Unit 19 Sport and exercise psychology

ocr.org.uk/sport

Unit 1

Sport and exercise psychology

M/507/4470

Guided learning hours: 60

Version 4 - revised August 2022

*changes indicated by black line

Cambridge TECHNICALS LEVEL 3

2016 Suite

SPORT AND

PHYSICAL

ACTIVITY

First teaching September 2016

LEVEL 3

UNIT 19: Sport and exercise psychology

M/507/4470

Guided learning hours: 60

Essential resources required for this unit:

none

his unit is internally assessed and externally moderated by OCR.

UNIT AIM

Not only do participants in sport and exercise need to train their bodies but it is becoming

increasingly important that they also train their minds. Failing to attend a coaching session

through a lack of motivation, a fall out with a teammate or an overly aggressive response

to a bad challenge could mean the difference between winning and losing. Equally as

important, participation in sport and exercise is proven to have positive impacts on mental

health and wellbeing and can help improve a person’s overall quality of life.

In this unit you will learn different motivations that people have for participating in sport and

exercise and how performance can be managed through an understanding of attribution

theory, stress and group dynamics. You will also learn the impacts that participation in

sport and exercise can have on a person’s mental health and wellbeing, whether an elite

performer or a member of the general public.

First teaching September 2016

TEACHING CONTENT

The teaching content in every unit states what has to be taught to ensure that learners are able to

access the highest grades.

Anything which follows an i.e. details what must be taught as part of that area of content. Anything

which follows an e.g. is illustrative; it should be noted that where e.g. is used, learners must know

and be able to apply relevant examples in their work, although these do not need to be the same

ones specified in the unit content.

For

internally assessed units you need to ensure that any assignments you create, or any

modifications you make to an assignment, do not expect the learner to do more than they have

been taught, but must enable them to access the full range of grades as described in the grading

criteria.

Learning outcomes

Teaching content

The Learner will:

Learners must be taught:

1. Know the different

factors that affec

otivation for sport

and exercise

1.1 Types of motivation, i.e.

• intrinsic

• extrinsic

• achievement motivation theory

2 Goal setting, i.e.

• short, medium and long-term goals

• SMARTER principle of goal setting

3 Differences in motivation between general participation compared

to elite performers (e.g. intrinsic or extrinsic, high levels of

motivation at elite level, team of people to motivate elite level, self-

motivation relevant to both participation and elite, elite perhaps

more goal orientated in their motivation)

1.4 Differences in goals between general participation compared to

elite performers (e.g. increased confidence, weight loss, making

friends, increased tone, getting fitter compared to winning medals,

breaking records, representing country, to be the best, rankings)

2. Understand

attribution theory in

relation to sport

and exercise

2.1 Weiner’s model of attribution, i.e.

• locus of causality

• stability

• how individuals could attribute success or failure, i.e

o internal stable (e.g. ability)

o internal unstable (e.g. effort)

o external stable (e.g. task difficulty)

o external unstable (e.g. luck)

2 The effect of different attributions on sport and exercise

performance (e.g. which type of attribution should made be made

for success or failure (e.g. attribute failure to external factors and

success to internal factors to maintain confidence), attribution

bias, mastery orientation, learned helplessness)

First teaching September 2016

Learning outcomes

Teaching content

The Learner will:

Learners must be taught:

2.3 Attribution retraining, i.e.

• how a coach/personal trainer could help the individual change

their perception of the causes of failure (e.g. poor ability vs

lack of effort as cause of failure)

• effects of attribution retraining (e.g. increase confidence,

encourage mastery orientation, maintain participation)

3. Understand the

effects of stress

anx

iety

and

ousal in sport

and exercise

3.1 Stress, i.e.

• definition

• types, i.e.

o eustress

o distress

• causes

• symptoms

• effects on both sporting and general exercise performance

2 Anxiety, i.e.

• definition

• types, i.e

o t

rai

o s

tate

• causes

• symptoms

• effects on both sporting and general exercise performance

3 Arousal, i.e.

• definition

• theories of arousal (e.g. drive theory, inverted U hypothesis,

catastrophe theory, reversal theory, IZOF)

• effects on both sporting and general exercise performance

4 Methods of controlling stress, anxiety and arousal (e.g. self-talk,

imagery, mental rehearsal, positive thinking, confidence building,

concentration, progressive muscular relaxation, goal setting, cue

utilisation, thought stopping)

First teaching September 2016

Learning outcomes

Teaching content

The Learner will:

Learners must be taught:

4. Understand the

importance of

group dynamics in

team sports

and

roup exercise

4.1 Stages of group development, i.e.

• forming, storming, norming and performing of both a sports

team and a group activity (e.g. running group, aerobics class)

2 Cohesion, i.e.

• types, i.e.

o task

o social

• creating an effective team climate

• factors affecting cohesion (e.g. personal, environmental,

goals, leadership)

• of both a sports team and a group activity (e.g. running group,

aerobics class, outdoor adventure activity)

3 Steiner’s model of group effectiveness, i.e.

• motivational losses

• coordination losses

4.4 Methods for improving team cohesion (task and social) (e.g. give

individual roles, team building exercises, create a group identity

5. Understand the

psychological

impact of sport and

exercise on mental

healt

h and

ellbeing

5.1 Impact of sport and exercise on mental health (e.g.

depression, psychosomatic illnesses) and wellbeing (e.g. work-life

balance, social relationships)

2 Use of exercise to treat certain psychosomatic illnesses (e.g.

depression, high blood pressure, stress, anxiety, eczema)

3 Different psychological impacts of sport and exercise for elite

performers and general participants (e.g. elite level athletes not

making the grade or feeling the pressure, retiring athletes, serious

injury, non-sport related issues)

First teaching September 2016

GRADING CRITERIA

Pass

Merit

Distinction

The assessment criteria are the Pass

requirements for this unit.

To achieve a Merit the evidence must

show that, in addition to the Pass

criteria, the candidate is able to:

To achieve a Distinction the evidence

must show that, in addition to the pass

and merit criteria, the candidate is

able to:

1. Know the different factors

that affect motivation for

sport and exercise

P1*: Describe types of motivation and

goal setting, and how they can

improve performance in sport and

exercise

M1: Explain how motivation may differ

at different levels of performance in

sport and exercise

2. Understand attribution

theory in relation to sport

and exercise

P2: Describe attribution theory in

relation to sport and exercise

M2: Describe the possible ways an

individual could attribute their

successes or failures

D1: Explain how attribution retraining

could help improve an individual’s

performance in sport and exercise

3. Understand the effects of

stress, anxiety and arousal

in sport and exercise

*P3: Explain stress and anxiety, their

causes, symptoms and effect on sport

and exercise performance

M3: Explain the methods that could be

used to control stress, anxiety and

arousal in sport for different levels of

performer

*P4: Explain the effects of arousal on

sport and exercise performance using

relevant theories

4. Understand the

importance of gr

oup

namics in team sports

and group exercise

P5*: Explain the process of how a

group forms with reference to factors

affecting cohesion

M4: Explain the motivational and

coordination losses that an exercise

group or sports team may experience

D2: Evaluate methods a coach could

use to improve task and social

cohesion of a specific exercise group

or sports team

5. Understand the

psychological impact of

sport and exercise on

mental health and

wellbeing

*P6: Explain the impact of sport and

exercise on mental health and

ellbeing

M5: Analyse how the psychological

impacts of sport and exercise might

be different for elite performers and

general participants

P7: Explain how sport and exercise

could be used to treat a specific

medical condition

First teaching September 2016

SYNOPTIC LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT

It will be possible for learners to make connections between other units over and above the unit containing the key tasks for synoptic assessment, please

see section 6 of the centre handbook for more details. We have indicated in this unit where these links are with an asterisk and provided more detail in the

assessment guidance section below.

ASSESSMENT GUIDANCE

LO1 Know the different factors that affect motivation for sport and exercise

Learners must use specific sport and/or exercise examples. Learners must describe each of the types of motivation and goal setting types outlined in the

Teaching Content. For M1, learners must explain the differences in motivation between elite performer and general participants in at least two different forms

of sport and/or exercise. For this LO, learners will benefit from drawing on learning from mandatory Unit 2, Sports coaching and activity leadership – LO4 Be

able to plan sports and activity sessions. Learners may also draw on learning from Unit 7, Improving fitness for sport and physical activity and Unit 11, Physical

activity for specific groups.

LO2: Understand attribution theory in relation to sport and exercise

Learners must use specific sport and/or exercise examples (including M2 and D1).

3: Understand the effects of stress, anxiety and arousal in sport and exercise

Learners must use specific sport and/or exercise examples (including M3). For this LO, learners may draw on learning from Unit 17, Sports injuries and

rehabilitation.

LO4 Understand the importance of group dynamics in team sports and group exercise

Learners must use specific sport and/or exercise examples. For M4 and D2, learners must be able to explain what happens when teams are unable to work

together effectively and the actions a coach may take to remedy this and how effective they might be. Ideally this would be supported by specific sporting

examples. For this LO, learners will benefit from drawing on learning from mandatory Unit 2, Sports coaching and activity leadership – LO2 Understand

principles which underpin coaching and leading. Learners may also benefit from drawing on learning from Unit 18, Practical skills in sport and physical activity.

5 Understand the psychological impact of sport and exercise on mental health and wellbeing

Learners should consider the psychological impacts of sport and exercise to the health and wellbeing of general participants. For P7, the medical condition

must be psychosomatic and the psychological treatment through sport and exercise considered. For M5, learners should then analyse differences in

psychological impacts of sport and exercise between general participants and elite athletes. For this LO, learners may benefit from drawing on learning from

Unit 7, Improving fitness for sport and physical activity; Unit 11, Physical activity for specific groups and Unit 12, Nutrition and diet for sport and exercise.

Feedback to learners: you can discuss work-in-progress towards summative assessment with learners to make sure it’s being done in a planned and

timely manner. It also provides an opportunity for you to check the authenticity of the work. You must intervene if you feel there’s a health and safety risk.

Learners should use their own words when producing evidence of their knowledge and understanding. When learners use their own words it reduces the

possibility of learners’ work being identified as plagiarised. If a learner does use someone else’s words and ideas in their work, they must acknowledge it,

First teaching September 2016

and this is done through referencing. Just quoting and referencing someone else’s work will not show that the learner knows or understands it. It has to be

clear in the work how the learner is using the material they have referenced to inform their thoughts, ideas or conclusions.

For more information about internal assessment, including feedback, authentication and plagiarism, see the centre handbook. Information about how to

reference is in the OCR Guide to Referencing available on our website:

http://www.ocr.org.uk/i-want-to/skills-guides/.

MEANINGFUL EMPLOYER INVOLVEMENT - a requirement for the Foundation Diploma and Diploma (Tech Level)

qualifications

The ‘Diploma’ qualifications have been designed to be recognised as Tech Levels in performance tables in England. It is a requirement of these

qualifications for centres to secure employer involvement through delivery and/or assessment of these qualifications for every learner.

he minimum amount of employer involvement must relate to at least one or more of the elements of mandatory content.

ligible activities and suggestions/ideas that may help you in securing meaningful employer involvement for this unit are given in the table below.

Please refer to the Qualification Handbook for further information including a list of activities that are not considered to meet this requirement.

Meaningful employer involvement

Suggestion/ideas for centres when delivering this unit

1. Learners undertake structured work experience or work

placements that develop skills and knowledge relevant to

he qualification.

Learners could shadow the coach of a sports team to witness methods of

improving task and social cohesion.

2. Learners undertake project(s), exercises(s) and/or

assessments/examination(s) set with input from industry

practitioner(s).

Sports psychologists, counsellors, doctors or coaches could provide case

studies to centres which learners can then base their assessment evidence

on.

3. Learners take one or more units delivered or co-delivered by

an industry practitioner(s). This could take the form of

master classes or guest lectures.

Sports psychologists, counsellors, doctors or coaches could deliver guest

lectures to learners about the impacts of psychology on sport and/or the

impacts of sport and exercise on mental health and wellbeing as well as team

cohesion and group dynamics.

4. Industry practitioners operating as ‘expert witnesses’ that

contribute to the assessment of a learner’s work or practice,

operating within a specified assessment framework. This

may be a specific project(s), exercise(s) or examination(s),

or all assessments for a qualification.

Sports psychologists, counsellors, doctors or coaches could contribute to the

assessment of learners’ work.

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