Run by School of Human and Behavioural Sciences

10.000 Credits or 5.000 ECTS Credits

Semester 2

Organiser: Dr Stuart Beattie

Why is it that some people are more prone to performance slumps than others? Why is it that some ones performance levels fluctuate wildly across time more so than others despite there being no apparent change in skill level? This module will explore direct and interactive relationships between personality, psychological resources, emotions, cognition's upon preparation and performing under pressure. Using information gathered from a variety of sources (self-report questionnaire data, observational data, performance data, interview data) you will design a bespoke intervention for a client that will help them to perform at a more consistent level across time.

The content will be based around aspects of personalty, psychological skills, cognition's, emotional and behavioural regulation, leadership and the training environment, mental toughness, mentally tough behaviour in training and competition, resilience, and performance.

excellent

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 individual difference in performance psychology can aid individual performance. In addition, they will develop a critical understanding of applied interventions and justifying their use in their own intervention work and the athletes profile.

threshold

Students should be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of the underlying theories and models covered in the course work. They then must demonstrate that they can apply these theories surrounding training and performance slumps. They will then be able to demonstrate knowledge of applied interventions based on sound theoretical research to alleviate such negative effects and justify their use.

good

Students should be able to present a very good discussion of the underlying theories and models covered in the course work. They then must demonstrate that they can apply these theories to individual athletes. In addition, they will demonstrate a very good knowledge of applied interventions based on sound theoretical research to alleviate such negative effects in training and competition and justify their use.

1. Demonstrate your ability to design a research driven intervention that will minimise the likelihood of impaired performance under pressure. This intervention should comprise of both individualised social-support psych skills interventions (i.e., more soft skills in nature) and training drills and practices (i.e., more hard skills in nature).

2. Critically assess and evaluate a clients psychological profile in relation to personality, mental toughness, mentally tough behaviour, cognitions, self-regulation, and psychological skills and show how this might influence performing under pressure.

3. Analyze critical information via a triangulation of methods (performance data, observational data, and questionnaire data) that will allow you to make an informed judgement about an individual's ability to perform under pressure.

Type	Name	Description	Weight
CASE STUDY	Individual overview and intervention	a. Develop a holistic understanding of the individual using principles from psychophysiology, neuroscience, personality psychology and sport psychology. Provide a brief summary of what the person looks like. What looks normal, what doesn’t? What characteristics look good for sports performance, which ones don’t? b. Predict the processes most likely to occur for this individual in high-pressure scenarios. Explain with reference to performance, what has the potential to go wrong? c. Design bespoke interventions in order to minimise the likelihood of impaired performance under pressure. These interventions should comprise of both individualised social-support psych skills interventions (i.e., more soft skills in nature) and training drills and practices (i.e., more hard skills in nature).	100.00

		Hours
Lecture	The 20 hrs of 'lectures' will be a mixture of live (interactive) video conferences and pre-recorded panoptos recordings	20
Private study	Reading time, preparing and taking assessments.	80

• Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
• Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
• 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.
• Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
• 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

• 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
• demonstrate an understanding of the philosophical basis of scientific paradigms
• 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

Talis Reading list

http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/jxh-4104.html

Reading list

Sample reading List

Bell, J., Hardy, L., & Beattie, S. (2013). Enhancing mental toughness and performance under pressure in elite young cricketers: a 2 year longitudinal intervention. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 2, 281-297.

Eysenck, M. W., Derakhshan, N., Santos, R., & Calvo, M. G. (2007). Anxiety and cognitive performance: Attentional control theory. Emotion, 7(2), 336-353.

Gucciardi, D., Hanton, S., Gordon, S., Mallet, C., & Temby, P. (2014). The Concept of Mental Toughness: Tests of Dimensionality, Nomological Network, and Traitness. Journal of Personality, 83, 26-44. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12079.

Gucciardi, D. F., & Gordon, S. (Eds.). (2011). Mental toughness in sport: Developments in research and theory. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Hardy, L., Bell, J., & Beattie, S. (2014). Mental Toughness and Reinforcement Sensitivity: Preliminary evidence for a neuropsychological model of mental toughness. Journal of Personality, 82, 69-81. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12034.

Young, B. W., & Starkes, J. L. (2006a). Coaches’ perceptions of non-regulated training behaviours in competitive swimmers. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 1, 53–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1260/174795406776338427

Full reading list here http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/jxh-4002.html

Optional in courses:

• C6AT: MSc Performance Psychology year 1 (MSC/PP)
• C6AU: MSc Performance Psychology (DL - 2 year) year 1 (MSC/PRP)