UNIT-16 APPLICATION OF SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY TO SPORTS*
Structure
16.0 Objectives
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Team Dynamics in Sports
16.3 Team Building in Sports
16.3.1 Psychological Intervention
16.3.2 Communication Training Intervention
16.4 Motivation in Sports
16.5 Enhancing Team Performance
16.6 Coach- Athlete
16.7 Peer- Relationship
16.8. Let Us Sum Up
16.9 Unit End Questions
16.10 Glossary
16.11 Answer to Self Assessment Questions
16.12 Suggested Readings and References
16.0 Objectives
After reading this unit, you will be able to:
• Explain the field of sports psychology;
• Explain the role of team dynamics in sports;
• Describe the interventions in team building;
• Explain the role of motivation towards the performance of sports person; and
• Discuss the importance of coach athlete.
16.1 Introduction
In this modern age, a lot of emphasis is usually laid down upon games and sports. Nowadays,
every nation wants to elate its image and reputation. For the fulfilment of this objective,
every nation sends best players for international level competitions. Therefore, every nation
is striving hard to achieve apex position in the field of sports and games. The standard of
sports in every country is having an increased trend. The proper functioning of physiological
system is physical fitness. In fact, physical capacity is more than the possession of strength
and endurance. Physical fitness is possessed by the individual, who remains enthusiast, work
cheerfully, and do the emergency work with vigour. Physical fitness implies a relation between
the task to be performed and the individual’s capability to perform it. The physical fitness
varies according to the nature of work, individual’s size, shape of the body, age and sex. A
* Ms. Preeti Sehrawat, Psychologist, Delhi
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Areas of Application of physically fit individual should possess a sufficient reserve of energy to meet the situation
Social Psychology when a person requires unusual expenditure of strength, physical fitness. Wellness, social
fitness and emotional fitness are also its essential aspects. Sports and games provide an ideal
time to introduce the concept of wellness among young children. A healthy body produces
effective performance and allows the child to get maximum enjoyment. There are various
methods for improving wellness. These methods do not improve only health but also help in
sports achievement.
Sports and games contribute to wellness by components such as strength, speed, endurance,
flexibility and coordinate abilities. A health and nutritious diet helps to maintain an ideal
body weight for sports and improves performance. Good nutrition means essential nutrients,
including, fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals and water. It increases the working
efficiency of an individual and finally wellness of a person can be improved. Physical fitness
and wellness are very significant for leading a happy and well balanced life. Although
physical fitness varies according to the task to be performed, yet a certain level of physical
fitness is necessary for a common person too. Physical fitness is important to perform the
daily activities like walking, running, lifting and carrying. Physical appearance and physical
fitness changes our lifestyle or way of life. In this unit we will discuss how physical fitness is
necessary for everyone in every walk of life.
16.2 Team Dynamics in Sports
The word ‘dynamic’ is obtained from the Greek word, which means force. The ‘team’
dynamics’ means the existing forces which can operate in a team. Ultimately the behaviour of
an individual is persistently modified. Specially, an individual is influenced by the members
of its team, the forces, which influence surroundings, have a great significant role for the
development of individual’s proper behaviour pattern. A person’s attitude is always influenced
by all other team members of whom s/he is a member. So, if a group demands any change in
their attitude, s/he needs to bring some changes in their behaviour or attitude. Mostly learning
is delayed or hindered because of firmly relied obstruction from the groups. If the coach
desires to provide perfect coaching and better learning s/he has to remove these obstructions.
The team training is more effective than individual training in the domains of performance
of social activities. The interaction among the member in a sports team can be identified to
some extent through social factor. For example, in a coordinated team of sports, a member
who has different opinion than that of the particular team, s/he is mostly ignored by the
entire team members. But in a verbiage team of members, the member, who has dissonant,
opinion, will attract more attention. The team environment and the skillful and efficient action
of the team impacts the personality of the members of the team. Some pattern of members
behaviour decrease the level of tensions and reduce the stress. Each member’s beliefs and
actions are controlled by small team. Team dynamics is determined at the unconscious level,
psychological forces that impact towards the direction of behaviour and performance of
its members. Team dynamics are provided to understand the nature of the team's work, the
individual personalities within the team and manage the working relationships with other
member, and the atmosphere in which the team works. Team dynamics can be positive for
example, when it explores the entire team performance and to get the best result outcome of
individual team members. In addition, team dynamics can also be negative for example, when
it create the unproductive conflict, self-discourage or other members of team, and restrict the
team policy from achieving its goals.
16.3 Team Building in Sports
The team building refers to two or more players working together with a shared objective,
it is clear evident to see how crucial team building in sport can be. A sports team requires
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a lot of time and energy dedicated to building values among team members which leads to Application of Social
achievement. Team building is one of the most widely used group-development activities in Psychology to
organisations or management. Sports
The concept of team building in the context of sports is described as:
● Aligning opinions of team members
● Maximize supportive working relationships
● Minimize the team members' role ambiguity
● Co-operate solutions to team problems.
16.3.1 Psychological Intervention
Sports psychology intervention are considered to help athletes and other sports participants
(e.g., coaches, administration, parents) from a wider literary of position, levels of competition
and ages, ranking from performance level of young participants to professional and Olympic
athletes. Sports psychology uses the psychological concept and skills to enhance performance
and well- being of athletes; development and social aspect of sports participation, and essential
issues linked with sports setting and sports organization. American Psychological Association
(APA) acknowledges sports psychology as a beneficiary obtained after a doctoral degree in
the primary areas of psychology and can coach sports teams.
Sports, psychology is a proficiency that assists psychological knowledge and capability of
powerful performance. It hepls participants to make sure that their physical and psychological
requirements are fulfilled.
Sport Psychological Perspectives focus more upon the basic demands of sports related
psychological interventions which are as follows:
● Each sport psychological intervention starts with a belief- building segment, in which
the athletes and the coach are able to understand the sport psychologist and learn to
trust him or her.
● Every sport psychological procedure has to be carried by the team's top management
and by the leader coach.
● The sport psychological interventions should be unified into the proper training
schedule.
16.3.2 Communication Training Intervention
Communication is the concept of prosperous sharing of information with the players of the
team. Coaches desire to motivate the athletes so that they can play with confidence and to
provide strength to them, to train them perfectly and maximize their performance. The current
review calculated the effectiveness and suitability of discussion. Training interventions that
involve a communication component helps to enhance professional and family careers. This
training method increases the communication skills and competence. It also increases the
knowledge of careers and contributes to the development in the wellbeing of members of the
sports team.
16.4 Motivation in Sports
As we know that, the mental process that originates, supports, or guides an athlete's conduct is
known as motivation (training, approach to competition, managing adversity, performance).
There are two types of motivation in sports:
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Areas of Application of i) Intrinsic motivation
Social Psychology
ii) Extrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation is defined as athletic conduct that is motivated by personal or internal
rewards (opportunities to explore, learn, and actualize potential). Intrinsically driven athletes
participate in sports for a variety of reasons, including enjoyment of the sport, the challenge of
competing and accomplishing new personal goals, skill development, potential exploration,
and so on. Intrinsically driven athletes focus on improving their skills and developing
themselves as athletes.
Extrinsic motivation is defined as athletic conduct aimed at obtaining external benefits or
avoiding punishment. Extrinsically motivated athletes engage in sports for a variety of
reasons, including external rewards (trophies, scholarships, government or public-sector
jobs, promotions, media exposure, and accolades). Extrinsically motivated athletes are more
concerned with the results of sporting competitions.
Self Assessment Question (SAQ I)
Fill in the blanks:
1) Team ..................... are provided to understand the nature of the team's work.
2) Team building is one of the most widely is used in ..................... activities.
3) Coaches are able to ..................... the sport psychology and to help sports person.
4) ..................... motivation involves the behaviour of satisfaction of internal rewards.
5) ..................... is the process to pursue the greater opportunities with concentration and
grab the opportunities.
16.5 Enhancing Team Performance
One of the first words that come to human’s mind when they think about the term team is
‘spirit’. A team is identified on basis of their performance. It obstructs a cohesive structure,
implies a good vibe and is highly likely to reflect better functioning group of people, working
perfectly towards a basic goal. However, a team to work effectively is far more challenging
than the performance of one single employee. Each team member should know the capacity
of team and performance of team members to access the goal. Direct communication
with the team or one-to-one team member would help to increase the motivation level
and reduce the fear. This step will keep everybody comfortable and contribute to enhance
their performance, which should be expressed internally and externally. Team enhance
basically need to surround the team with positive vibes, to help to sustain the team spirit
and performance.
16.6 Coach- Athlete
The Coach- Athlete relationship is described as a performance factor in a sporting
atmosphere. It is determined by the quality of understanding, emotions respect, belief,
ambiguity, logistically and pre-assumptions that exists between the coach and the athlete
or the team member. Coaches are also called as an athlete’s primary care giver. Coaches
are that person who plays very prominent role in the athletes’ lives who are expected to
increase the motivation, security, safety and emotional attachment. The fact is that we
are conditioned in sports area so all we want a coach to guide the sportsperson as a result
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of how we have been parented in our early childhood years. The coach is introduced to Application of Social
‘give the lead, make effective suggestions, guide towards right direction, act as a role Psychology to
model for others, gives decision, which are respected and carried out. In majority of Sports
the sports cases, what a coach does has a significant impact on others. A high potential
coach always observes his/her followers’ reaction to his/her command and actions and
must adjust them accordingly. So, coach should follow the rules which s/he expects to be
followed. Some coaches performs the groups, some use the groups for their confidential
ends. Coaches, therefore, drop down in alternative categories similar to what they do for
the group or with a group. Some of the coaches rely upon force. Coaches are generally
those, whose jurisdiction (power) has been invested in them by law. Such coaches are
sometimes mentioned to as ‘the chief to differentiate them from coaches chosen by the
group there are also some coaches who are called ‘condescending coaches, who are
selected to satisfy the demands of their followers and grab their loyalty and obedience.
Such kind of leadership is found in business concern.
There are five key themes for Success which are as follows:
1) The relationship between the coach- athlete: A mutual connection of trust and
respectful relationship should exist between the coach and athletes. Coach is a person
who already is aware what to expect from the athlete also known as predictability, s/he
understands how to communicate with athletes, s/he resemble the suitable place where
athlete can do best work and how to develop athlete’s power in the context of their
sport.s
2) Self- awareness of high level Athlete: It refers to the awarness level of atnelete on
thow to behave, what are their weakness and limitations are, what motivates them, who
can be the best guide them and how to adapt their credibility to produce more effective
outcomes.
3) Quality of the training atmosphere: It includes athletes’ equipment, support, comfort
ability environment and conditioning programs, maximize the strengths, participation
in activities and overall facilities used.
4) The Planning of management at the competition environment: It refers to the level
of planning for facing the competition environment and how logistically approved and
how disorganised circumstances should be managed so that it would not fix the limit for
athlete’s performance.
5) Support system mechanisms: It refers to the work-life balance of the athletes. He/she
should be capable to create a balance between family members, relatives, close friends,
could be a staff surrounding the athletes such as coaches, mentor, doctors, massage
therapists, psychologists, nutritionists, trainers, physiotherapists.
16.7 Peer- Relationship
Peer relationship play an important role in children’s development. It provides unique
opportunities for getting familiarized with the social norms and processes occurreing in
interpersonal relationships, and for learning new social skills. They also allow conditions
in which abilities for self-control may be tested and refined. Peer relations of childhood
are also multi-faceted; children experience, peer co-relations through their participation
in group or team activities, as well as through their dyadic (i.e. one-on-one) connections
with friends. These different facets of peer relationships and its experiences could be
seen as providing age-related progressively requirements for the construction of the self,
with peer group develop gaining in importance and terminating in middle childhood,
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Areas of Application of before collapses to friendships as the most prominent feature in late childhood and
Social Psychology adolescence.
Self Assessment Questions II (SAQ II)
State whether the following ‘True’ or ‘False’
1) Direct communication with team member would help to reduce the motivation level. ( )
2) Coaches are also called as an athlete’s primary care giver. ( )
3) The coach is introduced to ‘give the lead’ makes effective suggestions, shows the right
direction. ( )
4) Team provides positive vibes, team spirit and performance to the team in sports. ( )
5) Peer relationships are informed to play dominant role in children’s development. ( )
16.8 Let Us Sum Up
Nowadays, every nation wants to ameliorate its image and reputation. For the fulfilment
of this objective, every nation sends best players for international level competitions.
Therefore, every nation is striving hard to achieve apex position in the fields of sports and
games. The standard of sports in every country is having an increasing trend, but it is a
shocking matter for all of us that in spite of our best endeavours. The proper functioning
of physiological system is physical fitness. In fact, physical is more than the possession
of strength and endurance. Physical fitness is possessed by the individual, who remains
enthusiast, work cheerfully, and do the emergency work with vigour. Physical fitness
implies a relation between the task to be performed and the individual’s capability to
perform it. The word ‘dynamic’ is obtained from the Greek word which means force.
The ‘team’ dynamics’ means exist forces which can operate in a team. Ultimately the
behaviour of an individual is persistently modified. A sports team consist a lot of time and
energy dedicated to building a values which leads to achievement. Team building is one of
the most widely used group-development activities in organisations or management. The
Coach- Athlete relationship is described as a performance factor in today’s era sporting
atmosphere. Like any other is co-relation it is determined by the quality of understanding,
emotions respect, belief, and pre-assumptions that exists between two people. Sport
psychology is a proficiency that assists psychological and capability to the powerful
performance. Before inception a working relationship, provide all participants need to
make sure that these requirements are fulfilled. Motivation is defined by the word ‘motive’
which means need requires satisfaction; needs could be in the form of wants or desires.
Coaches are that person who plays very prominent role in the athletes’ life. The fact is that
we are conditioned in sports area so all we want a coach to guide the sportsperson as a
result of how we have been parented in our early childhood years. The coach is introduced
to ‘give the lead’ makes effective suggestions, shows the right direction, act as a role
model for others, gives decision, which are respected and carried out. Majority of the
sports cases, what a coach does impacts on others more than him or her. Peer relationships
are informed to play an important role in children’s development. It determined unique
opportunities for getting familiarized with the social norms and processes occurred in
interpersonal relationships, and for learning new social skills. Coach is a person who
already aware what to expect from the athlete also known as predictability, he understand
how to communicates with athlete, he resemble the suitable place where athlete can do
best work and how to develop athlete’s power in the context of their sport and also allow
conditions of participant’s abilities In the last two decades, there has been fundamental
research focused at understanding the nature, meaning and influence of peer relation
difficulties.
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Application of Social
16.9 Unit End Questions Psychology to
Sports
1) Discuss the relevance of team dynamics in sports.
3) Describe the psychological intervention in team building.
4) How motivation affects on the performance of sports person?
5) Write down the importance of coach athlete.
16.10 GLOSSARY
Conflict: A fight or an argument
Ambiguity: The possibility of being understood in more than one way.
Presumptions: Something that is already assumed for something else to happen or exist.
Logistically: In a way that relates to logistics
Multi-faceted: The person having many sides.
Peer group: It is a group of people of approximately the same age, status, and interests.
16.11 Answer to Self Assessment Questions
SAQ I
1) Dynamics
2) Group
3) Develop
4) Intrinsic
5) Intensity
SAQ II
1) False
2) True
3) True
4) True
5) False
16.12 Suggested Readings and References
Salas, E., Priest, H. A., & DeRouin, R. E. (2005). "Team building", pp. 48–1, 48–5 in N.
Stanton, H. Hendrick, S. Konz, K. Parsons, & E. Salas (Eds.) Handbook of human factors and
ergonomics methods. London: Taylor & Francis.
Dyer, W. G., Dyer, W. G., & Dyer, J. H. (2007). Team building: Proven strategies for improving
team performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bas
Oertig, M., & Buergi, T. (2006). "The challenges of managing cross–cultural virtual project
teams". Team Performance Management. 12: 23–30. doi:16.1168/13527590616652774.
169
Areas of Application of Youniss, J., & Smollar, J. (1985). Adolescents' relations with mothers, fathers, and friends.
Social Psychology Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Clausen, John A. (ed.) (1968) Socialization and Society, Boston: Little Brown and
Company. p5
Espelage, D. L.; Holt, M. K.; Henkel, R. R. (2003). "Examination of peer-group contextual
effects on aggression during early adolescence". Child Development. 74: 205–220.
doi:16.1111/1467-8624.00531.
Ryan, A. M. (2001). "The peer group as a context for the development of young adolescent
motivation and achievement". Child Development. 72 (4): 1135–1150. doi:16.1111/1467-
8624.00338.
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