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Chapter 5
The Psychology of Injury
Personality Variables
Personality-defined as “stable,
enduring qualities of the
individual.”
Personality characteristics that are
related to sports injuries include:
• **(ex: aggressive vs passive, introverted vs
extroverted)
• **-a general disposition or tendency to
perceive certain situations as threatening
and to react with an anxiety response
Personality Characteristics Cont.
• Locus of Control – people’s belief, or lack
thereof, of being in control of events occurring
in their lives
• **: feel they have very little control over events in
their life
• Believe factors such as fate, destiny, or luck determine
life events
• **: feel they are responsible for what happens to
them
• They are in charge of their own life
Personality Characteristics Cont.
• Self Concept – an individual’s perception of
“self”
• Low self-concept functions as a significant risk factor for
athletic injury
• Less able to deal effectively with the stress of competition,
and this inability may lead to behavior that will result in injury
• Being injured may become an attractive alternative to
participation because it gives the athlete a legitimate excuse
to avoid playing (receive more attention from teammates or
coaches than they would normally receive)
• TSCS – Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (test that identifies
athletes will low self-concept)
Seasonal Affective Disorder
• A psychiatric disorder that
affects the general population,
including athletes, primarily in
the fall and winter seasons
• Symptoms – loss of physical
capacity and energy, increased
appetite (craves carbs),
hypersomnia (excessive sleep),
anhedonia (lack of normal
pleasurable activities), and
impaired social activity
Psychosocial Variables and Injury
• Psychosocial variables develop
through interaction between
individual and a changing social
environment.
• *.
• A strong relationship exists
between negative events and
increased injury risk.
• *
Competitive Stress and Adolescents
As more children participate in sports,
there are more concerns regarding
the psychological impact of
competition.
• *
• Pressure to win is a concern.
• Young athletes may be more prone to
injury, psychosomatic illness, burnout,
and other stress-related problems.
• *
Psychology of Injury
Injury is a psychological stressor (anything that effects
the body’s physiological or psychological condition
and upsets the homeostatic balance) for athletes.
According to Weiss & Troxel:
• Phase 1 –*
• Phase 2 – The athlete appraises short- and long-term
significance of the injury. (may engage in negative self
doubt)
• Phase 3 – *
• Final stage – The athlete copes with long-term
consequences.
Psychology of the Injured Athlete
Recommendations involve:
1. Treating the person, not just the
injury.
2. *
3. Keeping in mind the importance
of communication skills.
4. Remembering the relationship
between physical &
psychological skills.
5. *
Eating Disorders
Majority of sports have narrow
parameters for appropriate
body type for athletic
success. (Biomechanics)
• *
• Media exposure focuses on
physical appearance, especially
for females.
• Emphasis on the ideal body has
negative effects on the athletic
population.
Types of Eating Disorders
Anorexia nervosa – self-starvation motivated by
obsession with thinness and overwhelming fear of fat;
often times have a grossly distorted body image
Bulimia nervosa – repeated bouts of binge eating
followed by some form of purging **
* Both are forms of eating disorders that are serious
psychological problems that are most common among
adolescent and young-adult females
Eating Disorders (cont.)
• Female athletes are more likely to practice
pathogenic (unhealthy) dietary habits than
males.
• Rosen et al. found that 32% of athletes
practiced some form of pathogenic eating
behavior.
• Little is known about pathogenic eating
disorders in male athletes, for example, “making
weight” in wrestling. (vomiting, taking diuretics,
exercising in rubber suits, etc)
Sport Specificity and Eating Disorders
• There is a higher
incidence of eating
disorders in gymnastics,
ballet, distance running,
diving, and figure
skating.
• *
• In a gymnastics study
(n=215), over 60%
reported disordered
eating behaviors.
Complications of Eating Disorders
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Esophageal inflammation
*
Hormone imbalances
*
Amenorrhea
Electrolyte imbalances
*
Anxiety
Prevention
• Placing less emphasis on
weight.
• Avoiding referral to weight
in a negative manner.
• *
• Avoiding ostracizing an
athlete for being
overweight.
Coaches and parents need
to be alert for early
warning signs.
Treatment
• Ranges from counseling and education to
hospitalization.
• May include psychological counseling as
eating disorders can be symptoms of
severe psychological problems such as
depression.
One-third of all cases do not respond to
therapy.