Overview

Why do some athletes excel during intense pressurised situations one day but fall by the wayside the next? How can you train athletes and other individuals (e.g., military, emergency services, or business) to survive and thrive in high-pressure situations? This course will provide practical and evidence-based answers to these questions. If you are looking for a career in any performance related domain then having an understanding of the material covered on this course is a must. Through real athlete case studies that the delivery staff have been involved with, you will be taught to recognise why performance has broken down under pressure and more importantly, what you as a practitioner can do about it.

You will be taught contemporary theories and applied interventions in the stress and performance literature. Practical work in lectures will cover key areas of stress and performance – example topics may include “Attentional Control” e.g. why are we distracted by threat? “Reinvestment” e.g. why do we attempt to consciously control movements under pressure? “Appraisals” e.g. how do our perceptions of stress shape our thoughts, feelings and actions? “Solutions” e.g. what psychological strategies can be employed to optimize performance under pressure?

Assessment Strategy

Excellent -A- and aboveStudents should be able to present an outstanding in-depth and critical discussion of the underlying theories and models covered in the course work. They will be able to use their deep understanding to demonstrate how theories surrounding stress and performance can explain performance drops. In addition, they will clearly demonstrate applied interventions based on sound theoretical research to alleviate such negative effects and justify their use. They will refer to the athletes situation throughout.

Good -B- to B+Students should be able to present a very good discussion of the underlying theories and models covered in the course work. They will demonstrate that they can apply these theories surrounding stress and performance to explain performance drops. In addition, they will demonstrate a good knowledge of applied interventions based on sound theoretical research to alleviate such negative effects and justify their use.

Threshold -D- to C+Students should be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of the underlying theories and models covered in the course work. They then must demonstrate that they can apply these theories surrounding stress and performance that can explain performance drops. They will then be able to demonstrate basic knowledge of applied interventions based on sound theoretical research to alleviate such negative effects and justify their use.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyse stress and performance theory and research to diagnose performance slumps present in real-life athlete case studies

• Construct theoretically driven remedies/practices to help alleviate any adverse effects of stress on performance.

• Select and interpret the key findings in stress and performance research.

• Summarise the key theories used to explain the relationship between stress and motor performance.