Applied Sport Psychology

This module will introduce students to those aspects of applied sport psychology which underpin service delivery and fundamentally shape the technical aspects of the consultancy process. This critical examination of professional philosophy will encompass issues such as core beliefs and attitudes, theoretical frameworks (e.g., cognitive-behavioural; humanistic), and models of practice (e.g., psychological skills training; counselling model; medical model) including theories and models of performance excellence. The module will empower students to begin to develop their own philosophies and challenge them to consider how these might influence their practice, for example in terms of assessment and intervention. Importantly, students will also examine the ethics of sport psychology delivery and practice and critically consider common ethical dilemmas that occur in the field.

This module provides students with an opportunity to gain an understanding and appreciation of the essential skills required to work as a practitioner in a sports performance environment. It focuses on critically examining and reflecting upon the interpersonal, psychological and personality factors which determine the practitioner-athlete relationship. It further demonstrates how these are applicable within a range of environments including the elite sports environment. Using professional practice based research, students will evaluate a range of factors underpinning practitioner competency and analyse the impact of each upon perceptions of consultancy experiences and outcomes. A core focus of the module will be to introduce students to basic counselling and communication skills and develop a conceptual and practical understanding for how to use these skills to build more effective working relationships with athletes and other stakeholders (e.g., coaches, parents, performance directors)

This module provides students with the opportunity to gain an advanced critical understanding of the psychological skills that underpin sports performance (e.g. attentional and emotional control) and critically analyse the techniques used to enhance those skills (e.g. imagery, mindfulness). Building on a theoretical foundation, students will explore a range of psychological skills and their application/s and crucially consider how to intervene to ensure the most efficacious outcomes for athletes.

This module will examine alternative approaches to the skill acquisition process in sport leading to expertise. In addition quantitative approaches to research in learning and performance will be critically explored and examined. An emphasis will be placed on the application of knowledge in the interface between sport psychologist and coach and the application of quantitative research design and analysis to explore questions relevant to the skill acquisition process.

This module provides students with the opportunity to gain an understanding of contemporary theory and research that has examined effective leadership and group dynamics in different sporting contexts. This will involve the interaction between leaders (e.g., managers, coaches, captains) and their athletes, considering the subsequent impact on group processes, and will also exploring and critically evaluating current practice in developing and increasing the effectiveness of group functioning. The module will also explore qualitative approaches to research in investigating leadership and group dynamics, focusing particularly on the application of different qualitative research methods and the rigor of conducting qualitative research.

This module will largely use qualitative methodology to critically examine the impact of transitions on athletes. These transitions will include critically exploring the lives of; elite youth performers as they adjust to the challenges of academy life; injured athletes in the rehabilitation environment; athletes facing career-ending injury and retirement. It will also explore the support given to athletes both during and at the end of their careers to help them manage these critical moments and also critically explore whether transition out of sport can be a positive and enabling experience.

This module will examine a range of factors influential in the mental health and well being of those involved in a range of sporting contexts. This enables the students to examine how they perceive sport as something which can enable but also inhibit mental health in performers, coaches and support staff. An emphasis will be placed on the examination of real world scenarios and the potential input from an applied sport psychologist.

This module will examine the range of ways in which the knowledge and skills of an applied sport psychology practitioner could be utilised. In concert with this the way in which practitioner skills can be developed post MSc (through the available professional development qualifications (i.e. BPS Stage 2, Professional Doctorates and BASES SEPAR) will be examined and the challenges of applied practice in real world environments will be analysed.

This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to undertake an in-depth and independent empirical study in a topic of interest related to the study of sport and/or exercise. Students will demonstrate originality in the development and application of knowledge and research skills (gained in other modules). A research proposal will initially be produced that will outline the chosen research process, and the students will present their rationale for their proposed study, and their ideas for conducting the research. No research will be permitted without ethics approval.

Students will be required to resolve complex conceptual, methodological and practical problems that are often encountered by researchers.

Completion of a dissertation will demonstrate students’ comprehensive understanding of all stages in the research process, an ability to deal with complex issues creatively and systematically, and how to communicate information in a clear and appropriate fashion (e.g., in a format akin to a research/journal article). The module will also prepare students to undertake future research through the practical experience that they have gained under the supervision of a member of academic staff.