Course

Sport and Exercise Psychology

Faculty
Science & Technology
Department
Sport Science
Course code
SPSC 2231
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Lab
Seminar
Tutorial
Online
Hybrid
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course provides an introduction to the field of applied sport and exercise psychology. Students will demonstrate their knowledge by applying mental skills and strategies to real world sport and exercise settings. They will 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 will devise a mental skills plan for their personal growth and enhanced performance in a sport and/or exercise setting.
Course content
  1. Awareness in Sport and Exercise Psychology
  2. The Environment and Sport and Exercise Psychology
    • 2.1. Positive Reinforcement and Feedback
      • 2.1.1. Theoretical aspects
      • 2.1.2. Research on reinforcement and feedback in sport and exercise
      • 2.1.3. Implications for best practices
    • 2.2. Expectations and Self Fulfilling Prophecy
      • 2.2.1. Theoretical aspects
      • 2.2.2. Research on impact of expectations by leaders in sport and exercise
      • 2.2.3. Implications for best practices
    • 2.3. Communication in Sport and Exercise
      • 2.3.1. Theoretical aspects
      • 2.3.2. Research on communication in sport and exercise
      • 2.3.3. Implications for best practices
    • 2.4. Team Cohesion and Team Building
      • 2.4.1. Theoretical aspects
      • 2.4.2. Research on team cohesion in sport and exercise
      • 2.4.3. Implications for best practices in team building
    • 2.5. Parents in Sport
      • 2.5.1. Theoretical aspects
      • 2.5.2. Research on parents in sport
      • 2.5.3. Implications for best practices related to parents in sport
    • 2.6. Motivation
      • 2.6.1. Theoretical aspects of motivation and motivational environments
      • 2.6.2. Research on motivation and motivational environments
      • 2.6.3. Implications for best practices related to creating optimal motivational environments
  3. Psychological Characteristics of Peak Performance
    • 3.1. Theoretical aspects
    • 3.2. Research on peak performance in sport
    • 3.3. Assessment of peak performance
  4. Psychological Skills, Interventions and Strategies
    • 4.1. Goal Setting
      • 4.1.1. Theoretical aspects
      • 4.1.2. Research on goal setting in sport and exercise
      • 4.1.3. Implications for best practices related to goal setting in sport and exercise
    • 4.2. Arousal, Emotion, Performance Relationship
      • 4.2.1. Theoretical aspects
      • 4.2.2. Research on arousal in sport and exercise
      • 4.2.3. Interventions and strategies for arousal and emotional self-regulation
    • 4.3. Imagery
      • 4.3.1. Theoretical aspects
      • 4.3.2. Research on imagery in sport and exercise
      • 4.3.3. Interventions and strategies for imagery skill development and usage
    • 4.4. Cognitive Strategies for Building Confidence
      • 4.4.1. Theoretical aspects
      • 4.4.2. Research on cognitive strategies in sport and exercise
      • 4.4.3. Interventions and strategies for development and enhancement of cognitive self-regulation
    • 4.5. Concentration and Attentional Control
      • 4.5.1. Theoretical aspects
      • 4.5.2. Research on concentration and attentional control in sport and exercise
      • 4.5.3. Interventions and strategies for attentional control and self-regulation
  5. Implementing Psychological Skills Training (PST) Programs
    • 5.1. Theoretical aspects
    • 5.2. Research on PST program effectiveness
    • 5.3. Season planning for PST
  6. Additional Topics in Sport and Exercise Psychology
    • 6.1. Clinical issues in sport and exercise psychology
    • 6.2. Psychology of injury and rehabilitation 
    • 6.3. Overtraining and burnout in sport
    • 6.4. Career transitions in sport
    • 6.5. Gender, diversity, and cultural considerations in sport and exercise psychology
Learning activities
  1. Lecture
  2. Labs
  3. Discussion and collaboration groups (in class and online)
  4. Case analysis
  5. Practical applications
  6. Video observation
  7. Self-study via print or online materials
  8. Reading assignments
  9. Instructor mentoring
Means of assessment

Evaluation will be carried out 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:

Exams                                         0-30%

Discussions                                   0-30%

Self-quizes                                   10-25%

Student teaching project and labs    0-20%

Journals                                       10-30%

Participation                                  10-15%

 

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the successful student will be able to:
 
  1. identify and describe the mental skills required for optimal performance
  2. develop mental skills by applying these skills in personal and hypothetical situations guided by constructive feedback
  3. demonstrate theoretical, conceptual and practical competence with regard to mental skills in sport and exercise psychology
  4. interpret, analyze, and evaluate personal strengths and weaknesses and areas for improvement within the area of mental skills to develop a personal mental training plan from this evaluation
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 texbooks and materials. A list of recommended textbooks and materials is provided on the ingructor's course outline which is available to students at the beginning of each semester. Example textbooks and materials may include:

Williams, J. M. & Krane, V. (Editors). Applied Sport Psychology: Personal Growth to Peak Performance (current edition). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.

Requisites

Prerequisites

None
SPSC 1164 recommended

None

SPSC 1164 recommended

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer details for SPSC 2231
Alexander College (ALEX) ALEX SOSC 2XX (3)
Camosun College (CAMO) CAMO PSYC 160 (3)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU PSYC 2XXX (3)
Langara College (LANG) LANG KINS 2231 (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU PSYC 3XX (3)
Trinity Western University (TWU) TWU HKIN 340 (3)
University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) UBCO HES_O 131 (3)
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV KIN_V 231 (3)
University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) UBCV KIN_V 150 (3)
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV KIN 266 (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC EPHE 2XX (1.5)
Vancouver Island University (VIU) VIU KIN 262 (3)

Course Offerings

Winter 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
31
Remaining seats:
4
On waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. A
Room
A2312
Times:
Start Time
10:30
-
End Time
12:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. C
Room
C1006
Times:
Start Time
10:30
-
End Time
12:20
Section notes

Registration in this course provides registrants with a 'time conflict' error. This error can be disregarded for this course as it is due to a required room booking overlap.

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
34
Remaining seats:
1
On waitlist
2
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N2221
Times:
Start Time
14:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N2223
Times:
Start Time
14:30
-
End Time
16:20
Building
New Westminster - South Bldg.
Room
S1717
Times:
Start Time
14:30
-
End Time
16:20
Section notes

Registration in this course provides registrants with a 'time conflict' error. This error can be disregarded for this course as it is due to a required room booking overlap.

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
35
Remaining seats:
0
On waitlist
48
Building
Online
Room
ONLINE
Times:
-
Section notes

SPSC 2231 090 is a fully on-line course delivered through Blackboard. Students successfully registered please check the Blackboard course website. The instructor will email students on the first day of classes.

All course activities will be asynchronous. Students will not be required to be online at specific scheduled time.