Module JXH-3074:
Stress and Performance

Module Facts

Run by School of Human and Behavioural Sciences

10.000 Credits or 5.000 ECTS Credits

Overall aims and purpose

Why do some athletes excel during intense pressurised situations one day but fall by the wayside the next? How can you train athletes and other individuals (e.g., military, emergency services, or business) to survive and thrive in high-pressure situations? This course will provide practical and evidence based answers to these questions. If you are looking for a career in any performance related domain then having an understanding of the material covered on this course is a must. Through real athlete case studies that the delivery staff have been involved with, you will be taught to recognise why performance has broken down under pressure and more importantly, what you as a practitioner can do about it.

Course content

The course is delivered by two sport and exercise psychophysiologists who have worked with elite level athletes, coaches, and applied practitioners. You will be taught the most up-to-date theories and applied interventions in the stress and performance literature. Practical work in lectures will cover key areas of stress and performance including: Attentional Control e.g. why are we distracted by threat? Reinvestment e.g. why do we attempt to consciously control movements under pressure? Challenge and Threat perceptions e.g. what do our psychophysiological responses to stress mean, and how can we optimally control them?

Assessment Criteria

excellent

A- and above Students should be able to present an outstanding in-depth and critical discussion of the underlying theories and models covered in the course work. They will be able to use their deep understanding to demonstrate how theories surrounding stress and performance can explain performance drops. In addition, they will clearly demonstrate applied interventions based on sound theoretical research to alleviate such negative effects and justify their use. They will refer to the athletes' situation throughout.

Work will display comprehensive knowledge and detailed understanding, reflecting extensive background study. The work will be highly focussed, well structured, logically presented and with defended arguments. The work will be presented to a high standard with accurate communication and limited to no factual or computational errors.

threshold

D- to C+ Students should be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of the underlying theories and models covered in the course work, and show that they can apply these stress and performance theories to explain performance drops. They should also be able to demonstrate basic knowledge of applied interventions based on sound theoretical research to alleviate such negative effects and justify their use. The work may contain some irrelevant material and weaknesses in structure. Arguments presented may lack coherence with some misconceptions evident.

good

B- to B+ Students should be able to present a very good discussion of the underlying theories and models covered in the course work. They will demonstrate that they can apply these theories surrounding stress and performance to explain performance drops. In addition, they will demonstrate a good knowledge of applied interventions based on sound theoretical research to alleviate such negative effects and justify their use. The work should have a defined and logical structure but there may still be some weaknesses in the way in which arguments are presented. There should be some original interpretation and demonstration of links between topics. The work will be presented carefully with accurate communication and few factual or computational errors.

Learning outcomes

  1. Construct theoretically driven remedies/practices to help alleviate adverse effects of stress on performance.

  2. Critically analyse stress and performance research.

  3. Describe the key theories used to explain the relationship between stress and motor performance.

  4. Apply the contemporary stress and performance theory and research to explain performance slumps present in real-life athlete case studies.

Assessment Methods

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Hours
Lecture

Lectures will cover core stress and performance theories, interventions and supporting research (7 x 2 hour).

 14
Seminar

Seminars will discuss the taught content of the course, apply it to real-life athlete case studies, and develop interventions to alleviate the performance problems. These sessions will also serve as a form formative feedback ahead of the summative assessments (3 x 2 hour).

 6
Private study

The student is expected to devote 80 hours to private study. This will include reading articles, researching the underlying literature, previewing lectures and preparing the coursework.

 80

Transferable skills

  • Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
  • Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
  • Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
  • Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
  • Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
  • Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team
  • Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
  • Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others
  • Leadership - Able to lead and manage, develop action plans and objectives, offer guidance and direction to others, and cope with the related pressures such authority can result in

Subject specific skills

  • research and assess paradigms, theories, principles, concepts and factual information, and apply such skills in explaining and solving problems
  • critically assess and evaluate data and evidence in the context of research methodologies and data sources
  • describe, synthesise, interpret, analyse and evaluate information and data relevant to a professional or vocational context
  • plan, design, execute and communicate a sustained piece of independent intellectual work, which provides evidence of critical engagement with, and interpretation of, appropriate data
  • apply knowledge to the solution of familiar and unfamiliar problems
  • develop a sustained reasoned argument, perhaps challenging previously held assumptions
  • demonstrate effective written and/or oral communication and presentation skills
  • work effectively independently and with others
  • take and demonstrate responsibility for their own learning and continuing personal and professional development
  • self-appraise and reflect on practice
  • plan and design practical activities using appropriate techniques and procedures whilst demonstrating high levels of relevant skills
  • demonstrate an understanding of the philosophical basis of scientific paradigms
  • demonstrate evidence of competence in the scientific methods of enquiry, and interpretation and analysis of relevant data and statistical outputs.
  • develop transferable skills of relevance to careers outside of sport, health and exercise sciences.
  • communicate succinctly at a level appropriate to different audiences.
  • develop knowledge of psychometric instruments
  • accurately interpret case study data
  • develop justifiable and/or evidence-based interventions
  • develop effective learning aids

Resources

Talis Reading list

http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/jxh-3074.html

Reading list

https://rl.talis.com/3/bangor/lists/7387EE15-3F20-0289-E3B5-0C3EB6A5BBF8.html?lang=en

Courses including this module