In this module students consider issues pertinent to the practice of sport and exercise psychology. In the first part of the module a range of psychological techniques available to practitioners are outlined (e.g., self-talk, imagery). Theoretical and empirical evidence for the effectiveness of these techniques will be considered. Students will be required to consider what psychological techniques are most appropriate and how they should best be applied to a range of scenarios (e.g., enhancing confidence in a novice exerciser, helping an elite athlete cope with a career ending injury). In the second part of the module the skills required to practice effectively (e.g., counselling skills, communication skills and reflective practice) are considered along with issues surrounding the delivery of psychological interventions to different groups (e.g., disabled athletes) are considered. Ethical issues that may arise during the consultancy process in sport and exercise settings are considered and discussed throughout the module.

None

Students will be required to complete 3 pieces of summative assessment.

1. One case study in which a proposed intervention is justified and outlined. The total word limit for this completed case study is 2000 words and is worth 30% of the module grade. This assessment covers LO's 1, 2 and 3.

2. A video/DVD of an initial session with a client (individual or group) relating to an aspect of either sport or exercise psychology (maximum 40 minutes). This is worth 40% of the module grade. This assessment covers LO's 3 and 4.

3. A reflection of the session (2,000 words), worth 30% of the module grade. This assessment covers LO's 4 and 5.


Additional Assessment Details:

Students will be provided with formative assessment and feedback via on-line tasks and discussions.

When interacting with the client/client group students on the MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology are bound by the BPS code of conduct. Students on the MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology and MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Science will be bound by the BASES code of conduct. Students can find the codes of conduct on the respective organisations' websites and a link is provided in the award documentation. For ethical reasons all proposals to conduct a session with a client/client group will be scrutinised carefully with regard to ethical and risk issues and approval must be given before the session is conducted.

Only students on the sport and exercise psychology awards (MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology, MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology) will be allowed to do an intake interview with a client as information relating to this skill will have been covered in the compulsory workshop for students on this award. Students on the MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Science must do an educational session with a client/client group. Under no circumstances should students be engaging in unsupervised practice with clients

Students will receive formative feedback throughout the module comprising a combination of task related feedback and (more importantly) comments on online discussion contributions offered up throughout the module.

Students will follow a twelve week guided study programme and access support material via Blackboard. Students will be required to access additional support material independently. Core required tasks will amount to an average of 8 hours of engagement per week, representing a total of 96 activity engagement hours for the module.

The number of independent study hours is 204, representing a combination of further and additional reading and a series of optional tasks (96 hours) and specific preparation for the module assignments (108 hours).

Core:

Andersen, M. B. (2005). Sport psychology in practice. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Williams, J. M. (2010). Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance. Maidenhead, England: McGraw Hill (6th Ed.).


Recommended:

Barker, J., McCarthy, P., Jones, M., & Moran, A. (2011) Single-case research methods in sport and exercise psychology. London: Routledge.

Moran, A. (2012). Sport and exercise psychology: A critical introduction. New York: Routledge (2nd Ed).

Hemmings, B., & Holder, T. (Eds., 2009). Applied sport psychology: A case-based approach.
Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Access to an appropriately specified PC, with accompanying Word, PowerPoint, Adobe and Java software.
Access to a Video/DVD camera to record the session.