Sports Social Intervention Case Study

Introduction

The suggestion would be first to make the goal specific using the S.M.A.R.T system of goal setting in sports psychology. The advice would be to encourage Jenny to be specific (Johnson et al., 2004). Instead of Jenny stating that she would like to be the top scorer of the province, suggestions would be to, state how much goals she wants to score to become the top scorer. Moreover, another proposal would be to advise Jenny to work on her angles of shooting to improve her passing. This aspect makes the issue of goal-setting very specific.

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Further, it would be advisable that Jenny provides measurable goals (Johnson et al., 2004). For example, an idea could be that she scores at least a goal a match, which is a measurable and objective aim. Also, Jenny should be encouraged to set realistic objectives. For example, Jenny should be inspired to be sensible in where she wants to be placed as a player, perhaps by aiming to be the best striker of the team by a specific amount of goals then slowly working her way up the ladder and possibly becoming the best striker of the province. The goals set by Jenny should be acceptable to her motivating systems and factors. This issue will eliminate some of the anxiety and doubt Jenny feels in the period during or before games.

Time-limited goals should also be promoted (Johnson et al., 2004). Jenny should be pushed to set specific targets on how she wants to improve after her recovery, for example in two weeks she should be able to pass well enough to her team-mates. The goals should be revised regularly according to the system and be well recorded; noting failures and improvements weighed against set objectives. Therefore the key issues to be targeted are poor goal setting timelines, the lack of specific goal setting approaches and finally common approaches towards game performance and improvement.

Aggression and Moral Behaviour Case

Aggression in the case of sports psychology is defined as the exhibition of verbal or bodily activities that are focused towards another individual and are with the intent of causing either mental or physical harm (Marasescu, 2014). It should however not be confused with an assertion, that has no intention to cause damage but may incorporate an aspect of force with the purpose of winning or advancing.

In the referenced case study sanctioned aggression was encouraged by a few factors. The first would be through learned behavior according to some studies. In the case study, the coach consistently showed the Mighty Ducks clips that showcased unwanted aggression and fights in hockey games. Fighting during games is hostile aggression. Billy's threat towards the opposing player from the other team is also considered as hostile aggression (Marasescu, 2014).

Moreover, the coach's demeanor and attitude that favored violence were quickly adopted by players such as Billy. Another cause for aggression was the reinforcement of aggressive behavior by the coach. For example, the coach favored Billy for his highly aggressive behavior, which only encouraged this vice. This aspect is referred to as legitimacy judgments where players will tend to lean towards aggressive behavior that is rewarded.

Moral disengagement is also another factor that was also cause of aggression; for example, Billy accidentally injures a rival player but absconds from apologizing to maintain a tough persona. Finally, performance pressures may lead to aggression for instance in the other team; Billy was tackled heavily to facilitate their win. This form of aggression is referred to as instrumental aggression, where aggressive behavior is aimed toward gaining a competitive advantage (Marasescu, 2014). It the context of Billy's tackle, it could also be referred to sanctioned aggression where the act is allowed within the legal rules of the sports.

To reduce the different forms of aggression exhibited which are sanctioned, instrumental and hostile aggressions, there is a need first to induce punishment to reduce hostile aggression. For example, Billy could be punished for threatening the rival player and injuring the other without apologizing. Moreover, assertive gameplay such as encouraging the contribution of non-aggressive players could be used by the coach (Shachar et al., 2016). Also, physical arousal reducing techniques should be supported by the coach to hinder hostile behavior even when a player is wronged, such as in Billy's case. Finally, aggressive behavior among coaches and players should be monitored and acted against, for example, aggressive coaches such as the 'enforcer' and players such as Billy should be sanctioned against by the relevant sports bodies.

Body Image Case Study

The self-discrepancy theory states, a discrepancy in one's thoughts of their actual self- characteristics and the internalized principles can lead to emotional distraught in the individual, such as Ryan. In sports psychology, the different systems between internalized ideals and actual attributes of an individual can occur in social situations such as in Ryan's case, the gym or when examining one's physical nature. The self is divided into different dimensions, and it is essential to be aware of them. The first dimension is the perceptual dimension that is concerned with how an individual perceives or imagines their image (Fox & Lindwall, 2014). It mostly is not the actual truth, but merely an opinion. In Ryan's case, the perceptual dimension of himself after doing squats is blurred as he starts to see himself as having smaller legs than usual which may not be precisely correct.

The next dimension is the cognitive dimension that refers to the thought pattern of an individual after they evaluate their body in terms of purpose and appearance. In Ryan's case, he views his body as skinny and after doing some exercises, and he feels that his body does not function as it needs to since he could not carry all the weights. The next dimension is the emotional dimension that includes the constructive and negative feelings an individual has about their bodies (Fox & Lindwall, 2014). Ryan's transmutation on this level changes from good to bad once he goes to the gym and sees other more muscular people. The final is the behavior dimension which is closely related to the previous aspect which is concerned with the actions that indicate a positive or negative feeling about their outlook and an example is where Ryan posts a sad selfie after the gym.

In social comparison theory and referencing Ryan's case, Ryan sees himself as lower on the social scale once he visits the gym and sees himself as less in size and performance. Previously, he had seen himself as skinnier as compared to others but was not worried about the fact. Ryan develops a negative self-image of himself after seeing more prominent individuals with better physical appearance and performance. In sports, this theory is concerned with the need for characters to get a clear self-assessment of themselves in areas such as gyms thus explains Ryan's internal evaluation of himself once he enters the gym (Pila et al., 2014).

References

Fox, K. R., & Lindwall, M. (2014). Self-esteem and self-perceptions in sport and exercise.

Johnson, C., Moore, E., & Thornton, M. (2014). A SMART Approach to Motivating Students in Secondary Physical Education: Editor: Ferman Konukman. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 85(4), 42-44.

Marasescu, M. R. (2014). The role of hostile and instrumental aggression in sport. Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations, 13, 170.

Pila, E., Stamiris, A., Castonguay, A., & Sabiston, C. M. (2014). Body-related envy: A social comparison perspective in sport and exercise. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 36(1), 93-106.

Shachar, K., Ronen-Rosenbaum, T., Rosenbaum, M., Orkibi, H., & Hamama, L. (2016). Reducing child aggression through sports intervention: The role of self-control skills and emotions. Children and youth services review, 71, 241-249.