The Psychology of Sports Essay - 1921 Words

The age of overwhelming strength and stamina governing sports is over, and the age of the mentally tough athlete has arrived. Athletes are no longer the superficial jocks and robots programmed to accomplish one goal, victory. Modern athletes ranging from the high school to professional levels are faced with many pressures and temptations, normally outside the realm of their sport. These pressures can inhibit an athlete’s performance substantially; therefore, the pressures need to be dealt with by psychologists. The effectiveness of sports psychology is demonstrated through the fields many theories, applications, and variety of techniques and procedures. Sports psychology can be defined as the study and application of the attitudes and†¦show more content†¦The field of Sport Psychology has been flourishing ever since. Many societies and journals have come into existence, as well as many professional and graduate programs. The essence of sports psychology has not, howev er, changed at all. The improvement of the athlete’s mental and physical health on and off the field of play remains the essence of sports psychology. Theories play a huge role in the â€Å"treatment† and â€Å"training† of athletes from all levels of competitive play. However, that does not mean that everything that happens to be stated in regard to sport psychology, is true. Many myths have arisen and continue to appear in the field of sports psychology. Bill Cole, founder and CEO of Procoach Systems, has researched, proven and dismissed thirty-two of these misconceptions. Many of these myths that arise come from assumptions about the effectiveness or reliability of sports psychology techniques. Take for example the following myth: Sports Psychology is only for athletics that are mentally weak. â€Å"The term ‘mentally weak’ implies there is an inherently defective or temporarily fragile mental quality in an athlete. This is not a helpful or accu rate statement, as many elite athletes who areShow MoreRelatedSport Psychology : Sports Psychology1599 Words   |  7 PagesSports Psychology Sports psychology is a relatively new topic of research that first started out in 1925 as a preparation tactic for athletes before an important event to increase chances of success (Joyce, 2008). In the world today sports psychology is increasingly being used in sports but also manipulated into research to use in organizational groups. Athletes are always looking for the next way to win, even if it is by the smallest of margins, however, competition may be fierce and very competitiveRead MoreSport Psychology1034 Words   |  5 Pageshumans that helps motivate us to continue the journey of life. arousal regulation, imagery, self confidence, attention, or concentration , goal setting memory write a 4-5 page paper. the assignment thing said you will write an article for a sports magazine on a topic from the psychological skills training section of the book that you find interesting. ( choices are: arousal regulation, imagery, self confidence, goal setting attention or concentration ) The format of your aticle should be similarRead MoreEssay on Sport Psychology1037 Words   |  5 Pages Sport Psychology: How it Helps Athletes nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In our society today it seems like sports rule the land. Everywhere we look, there is some kind of sporting event going on or being televised. Almost everyone could be considered a fan of at least one sport. Some people follow sports like a religion. With such an increased focus on sports, the athletes performances are put under a microscope. This puts more pressure on athletes to give a winning performance. No longer do athletesRead MoreSports Psychology Essay602 Words   |  3 PagesIt has been identified that through sports psychology one can improve their physical ability and performance. Sports psychology is the study of how the mind, mental states and behaviour effect sporting performance. There are several sport psychology techniques, which have helped me become a better volleyball player. These techniques include planning for performance, controlling arousal levels, mental rehearsal and concentration. The first technique of planning for performance is all about goalRead More Sport Psychology Essays1652 Words   |  7 PagesSport Psychology In earlier days sports psychology was mostly concerned with developing assessment methods that would identify those people with the potential to become serious superior athletes. Today the focus is on psychological training, exercises that strengthen the mental skills that will help athletic performances on the path to excellence. These skills include mental imagery and focus training. If an athlete is serious about becoming the best he or she can possibly be, the most essentialRead MoreEssay Sports Psychology1172 Words   |  5 Pages The five main things that I learned in sports psychology from is Goal Setting, Awareness, Leadership, Reboundability, and Routines. These all help me not only in the sport world but also in life. It is important to study these things and practice them as much as possible to achieve the greatest benefits from them nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Until recently I have never really thought about my goals. I have had them, but have never planned them out or evaluated outcomes. When we had a guest speakerRead MoreSports Psychology, Sports Nutrition, And Strength And Conditioning Essay742 Words   |  3 PagesCAREER GOALS: Through applied sport psychology, sports nutrition, and strength and conditioning, my goals are to give back to my community by: 1. Leading local athletes through a process of discovering their true potential and greatness, so that they can perform successfully to a level that brings true peace of mind and self-satisfaction that they did the best to which they were capable.   a. Volunteer to teach leadership and life skills training to athletes in my community with the Habitudes imageryRead MoreProfessional Philosophy : Sports Psychology778 Words   |  4 Pagespotential career that I have in mind is becoming a Sport Psychologist. The first scholarly article I found is titled â€Å"NCAA Athletic Administrators’ Preferred Characteristics for Sport Psychology Positions: A Consumer Market Analysis†. The study conducted in this article looks into the market for Sport Psychologist in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It compares different Athletic administrator’s preferences for sport psychology positions based on time, commitment, affiliation,Read MoreTaking a Look at Sports Psychology1561 Words   |  6 PagesCome on – don’t let the picture creep into your mind. Stop thinking of that†¦ Pink Elephant (Gardner). It has been proven that putting a â€Å"don’t† or a â€Å"not† into a statement can cause the brain to have difficulties in interpreting the statement. In sports, players tend to tell themselves â€Å"not† to do something. In soccer, a goalie might tell him/herself to not let the other team score a goal, and then the team does. Or in tennis, players tell themselves not to serve the ball into the net, and then theyRead MoreAn Inside Look at Sports Psychology1715 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Sports psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour and mental processes while participating in sport (Robert Weinberg, 2010.). Academic sports psychology looks at the factors that affect participation and performance in sport. Areas that are covered in the academic research and theory are the person’s personality, attitudes, anxiety, stress and motivation (class notes, 2014). After carefully analysing the five forces of sports psychology (psychodynamic, behaviourism, cognition

The Church and the Middle Ages Essay - 596 Words

The Church and the Middle Ages The Middle Ages were a period in Europe dating from the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West, around the 5th century. However, the fixing of dates for the beginning and end of the Middle Ages is arbitrary. According to the Norton Anthology, Medieval social theory held that society was made up of three estates: the nobility, composed of a small hereditary aristocracy,...,the church, whose duty was to look after the spiritual welfare of that body, and everyone else...( Norton 76). According to Microsoft Encarta, No one definitive event marks the end of antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. By the end of the 5th century the culmination of several long-term trends, including a severe†¦show more content†¦GRAPH According to Microsoft Encarta, The early Middle Ages drew to a close in the 10th century with the new migrations and invasions, the coming of the Vikings, and the weakening of all forces of European unity and expansion (Microsoft). These acts resulted in violence and dislocation which caused isolation, population to diminish, and the monasteries again became outposts of civilization. During the high Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church became organized into an elaborate hierarchy with the pope as the head in western Europe. He establish supreme power. Many innovations took place in the creative arts during the high Middle Ages. Literacy was no longer merely requirement among the clergy. New readings were addressed to a newly literate public that had both the time and the knowledge to enjoy the work. The late Middle Ages were characterized by conflict. Towns and cities began to grow in alarming numbers; the new towns wanted to have their own self-control. They wanted to be free of outside leadership. One result of this struggle was the intensification of political and social thinking. In the late medieval period, there was a ugre for the direct experience with God, whether through private, interior ecstasy or mystical illumination. Christ and the apostles presented an image of radical simplicity, and using the life ofShow MoreRelatedThe Church Of The Middle Ages3873 Words   |  16 PagesThe Church is a highly acclaimed power that is still in power to this day. The Pope is still in power and the Catholic Church has been in power for almost 2000 years. The Church has a huge following and many people follow it blindly. Though there is no feudal system to put the Church on top and there is now a separation of Church and State, it was not always like that. The Church’s history is anything but pure. It constantly used it’s power against those that relied on the Church for answers andRead MoreMedieval Church And The Middle Ages1435 Words   |  6 Pages The time period lasting from approximately 800-1500 A.D. was known as the Middle Ages. The most important component of the Middle Ages was feudalism, a system of social hierarchy. In the European feudal pyramid, the uppermost ranking was the king, followed by nobles and church officials, knights, and peasants. One’s social ranking determined their place in society as well as their amount of power. The manor system was the economic system associated with feudalism. In the manorial system, a landownerRead MoreThe Catholic Church And The Middle Ages1283 Words   |  6 PagesTHE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE AGES I wanted to do this research paper on the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages because the church has always fascinated me. I have always found the history and the corruption of the Catholic Church to be of great interest and when I read in Robinson Crusoe, when he stated something to the effect that he would rather be captured by cannibals than catholic priests , I decided to do this paper on the Catholic Church. I thought it was a very interesting statementRead MoreThe Church in the Middle Ages Essay2025 Words   |  9 PagesThe Church in the Middle Ages By The Middle Ages, one understands a relatively long historical period extending from the end of the Roman Empire to the 1500s. The conquest of The Roman Empire by Germanic tribes, and synthesis of Germanic and Roman ways of life formed the civilization which we call medieval (medieval-from Latin words; medium (middle) and aevum (age)). Medieval civilization was greatly influenced by the Muslims in Spain and The Middle East, and by Byzantine Empire and ChristiansRead MoreThe Church during the Middle Ages1613 Words   |  6 PagesThe Middle Ages were a time that revolved around Christianity and converting or killing off all those who were not Christian. As a result, strict laws were put in place that prohibited the practices that weren’t Christian. This also meant anything that was pagan was prohibited and punishable by death. There were many practices that would be considered pagan, but the main ones of concern were the things the Church did not approve. Of the things the Church did not approve magic, like witchcraft, andRead MoreEssay on Middle Ages- Catholic Church1744 Words   |  7 PagesThe Middle Ages was a time of rebirth for the Church. The Church had a growing amount of power, and used this power to get messages sent to its followers. One important message created an ever-growing distance between believes and nonbelievers of the Church. Throughout the Middle Ages there have been inconsistencies with the doctrines and actions of the Church. There is one constant within the Church, throughout the Middle Ages the Church has opposed outsiders and has mistreated those outsiders fromRead MoreThe Christian Church in the Middle Ages Essay1114 Words   |  5 PagesThe Christian Church in the Middle Ages The Christian Church in the Middle Ages played a significant role in society. Unfortunately though, the church is often regarded as the capital of corruption, evil, and worldliness. Today, so many people depict the medieval church as being led by materialistic popes, devouring tithes from poverty-stricken peasants, having various illegitimate children, and granting indulgences for money from wayward believers. Yes, circumstances like this may have beenRead MoreThe Church: The Guardian of Culture in the Middle Ages1135 Words   |  5 PagesThe Middle Ages were characterized by a rigidly hierarchical society, which was justified by the view that, like the branches of a tree, every level of society was preordained and important. While the nobility and the clergy stood at the top of the society hierarchy, Jews and those who pursued dishonorable professions were branded outsiders. The Church acted as guardian of culture, particularly within its monasteries and convents. They preserved the scholarship of antiquity, often through theRead MoreThe Decline of the Medieval Church at the End of the Middle Ages678 Words   |  3 PagesTowards the end of the Middle Ages and into the duration of the Renaissance, the Medieval Church’s social and political power dwindled. Centuries prior the Catholic Church gained a surplus of control, largely due to the stability it maintained during the chaotic breakdown of the Western Roman Empire . Yet toward the end of the Middle Ages the Church set in motion factors that would ultimately lead to its downfall as the definitive figure of authority. However, despite political and social controversyRead MoreThe Changes in the Catholic Church during the High Middle Ages972 Words   |  4 PagesRoman Catholic Church became divided when the King of France decided to replace the current Italian Pope with one that he elected. During the Great Schism, there were two popes claiming authority over the Catholic Church. Following the sp lit, the papal offices began to lose their authority. Ultimately, the cardinals of both popes decided that an ecumenical council of godly men could collectively possess more divine authority that just one pope. In 1409 at the council of Pisa, the church council was

Economics in construction Free Essays

1. Perfect competition maybe described as a theoretical form of market wherein no buyer or supplier has the capacity (or what is termed the ‘market power’) to control the market price. Regular definitions of perfect competition in economics describe it as a situation in which there is absolutely ‘efficient outcome’. We will write a custom essay sample on Economics in construction or any similar topic only for you Order Now The hypothetical situation of ‘perfect competition’ is primarily conjured to build the fundamentals of the supply and demand theory. Totally contrary to the ideas of a perfectly competitive market is the idea of a monopoly, which maybe defined as a continual market situation within which there is only one supplier of a particular service or an item. All monopolies are necessarily devoid of any economic competition and the utter deficiency of ‘substitute goods’. Often a monopoly is sanctioned by the state. Such a monopoly is called a ‘legal monopoly’ or a ‘government granted monopoly’ and is authorized by the government so as to encourage firms to take up a particularly ‘risky’ or ambitious project. Instead of allowing a certain firm to take up a venture in this manner the state might also keep the project all to itself. Such a situation will then be referred to as a ‘government monopoly’. (King, 126) Unlike in a monopoly in a perfectly competitive market there are a number of minor suppliers and buyers who operate at equal capacities in the market. Given their equal status neither of them manages to attain enough significance to influence the market in their favor. The firms in such a set-up are therefore price-takers rather than price-setters, as in the case of monopolies. Also, while a monopoly provides a particular, unique item or service to the market in a perfectly competitive market no firm enjoys any sort of individuality. Instead, each of their products is quite like the others such that there is no room for ‘product differentiation’. A monopoly remains the sole provider of a certain product or service by simply barring other similar firms to enter the market by some means or the other. Often such means include government authorization, like in the case of ‘legal monopolies’ discussed above. In case of perfect competition however no such entry barrier can be introduced. As a result any given firm can enter the market if it wishes to. Similarly, unlike in a monopoly in a perfect competition set-up all firms have access to the same kind of resources all of which are completely ‘mobile’. In a monopoly of course a particular firm controls (and occasionally even withholds) essential resources and production expertise. Given the large number of close substitutes available for the products/services sold by firms in a perfectly competitive set-up it is only obvious that no single firm or even a group of firms have any say about the ‘market-price’. The price of the products or services of firms in an arrangement such as this is duly decided instead by the market, which in turn depends on the behavior of the buyer. A monopoly however doesn’t remain obligated to the market in this manner. Instead, it effectively determines the market price simply by increasing or decreasing the quantity of its produce. Such independence is enjoyed by a monopoly simply because it faces no form of price pressure from opponents. However, there is a limit to which this liberty maybe pushed. Monopolies that raise their price far beyond permissible limits invite competition and may soon have to face rivals providing the same services/products either legally or even illegally. (Fletcher, 188) 2. The residential construction industry might pretend to be a single, solid, well defined industry but it in fact is far from being that. As anyone who has ever had a house made knows building a great house involves a number of things; great plumbing, great carpentry, great painting etc. etc. etc. Given the large demands of building a residential outfit the residential construction industry does not represent one single market, like it appears to be but rather a variety of sectors. However, not all of them need to come into play in every residential construction project. Often a particular house does not need all the facilities the industry is capable of providing it with. For instance if an environmentalist who feels strongly about the use of wood in his house decides to build a house tomorrow he is hardly likely to employ a carpenter, irrespective of how easily he can land one. Similarly a family who decides to paint their interiors themselves will not need painters, at least to the extent they are usually needed by new house owners. Also, in many cases residential construction involves repairing old structures. This obviously takes less effort and expertise than those required for building a house from scratch. As is obvious therefore there are a number of ifs and buts in the industry. We will take a look at some of these a little closely. Normally, specialist contractors who have long standing reputation in the field carry out residential constructions. These individuals take complete responsibility of building an entire building from scratch and cover everything from plumbing to painting. Once they achieve the contract however they duly sub-contract additional independent workers who assist and accompany their own crew. Contractors are often described as the king of the jungle in their own area. They are managers, salesmen, supervisors and directors all rolled into one. As a result of their unique capacity to bring in professionals of their own field under their wings these individuals soon turn out to be perfect monopolies by themselves. Often many of these professionals operate all by themselves in a given area, without any form of opposition or competition. Given their advantageous position they duly flex every possible monopoly muscle they possibly can and obviously determine the market price of the services they provide. Similarly special service providers in the industry, such as say wood engravers or carvers who are both sophisticated and rare in terms of their skill usually monopolize the market and set the market price by themselves. Unlike them plumbers or electricians, who are found in plenty and whose skills hardly vary can never really behave in a monopolistic manner. Instead, their circuit closely replicates what can be called a ‘perfectly competitive’. Much like them painters and carpenters can hardly afford to be choosy or ultra expensive since they are easy to substitute. A good illustration of this point is provided by the use of lumber in the industry in the past decade or so. The U.S. residential construction industry is, by all accounts the biggest consumer of softwood lumber. However, the amount of softwood lumber available to the industry fell dramatically following the restrictions that came to be placed on state and federal forests in the past few years. As a result of this unfortunate fall in supply a large chunk of the industry soon shifted to other alternatives available in the market. Amongst the 2,500 builders we surveyed for this particular study about 12.8% reported to have increased their use of alternative structural materials in the past decade alone. 99% of the respondents also confessed to having started to use at least one out of the long list of alternative structural materials that we provided them with. Till 1995 only 91% of the builders interviewed used substitute materials. (Kar, 145) While the decreased supply of lumber has obviously proved unfortunate for the lumber industry the construction industry itself has survived virtually unscathed. This is primarily due to the wide availability of materials such as reinforced concrete, plastic fiber, steel etc. which maybe easily used as a replacement for lumber. This example clearly proves the market for construction material itself therefore it maybe said to be a ‘perfectly competitive’ market. With easily available substitutes, easy entry into the market and hardly any product differentiation it fits almost every characteristic of the ‘perfect competition’ market to the tee. Unlike lumber and its alternatives however other important facets of construction are not as easily obtained. The expertise required to design a house for instance is far harder to replace than the construction material it is to be built with. Due to the utter importance of their job and how extraordinarily dependant on knowledge and skill it is, the architect and the whole engineering industry maybe described as a bit of a monopoly. It is of course difficult to enter their market, there are hardly any ‘substitutes’ available (since the level of skill and expertise of each engineer varies from the other) and the engineers themselves tend to determine the market price of their know-how. (Lamb, 243-245) Thus we see how the residential construction industry of U.S.A. is actually a mà ©lange of a wide variety of competitive markets and not a single market by itself. It is the proper functioning of each of these individual parts that ultimately allows the construction business to function properly. References: Fletcher, R; Economy: Beliefs and Knowledge; Believing and Knowing. (Mangalore: Howard Price. 2006) pp 188 Kar, P; History of Indian Consumer Market Applications (Kolkata: Dasgupta Chatterjee 2005) pp 145 King, H; Fiscal Fitness Today (Dunedin: HBT Brooks Ltd. 2005) pp 126 Lamb, Davis; Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata. (Wellington: National Book Trust. 2004) pp 243-245    How to cite Economics in construction, Essay examples