Sports Psychology

series glossary of key terms

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A mental health disorder that occurs as a result of a traumatic experience. Symptoms include flashbacks, anxiety, intense fear of similar situations, and feelings of helplessness. Practicum: A course of training in which a student mainly observes and takes notes on how a licensed psychologist treats patients, but the student doesn’t actually participate. Presenting symptoms: The symptoms a therapy client “presents” with; that is, reveals to a therapist as a reason for seeking therapy. Process addiction: Feeling compelled to performan action even though the person performing it realizes that doing so is hurting them in some way. Common process addictions include social media, shopping, online gaming, and other gambling. Psychiatrist: A medical doctor who is legally permitted to prescribe medication and is trained in mental health. Psychometric: Referring to specialized testing, measuring, and assessment to provide an evaluation or diagnosis. Psychopath: A dangerous person with severe antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and possessing little or no conscience. Psychopathology: Also called abnormal psychology ; the study of mental and behavioral disorders. Psychosocial: Referring to the way social factors influence a person’s thoughts and behavior. Randomized: In psychology, a randomized trial divides people by chance into separate groups so that the effects of treatment can be compared fairly. Reframe: To think or talk about something in a different manner, to show another side of it. Rehabilitation: The act of working through therapy to help a person live as productively as possible after an illness, an accident, or an addiction. Self-medicating: The act of trying to block out bad emotions by drinking, taking drugs, or over-eating. Sensorimotor system: The bodily system responsible for stimulus identification and motor control. Social facilitation effect: A phenomenon in which people show improved task performance in the presence of others. Sociopath: A person diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) who has a very limited ability to feel empathy or remorse. Subliminal: Referring to a method of stimulating someone’s mind below the level of sensation and conscious awareness, often by using images or words flashed too quickly for the person to register them. Thanatology: The study of death and how people react to it. A psychologist or another professional working in this area is called a thanatologist . Thanatophobia: Fear of death. Visualization: A psychological technique that involves visualizing positive outcomes in a tough situation to help the client perform at a high level and/or overcome fear. Voluntarism: An approach to understanding how the mind is organized based on voluntary thought.

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Sports Psychology