Running head: SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 1 Sport Psychology and the Connection with the Mind Sahar Alsaid The Pennsylvania State University SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 2 Sport Psychology Literature Review Many factors may lead to mental blocks in playing sports and the end result is breaks in focus and preparation, poor performance and at times injuries to an athlete. The contributing factors may be negative emanating both from internal and the external environment. These factors may bring about physical disruptions like muscle tightening, shaking and increased perspiration. Thus, if such problems are not attended to then they may affect not only the athlete but the team as a whole. Much research has been conducted on the psychology of sports and the connection of the mind and how it effects athletic performance. This research paper seeks to underscore different aspects of emotion and the role the mind plays on athletic performance. I hypothesis that the mind plays a major role in influencing sport performance in terms of emotion, and focus influencing the athletes performance either negatively or positively .The paper takes into consideration three articles from different experiments on this subject. The argument of the paper is depended on the already established literature about the mind connection and sport performance. Article 1: Emotion Regulation and Sport Performance In this study they used a single blind experiment where the relationship between emotional self regulation and sport performance was measured. The research focused on measuring the effects of emotion suppression and non-suppression of emotion and how it influences sport performance in athletes. Twenty competitive athletes were used for the experiment, which was conducted in a laboratory. The independent variable was the suppressing or non-suppressing of emotion. The dependent variable was sport performance. The researcher operationalized the independent variable by making each participant complete a 10km cycling SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 3 time trial asking them to regulate their own self. In the experimental group the participants watched an upsetting video prior to performing the cycle task. The results showed that those who watched the upsetting video (suppression condition) completed the 10km slower and had lower mean power output compared to the control group that received no video treatment. This study shows the influence of emotion on sport performance where athletes performed poorly as hypothesized by the researcher, when their negative emotions were activated prior to performing a task. This research touches on importance of emotion and it's regulation for athletes. The researcher concluded that self regulation and practicing pertinent potential implications for athletes in regards to performance and well being are recommended (Wagstaff,2014). The downside that I see in this experiment is the small sample size. However the researcher does compare his findings with prior research and relevant psychological theories. Another factor that could have influenced the experiment is the type of participants used. They used competitive athletes for the experiment perhaps using any person to do the study could have yielded different results. The research did indeed put every participant through each condition and mood and fatigue assessments were taken prior to each trial. The researcher also mentioned following the ethical guidelines of deception and that the deception was necessary in order to prevent possible errors to the results of the study. All in all, the experiment was conducted thoroughly and reported with great detail. Article 2: Importance of Mind-Muscle Connection During Progressive Resistance Training. In this study the researchers evaluate if mentally focusing on specific muscles during a bench press exercise can activate that specific muscle. The hypothesis of the researchers is that focus on a specific muscle group while training it increases muscle activation in that muscle being trained in advanced athletes (Calatayud, Vinstrup & Jakobsen, 2015). The independent SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 4 variable in this study is the exercise performed with focus or no focus and the dependent variable was muscle activation. To test this hypothesis the researchers selected 18 volunteers who were advanced lifters to complete the study. The experiment involved 2 sessions for each participant where they perform a 1 rep max (1RM) lift. The participants did a familiarization lift and their stats were measured such as body fat, body mass, and biacromial width as well. The second session was the experiment session where volunteers were asked to perform 3 lifts of the same exercises at 50 to 80% of their 1RM. One lift was just to perform the exercise of the bench press. The second lift was to focus on the triceps muscle during the lift. The third lift was to focus on the pectorals muscle. Between each lift the participant had a 3 minute break and a lift was not recorded if it was not in proper form or if the participant said they had forgotten the directions. The results were recorded using EMG recordings. The results showed that participants were able to selectively activate the triceps and pectoralis muscles when lifting between their 52 and 55 % of their 1RM max (Calatayud et al., 2015).The researcher concluded that mental focus during a lift can increase muscle activation in advanced athletes however only at a certain weight load (Calatayud et al., 2015). This experiment tied its findings to previous research as well as established psychological theories to back up it's findings. In addition they controlled the environment throughout the experiment to avoid any external factors that can possibly influence the results. However, the sample size is small and they only had the participants preform on exercises. Perhaps testing all 3 major known lifts such as the squat, deadlift, and bench press can yield more results into muscle activation and using mental focus. Also in the methods section the explanation that they were going to use EMG to record the results was not stated clearly until reading further into the section. The author seemed to assume that the reader knows the testing measure they are using. SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 5 Article 3: Attentional Focus for Maximizing Muscle Development: The MindMuscle Connection. This research focuses on attentional focus and it's importance during resistance training. The article covers more than one research. The experiment I will be focusing on is, Effects of Specific Exercise Instructions on Abdominal Muscle Activity During Trunk Curl Exercises (Krast, Willet, 2004). The researcher hypothesized that with internal focus during an exercise there would be more muscle activation. Based on previous research to back this claim an experiment was conducted to test this hypothesis. Krast and Willet measured participant muscle activation during an abdominal curl and measured the muscle activation through EMG monitor. The independent variable was the internal attentional focus and the dependent variable was muscle activation in the abdominal area specifically rectus abdomens and obliques (Krast & Willet, 2004). They operationalized the variables by having participants into 2 groups. An experimental group that was asked to visualize their rectus or oblique muscles prior to the exercises, and the control group was asked to simply focus on the movement and just do the exercise. The results showed consistency with previous research on the mind muscle connection (Krast & Willet, 20014). The results showed a significant increase in abdominal muscle activation in the experimental group versus the control group. This study just like most other mind muscle connection studies focused on one exercise to test only, I believe that gates the results and doesn't provide a wide range of results in terms of muscle activation in relation to the internal attentional idea and other muscle groups. However, the fact that this research findings are in line with previous findings, it opens doors to explore the mind muscle connection further. Perhaps exploring the mind muscle connection on sport performance in other sports and not just SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 6 resistance training could yield interesting results. All three articles focus on the general idea of the different internal mental influences on sport performance. The state of the mind of the athlete during training and competition is perceived to impact performance. The approach of the authors in these articles focuses to show that the subconscious mind and the influence it has on athletic performance and muscle activation. The articles are all related to my research hypothesis in regards to the relation of the mind and sport performance because they all experimented different situation during sport performance that are influenced by the mind to draw their results of their hypothesis. These articles also show that I am on the right path with my hypothesis because there is plenty of relevant research in regards to the topic that shows promising outcomes. They provide evidence that there is a connection between the mind, and emotion in response to the muscular action and performance of an athlete. For my research proposal I will test the connection of the mind muscle connection idea and muscle activation during the performance of various exercises such as the squat, deadlift, bicep curl, and push ups. My independent variables will be performing the lift with mental focus and performing the lifts without mental focus. The dependent variable is muscle activation. I plant on using a large sample size ( about 100) of moderately advanced to advanced athletes in order to ensure proper lifting technique. Fatigue, mood, and health surveys would also be done for all participants. References SPORT PSYCHOLOGY 7 Calatayud, J., J. V., Sundstrup, E., & Jay, K. (2016). European Journal of Applied Physiology. Importance of Mindmuscle Connection during Progressive Resistance Training, 116, 523-533. Retrieved March 20, 2016. Geier, C., (Nov 04, 2011). Hypnosis of Sports Performance. Athletes Overcome Fears with Sports Hypnosis. Retrived on March 20, 2016 from: https://hypnosis.edu/articles/sports-hypnosis-specialist Schoenfeld, B. J., & Contreras, B. (2016). Attentional Focus for Maximizing Muscle Development. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 38(1), 27-29. Retrieved March 20, 2016. Wagstaff, C. (2014). Emotion regulation and sport performance. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 36(4), 401-412. Retrieved March 20, 2016. Poster Project Assignment Each year there are dozens of research conferences on various topics of psychology. One of the most common ways that researchers share their ideas (particularly during the period before a study is published in a journal) is in what is called a poster session. At the American Psychological Association's annual convention there are hundreds of posters set up during several \"poster sessions\". The idea is that researchers can walk around the room and quickly browse through the work of their peers. If a study looks interesting then the poster provides some basic information about the research and the author (standing next to their poster) can provide more details or information if asked. It's a way for people to find others with common interests in the field. Because you all are spread out all over the country it's not possible to have you come together in a room to look at each other's work, but what I hope to do is have you create the elements of a typical poster and then post these on the course ANGEL website. Your poster presentation assignment is due at the end of Lesson 12 so that I can provide you with feedback before you turn in your final research proposal project paper. Then during Lesson 14, you will go to the ANGEL site and review the \"posters\" of 5 of your classmates. This review will be Homework 4. (Note: Please refer to syllabus for all due dates and be sure to turn in your materials on time.) The \"Posters\" We aren't technically going to make big 4-foot by 6-foot posters for people to look at, but I am going to ask you to write out a brief summary of your research proposals. A typical poster that you might find at a convention has all of the basic elements of a research paper (Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, References, and Figures) but these sections are brief enough to be scanned in a few minutes. Your task is to create a summary that includes an Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, and References section that is no more than 3 pages in length (1 inch margins, Times New Roman 11 or 12-point font, double spaced). You will also include a graph that shows your predicted results. You will not include an Abstract for this assignment. This means that you will need to be very concise and clear. I recommend using an outline format with bullet points rather than a paper format with paragraphs (see examples below). The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to see the work of your classmates and to get some feedback about your ideas. This feedback might be helpful as you work on your final papers. The length of each section of your \"poster\" is up to you, but you are not allowed to exceed the three page limit for the written material. Page 1-3 Part I: Title and Author Line 1: The title of your project Line 2: your name Line 3: your affiliation (The Pennsylvania State University) Part II: Introduction and Background (Note that a research paper does not always include a heading for the Introduction, but posters usually do.) Provide your readers with enough information so that they can figure out what you are proposing, but keep it brief. For example, Theory: A few sentences that introduce the main problem you are investigating. What is your research question? What are your conceptual IVs and DV? The general background of your topic What do we know? A sentence or two noting the findings of your 3 articles would be helpful (be sure to include APA formatted citations). At the end of the Introduction, state your hypothesis: Address each of the 3 potential effects in your proposed study (2 main effects + the interaction). DESCRIBE each expected effect E.g., \"I expect a main effect of exercise such that high exertion will lead to lower depression scores than low exertion.\" Note: if you don't expect a particular effect, you must state that you do not. E.g., \"I do not predict a main effect of drug\" Part III: Method This section should briefly describe the study design, including the IVs E.g., 2 (drug: high dosage, low dosage) X 2 (exercise: high exertion, low exertion) between subjects factorial design A second sentence should identify the conceptual DV. E.g., the dependent variable will be depression scores Describe how you propose to operationalize your IVs and DV. Briefly describe the procedure. For each IV, briefly describe: Will you manipulate the IV and randomly assign people to groups? If so, how? E.g., I will randomly assign participants to either the high exertion or low exertion exercise conditions. High exertion: 1 hour exercise, 5 days per week Low exertion: 30 minutes, 2 days per week. Will you measure the IV? If so, how? How will you break participants up into groups for analyses? E.g., I will measure Extraversion scores using the NEO-PIR (Costa & McRae, 1994). I will perform a median split on participant scores such that I have a group with high scores and a group with low scores. DV: How will you measure your DV? How will scores vary? E.g., I will measure depression using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck, 1990). Scores range from 0 to 25; high scores mean more depression. Part IV: Expected Results You would be using an ANOVA, so say something about 2 X 2, or 2 X 3 ANOVA. Also, what main effects are you predicting will be significant, and will your interaction be significant? (give the reader some numbers to match your figure) Part V: Discussion Briefly interpret your predicted results in terms of your hypotheses, and mention any possible confounds, limitations, or other validity issues. Part VI: References You must include an APA formatted Reference, for each intext citation Page 4 You should include a bar graph of your predicted results, and the graph should have a title and all variables and the y-axis clearly labeled. The results presented on your graph should match the hypotheses you presented. When you have completed your \"poster\" you should go to the Paper Assignment Drop boxes (on the Lessons page), select the Poster Project Drop box and attach your file. Later you will get a chance to critique the work of your classmates (in a friendly way). Your title here (first letter of each word capitalized; it might be good to use the word proposal in the title, and name both IVs and DV in the title. About 10-15 words in length. Your Name Here Your Institution Here (The Pennsylvania State University) Introduction Opening sentence might be your research question (which is not necessarily a real question) or solid background info that will lead to your research question. Formally grab the readers' attention. Cite something very relevant from a previous source about one of your IVs (relating it in some way to your own DV in the process). Add a short sentence of elaboration regarding this. Cite something very relevant from a previous source about your other IV (relating it in some way to your own DV in the process). Add a short sentence of elaboration regarding this. Integrate the two IVs and explain why this is important to study. If you didn't already state your research question (not necessarily a real question), do so here. Otherwise, wrap up and lead into your hypotheses State your three hypotheses ... something like \"I propose to test the hypothesis that ..\" or \"This study is designed to test the hypothesis that ...\" or \"I will test three hypotheses with this study: (and then list the 3) Method State your research design in a full sentence - This study will be a 2 (first IV: levels of the IV) x 2 (2nd IV: levels of the 2nd IV) between subjects factorial design. (or other if yours is not a 2x2) Talk about your participants in a sentence or two - how many, any specific info about gender, age range, exclusion or inclusion criteria, where you will recruit them from, etc. Name your conceptual variables (all 3) all at once here. Describe the operationalization of your 1st IV here. Give a good amount of detail (for a poster) Describe the operationalization of your 2nd IV here. Give a good amount of detail (for a poster) Describe the operationalization of your DV here. Give a good amount of detail - how will you measure it, and what will the scores indicate. Expected Results Say that you will be using an ANOVA to analyze the results (say this correctly, look it up) Give the expected means for all 4 groups (if 2x2) and the main effect means (marginal means) - state something like \"Means that will support the hypotheses would be as follows:\" And be sure your means match the graph! This might take a few more bullets to cover well. Discussion Say that if you obtain means that support your hypotheses, it will suggest that ... (fill in the blank here). And then talk about why that is important. Address ALL THREE hypotheses in the process. That might take several sentences Talk about a potential confound and how you plan to control for it. Talk about at least one limitation of your study References Be sure these are done correctly - do not use bullets, and these may be single spaced (yay!) Page 4 Effect of Taking Prozac and Ritalin on Children's Problem Behaviors (your title should include both IVs and the DV, and something about the effect you expect to see, or just convey that this graph shows the effect, as is done with this title) 7 6 5 4 Number of Problem Behaviors 3 Prozac No Prozac 2 1 0 Ritalin No Ritalin Ritalin Condition (It is a good idea to include a figure caption here for practice - a few sentences describing what is shown in the graph above.) About your graph - it should be a column bar graph like this one, and one of your IVs should be on the X-axis while the other IV should be represented in the different colors of bars (and listed in the legend). In the example above, the x-axis IV is Ritalin, and the legend/bar colors IV is Prozac. The y-axis should be clearly labeled with values and the DV (and units, if appropriate). In the example above, the DV is the number of problem behaviors. Don't forget to make sure that your poster info matches what you said in the results section earlier