A-Level Sports PsychologyMiss Bowe

Attitude

Week 2

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference

Winston Churchill

Happiness is an attitude. 

We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and

strong. 

The amount of work is the same.

Francesca Reigler

The only disability in life is a bad attitude.

Scott Hamilton

You must start with a positive attitude or you will

surely end without one.

Carrie Latet

Excellence is not a skill.  It is an attitude.

Ralph Marston

Introduction to attitude and its three components

Explain the three personality theories

Describe attitude and its three components

Evaluate how attitude can help predict personality Explain prejudice and stereotyping in sport

TASK – 5 minutesGo through the worksheets from starter activity

Last Two Weeks …

Did you fill in your glossary?

If not do we will do it at the end of the lesson

Chapter 9: Page 130 in your textbook

Try to use your own words or bullet points

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or discuss your answers

Key Terms

Look at assertion and aggression AND attitude

Recap attitude and its three components

Define assertion and aggression Describe aggression and its three theories Discuss how aggression can be combatted

This Week …

Developing a positive attitude is vital for sporting success

Simply having a positive attitude is good for you!

e.g. a positive attitude towards a healthy lifestyle

a negative attitude towards a healthy lifestyle

Recap Attitude

An attitude is 'a learned emotional and behavioural response to a stimulus or situation‘

Attitudes are formed through

Experiences - either pleasant or unpleasant

Attitudes of the people around us.

What is an attitude?

Attitude Object Linked to a situation or itemFocus of an individuals attitude

For examplePeople, objects, events, ideas

Defining attitude

Trandis (1971)

‘ideas charged with emotion (positive or negative) which automatically

result an action to a particular social situation.’

Cognitive component What a person thinks or believes about an attitude object

e.g. I believe that jogging is good for me and helps me keep fit’

Affective component What a person feels about the attitude object, their emotions

e.g. I enjoy keeping fit an healthy, it makes me feel good

Behavioural component How a person acts or intends to act towards the attitude object

e.g. I go jogging three times a week and encourage my friends to

Triadic Model of Attitude (3 parts)

Cognitive Dissonance TheoryThe three parts to forming an attitude

General attitudes will not help us predict true behaviour

Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) state Specific attitudes must be considered to predict behaviour If the intention is present the behaviour will follow

So to predict, perform or encourage a behaviour we must;

1. Understand its relevance of a specific behaviour

2. Get all the info and facts, or experience it directly

3. Discuss and deal with any negative attitudes immediately

General vs Specific Attitudes

If attitudes form our beliefs and values can we predict how we will act in different situations?

Changing Attitudes

To get an individual to change their attitude about something, they must be persuaded.

The ability to persuade someone to change their attitude is dependant on three factors:

Do you know what they might be??

Can we change or predict attitude?

Status of the persuaderSomeone of high status who is knowledgeable and genuine is likely to be successful

Clarity of the messageA clear, concise and accurate argument should be put forward to give them all the information

Ability to understand the messageThe individual being persuaded must be capable of understanding the message

Changing Attitude

A mismatch in the triadic model will cause a imbalance or a dissonance in the mind of the person being persuaded

Why?

The introduction of new information influences the cognitive (belief) or affective (emotional) component of the triangle.

To reduce the imbalance we must change the behaviour

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Cognitive (belief or thought)

Affective (feeling or emotion) Behaviour (or intention)

If the is an imbalance something must be changed …

Cognitive (belief or thought)

Affective (feeling or emotion) Behaviour (or intention)

thought

feeling behaviour

thought

feeling behaviour

Assertion is …

behaviour which is not outside the rules of the game and does not have the intention of causing harm.

E.g. a fair but hard challenge in a game of football

Defining assertion

Defining aggression

Aggression incorporates the desire to harm another person and is not within the

laws of the game.

Natural instinctHumans are predisposed to aggressive behaviour as a survival tool

FrustrationWhen a person is stopped from achieving they become frustrated and aggressive

Social learningAggression is learnt from those around us and those in the public eye

TASK (2 minutes)

Can you think of an example of aggression in your sport?

Three Theories of Aggression

How would you combat aggression?

Combatting aggression …

Showing non-aggressive role-models

Rewarding 'turning the other cheek'

Punishing aggression

Control of arousal levels

Avoidance of situations which cause aggression

Handing responsibility to an aggressive player

Stopping repeatedly aggressive players from participating

further

TASK (10 minutes)

Add any key terms to your glossary to help your revision

Chapter 9: Page 130 - 145 in your textbook

Try to use your own words or bullet points

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or discuss your answers

Key Terms

Have a go …

Question 1

What is the difference between aggression and assertion?

Aggression is outside of the rules of the game and has the intent of causing harm

Assertion is within the laws of the game and is free from intent to cause harm

Question 2

Name the three theories used to explain why we are aggressive

Natural Instinct

Frustration

Social Learning

Question 3

Suggest four ways in which aggression could be controlled

Showing non-aggressive role models Rewarding turning the other cheek Punishing aggression Controlling arousal levels Preventing aggressive players from participating further

Question 4

What are the three components which make up our attitude formation

Cognitive – what you think/your belief

Affective – what you feel/your emotions

Behavioural – what you do/your intended behaviour

Question 5

On what three factors does the ability to change someone’s attitude depend?

The person and their mental and emotionally state

How clear the message is

If they understand or can relate to the message