Sport and Exercise Psychology

Curriculum guideline

Effective Date:
Course
Discontinued
No
Course code
SPSC 2231
Descriptive
Sport and Exercise Psychology
Department
Sport Science
Faculty
Science and Technology
Credits
3.00
Start date
End term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 Weeks
Max class size
35
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Contact hours

Lecture: 3 hours/week

and

Interactive Lecture: 1 hour/week

Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Other
Learning activities

In this course, students engage in a variety of learning activities such as lecture, group discussion, self-study from assigned materials, case studies, and practical activities such as discussion, collaboration in groups (in class and online), case analysis, and video observations. 

Course description
This course is an introduction to the field of applied sport and exercise psychology. Students apply mental skills and strategies to real world sport and exercise settings. They also use their developing knowledge of mental skills and strategies from the course to inform reflections and decisions about their mental strengths and areas to work on. Students devise a mental skills plan for their personal growth and enhanced performance in a sport and/or exercise setting.
Course content
  • Awareness in sport and exercise psychology
  • The environment and sport and exercise psychology
    • Positive reinforcement and feedback
    • Expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies
    • Communication in sport and exercise
    • Team cohesion and team building
    • Parents in sport
    • Motivation
  • Psychological characteristics of peak performance
    • Theoretical aspects
    • Research on peak performance in sport
    • Assessment of peak performance
  • Psychological skills, interventions and strategies
    • Goal setting
    • Arousal, emotion, performance relationship
    • Imagery
    • Cognitive strategies for building confidence
    • Concentration and attentional control
  • Implementing psychological skills training (PST) programs
    • Theoretical aspects
    • Research on PST program effectiveness
    • Season planning for PST
  • Additional topics in sport and exercise psychology
    • Clinical issues in sport and exercise psychology
    • Psychology of injury and rehabilitation 
    • Overtraining and burnout in sport
    • Career transitions in sport
    • Gender, diversity, and cultural considerations in sport and exercise psychology
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: 
  • identify and describe the mental skills required for optimal performance in sport and health outcomes;
  • develop and apply mental skills in personal and hypothetical situations guided by constructive feedback;
  • reflect on and apply theoretical and conceptual knowledge of sport and exercise psychology to personal lived experiences;
  • develop practical competence with regard to the application and delivery of mental skills training in sport and exercise psychology;
  • interpret, analyze, and evaluate personal strengths and weaknesses and areas for improvement within the area of mental skills and sport and exercise psychology;
  • design a personal mental training plan based on a self-evaluation and personalized goal setting process.
Means of assessment

Assessment will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. Evaluation will be based on the following:

Test(s)                              10-40%
Projects                            10-40%
Discussions                       0-30%
Quizzes                             0-25%
Journals                            10-30%
Participation & Check-Ins    0-20%
Final Exam                         0-40%

 

Total:                              100%

Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.

Textbook materials
Will be decided by course instructors. Potential resources include:
Williams, J. M. (Editor) (2010). Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (6th ed.). 
Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

Consult the Douglas College Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. Example textbooks and materials may include:

Williams, J. M. & Krane, V. (Current Edition). Applied Sport Psychology: Personal Growth to Peak Performance. McGraw-Hill.

Prerequisites
None
SPSC 1164 recommended

 None

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

Which prerequisite