed at harming others. It also addresses how emotions can help or hurt athletic performance and provides coaching considerations for managing arousal levels. Throughout, it examines the complex relationship between aggression and success in sports.
4. Interestingly, sport psychologists and
the media are not focusing on the same
issues.
Sport Psychology
Goal Setting
Injury Issues
Anxiety Reduction
Team Building
Performance
Enhancement
Not all sport
psychologists are
psychologists – let
alone trained in
understanding deviant
behavior.
Media
In-sport aggression
Rape
Steroids
Substance Abuse
Point
shaving/gambling
scandals.
Domestic violence
5. Golf
“Aggressive play is a vital
asset of the world's greatest golfers.
However, it's even more important to
the average player. Attack this game
in a bold, confident, and determined
way, and you'll make a giant leap
toward realizing your full potential as
a player.”
Greg Norman
6. Tennis
“My aggression out there is my
weapon, ... ... I think it's more
letting them know that I'm not going
to let them get away with something,
and I'm not just going to kind of
poke it back and be content to stay
in rallies.”
Andy Roddick
7. Michael Jordan
I realized that if I was going to
achieve anything in life I had to be
aggressive. I had to get out there
and go for it... I know fear is an
obstacle for some people, but it's an
illusion to me.
8. Aggression
Behavior associated with tenacity that often has doing
harm to another as one of its goal.
Types of Aggression
Instrumental - goal-directed aggression where harm to
another is not the primary goal but is a secondary
result of the action.
Reactive - behavior that has, as its goal, to do harm to
someone. Usually, this is in response to a perceived
injustice, insult, or wrong-doing. Related to anger.
9. Deviant
•Differing from a norm or from the
accepted standards of a society.
•Not necessarily different and
worse.
•Could mean statistically
different.
10. Violence - extreme form of reactive
aggression.
Sports Violence - harm-inducing
behavior outside the rules of sport,
bearing no direct relationship to the
competitive goals of sport. (Terry &
Jackson, 1985)
12. Sport Success Depends on
the Type of Aggression
Instrumental
Aggression
Reactive
Aggression
Sport
Success
Penalties,
Mental
Mistakes
Athletic
Success
13. When we think of deviant
aggression, do we consider
context?
14. Passively go after your goals?
Withstand pain, hurdle obstacles,
persevere?
Train harder, work harder, want it more…
Relax, success will come to you, don’t
worry…
Competition
– Good vs. Bad
BE AGGRESSIVE!!!!
Sports World
15. In the financial world “aggressiveness” is an essential
and highly desirable characteristic.
It relates to being “aggressive” in things like:
– finding new business leads
– taking smart financial risks (when the proper risk/reward
situation occurs)
– taking large trading positions when things are setting up
correctly
– identifying new products or ways to improve old operations
With my clients, I refer to incorporating “controlled
aggression” meaning you wait for your “edge”
opportunity to appear and then unleash the aggression
to achieve the desired outcome.
Doug Hirschhorn, Ph.D.
World of Business
16. Do Emotions Help or Hurt
Performance?
Consider these situations:
1. Quarterback throwing a pass
in tight coverage.
2. Defensive lineman rushing
the passer.
3. A linebacker reacting to a play
– run or pass?
17. Do Emotions Help or Hurt
Performance?
Consider these situations:
4. A student sitting in the room when
he/she is about to take the SAT.
5. An applicant in the waiting room
before entering into an interview –
either for college admission or
“THE” job.
6. An executive determining strategy
for the company’s future.
18. When aroused, what goes out the
window?
Decision making
Problem solving
Fine motor coordination
Cognitive processing speed
Ability to consider all options
“Vision”
19. Coaching considerations
Stimulus differentiation problems
How to help them turn it up vs. turn
it down:
– Self-awareness
– Teammate assistance
– Pre-competition mental skills training
– Prediction of consequences
Open discussion about if the
behavior occurs outside of the sports
arena what can happen.
20. Normalize Emotions
How much can you tolerate and still
perform well is more important than
what emotion you have.
Learn what they already use to
adjust their mood - self-talk,
imagery/visualization and music.
Reframe the experience as their body
is just getting ready for what they
prepared for.
What works in the extremes?
21. Violence and sport have NOT
developed a new relationship!!!
Anymore than violence and society
have just become acquainted…
22. Interventions Need to be Available
Start young! Codes of Conduct in
Youth Sport.
Anger Management geared to
athletes, coaches, parents, etc.
Education of athletes starting at the
high school level, about
consequences of behavior.
Prosocial programming for dating
violence prevention.
23. For Whom Do These Skills Not Work?
People that are not motivated for success.
– They see it as mandated.
– Will try to not learn.
Those with other, more severe psychopathology.
– Be ready to refer to a professional. Know when you
are out of your league.
Not willing to give up people who support
anger/violence. (i.e. Gangs)
Psychopathy
25. Mitch Abrams, Psy.D.
Learned Excellence for Athletes
Sport Psychologist/Founder
720 King Georges Road; Ste 105
Fords, New Jersey 08863
Office: (732)738-0900
Fax: (732)738-0815
Cell: (917)887-5206
E-mail: MAbrams589@aol.com
Notes de l'éditeur
Clarification of aggression as it relates to tenacity and is reinforced in our society. Instrumental aggression is goal-directed and when we are looking for athletes to be aggressive in sports, this is the type of aggression that should be reinforced. Reactive aggression, as it is related to anger, interferes with sports performance - either by causing penalties or the anger causing lapses in cognitive processes. Differentiate this from assertiveness. Assertiveness training involves people standing up for their rights - No one has the right to put the ball in the basket or the puck in the net.
Beginning with the definitions. Anger is NORMAL . The problem is not the emotion, the problem is the behavior that arises in relation to the emotion.
These are key definitions. Note the clarification in this definition of sports violence. Outside the rules of sport, bearing no direct relationship to the sports competitive goals and causing harm is its goal.