Positive Psychology in Sports - Assignment Example

Research Assignment Name Student Number Institution Course Code Instructor Date 1. Age of Criminal Responsibility The global trends with regard to criminal justice have brought about various realignments in life with criminal activities being on the rise even among the younger generations. In the Australian justice system, as well as the global front, it is apparent that youngsters ought to be subjected to a credible system of criminal justice. The prevailing system for children is mainly carried out separate from the adult system and basically puts priority to the immaturity and lack of experience of the young offenders. However, recent crimes have brought about debates calling for reduction of the criminal responsibility age limit in order for younger individuals to be responsible for their wrongdoings. This essay evaluates the psychosocial factors probably constraining children from behaving accordingly, with respect to what is right or wrong within a societal context. Newton and Bussey (2012) evaluated the probability of children being able to effectively distinguish between right and wrong by looking into the real life transgressions, and if psychosocial factors may have an impediment in the children’s ability to act as per their awareness of what is right or wrong. From the study, majority of children comprehend what is right and wrong in their real life situation. Nevertheless, the ones engaging in criminal behaviour were not able to apply their awareness accordingly to manage their behaviour outcome (Newton and Bussey, 2012). In context, most delinquent children were not able to resist peer pressure, indicating low levels of compassion and academic self-efficacies, as well as disconnected from moral values that interfered with acceptance as per the peer values in their surroundings. From a critical context, the system of juvenile justice is the basic responsibility of the state governments, with the need to ensure rehabilitation and effective growth and development of the young offenders to be responsible citizens (Steinberg, 2009). Nevertheless, current trends have shown youngsters getting involved in grave crimes that call for better options to ensure behavioural change with respect to the context of the crime apparent of their age. This is supported by Newton and Bussey (2012) findings that basing the age of criminal responsibility basically on the awareness of right or wrong is not sufficient. This is due to the fact that it over-emphasises on the cognitive attributes while at the same time same time reducing the non-cognitive components which have a direct impact on the overall decision making. According to Steinberg, Cauffman and Monahan (2015), the involvement of delinquent and criminal behaviour progresses within the adolescent stage peaking at around age 16. Thus, it is imperative to devise psychosocial and behavioural attributes that would ensure psychological immaturity is addressed. In conclusion, the debate on age limit to criminal responsibility involves achieving an approach that is beneficial to both the young generation (young offenders), as well as the society at large. Coming up with behavioural approaches addressing cognitive and non-cognitive aspect of criminal responsibility ensures that teens are not drawn into a justice system that basically imposes an authoritative negative labelling, but rather enhances behavioural changes and improves the cognitive and non-cognitive attributes in life as well. 2. Cognitive Behavioural Techniques (CBT) use by Sports Psychologists to Improve Athletes’ Performance and Reduce Anxiety Sports performance and eventual outcome of individuals can be attributed to their cognitive abilities just like their physical capability is made fit for any given competition. Cognitive Behavioural techniques (CBT) can be utilised by sports psychologists to impact positively on the overall performance of athletes by sufficiently reducing anxiety levels. This essay critically discusses how CBTs can be used by sports psychologists to enhance the performance of athletes and reduce their anxiety during training, as well as during competition. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) involves a system of psychotherapy that attempts to bring down the level of excessive emotional reactions and self-defeating behaviour by adapting to modify the faulty and maladaptive belief underlying the reactions (Behncke, 2004). This gives rise to a new trend in their training targeting the cognitive, as well as behavioural realignment to meet certain levels of goals and targets. Nazam and Husain (2014) explored the relationship between anxiety and sport performance and identifies that sports psychologists have a greater role to enhance the performance of athletes through various interventions. In context, the interventions basically address various strategies towards reducing anxiety through enhancing exercise and sports performance among the athletes. Omar-Fauzee, et al. (2009) critically outlines that imagery and coping strategies are crucial in enhancing performance among sportsmen: coping in this regard involved strategies, responses, tactics, cognitions or behaviours. Enhancing mental skills through rehearsals, imagery and visualisations are critical cognitive aspects that enhance performance in sporting (Behncke, 2004). Having clear behavioural traits helps reduce stress or anxiety among athletes, as well as restructuring negative thoughts into positive attitudes that results to better performance. Participants in sports get used to their practices after training and coping strategies are embraced. The need to develop strong behavioural approaches in sports ensures endurance and sticking to set out sporting tactics to achieve set targets or goals. To endure the sporting challenge entails effective management of ones stress during the competition and fighting to the end of the challenge (Omar-Fauzee, et al., 2009). Having a positive attitude to the sporting challenge, setting goals or targets and creating critical behavioural approaches involves crucial techniques that enhances performance for athletes. Behncke (2004) concludes that initial and continued ability to devise a self-monitoring approach, which is enhanced by mental skill training, is basically crucial in the implementation of cognitive practices to enhance performance among athletes. Once a sportsperson acquires skills through training, they are able to master them through coping strategies and perfect them through continued exercises. In conclusion, cognitive behavioural techniques are crucial tactics in sports that can be utilised by sports psychologists to enhance performance among athletes. By embracing techniques that enhance the cognitive abilities, sports psychologists introduce approaches that help athletes develop sporting strategies and cope to achieve better performance. Sporting is influenced by the cognitive level of an individual and having a positive attitude reduces anxiety while increasing the endurance capacity. Thus, sports psychologists can effectively utilise CBTs to positively impact on the performance of athletes by basically reducing their anxiety levels. 3. Special Taxes on Foods with High Salt, Fat and Sugar and Low on Nutrients Lifestyle diseases have been on the arise and thus, various countries have implemented laws imposing special taxes on foods having high salt, fat and sugar while having low nutrient contents. Taking fast and junk foods have resulted to increased rates of obesity, as well as lifestyles diseases like hypertension and diabetes resulting to increased health care costs. This essay evaluates whether the “fat taxes” are effective in combating he obesity epidemic. Increased obesity especially among children has indicated worrying trends and hence, effective measures are paramount to address increased risks of obesity and lower cases of lifestyle disorders. Various nations have been evaluating its laws to incorporate and implement laws that introduce special taxes on foods that contribute to lifestyles disorders (Epstein, Dearing, Roba and Finklestein, 2010). The target foods are termed to contain high levels of salt, sugar, and fats while having low levels of nutrients crucial to the body growth and development. This results to increased rates of obesity and other lifestyle disorders escalating health care costs for states. Increased rates of obesity indicate increasingly food environments that favour the occurrence of obesity with long-tern changes being on offing to correct the prevailing trends. Thus, from Cornelsen and Carreido (2015) argument, introducing taxes on unhealthy foods can have a significant impact by complimenting the measures towards wider food policy to promote healthy eating. Debates have taken the direction of how effective taxes can ensure reduction of obesity cases with also introduction of subsidies on production of more foods with high nutrient level. The World Health Organisation has been at the forefront in recommending the utilisation of fiscal policy to influence food prices as a way of encouraging healthy eating (WHO, 2013). The introduction of subsidies on high nutrient value food is seen as a better way to ensure affordability of healthy eating with critical awareness being crucial to ensure individuals make options between healthy foods or the junk foods. According to Cornelsen and Carreido (2015), food and beverage taxes can be utilised as methods to ensure unhealthy foods and drinks attract higher prices to ensure individuals go for the healthy foods which will be affordable. Thus, governments have the responsibility to increasingly introduce legislations and policies that target healthy eating initiatives to reduce the risk of obesity and bring down the level of lifestyle disorders. In conclusion, increased rates of obesity pose a great risk to the wellbeing of individuals due to increased risks of lifestyle diseases. Further, the introduction of tax policies on unhealthy foods and subsidies on the production of healthy foods seems to be effective measures towards encouraging healthy eating habits by targeting the cost of foods. By introducing “fat taxes” on unhealthy foods and subsiding on health ones would result in the increase prices and reduced prices respectively. In context, introduction of tax policy and subsidises to curb the rates of obesity among the global populations seems a prudent measure among the nations of the earth to address the issues of unhealthy eating and lifestyle disorders. Reference List Behncke, L. (2004). Mental skills training for sports: A brief review. The Online Journal of Sports Psychology, 6(1), 1-19. Cornelsen, L., and Carreido, A. (2015). Health-related taxes on food and beverages. Food Research Collaboration Policy Brief. 20th May 2015. . Epstein, L., Dearing, K., Roba, L., and Finklestein, E. (2010). The influence of taxes and subsidies on energy purchased in an experimental purchasing study, Psychological Sciences, 21(3), 406-414. Nazam, F., and Husain, A. (2013). Enhancing sports and exercise through cognitive interventions. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(1), 28-32. Newton, N., and Bussey, K. (2012). The age of reason: An examination of psychosocial factors involved in delinquent behaviour. Legal and Criminological psychology, 17(1), 75-89. Omar-Fauzee, M.S., Daud, W.R., Abdullah, R., and Rashid, S. (2009). The effectiveness of imagery and coping strategies in sport performance. European Journal of Social Sciences, 9(1), 97-108. Steinberg, L. (2009). Adolescent development and juvenile justice. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 5, 47-73. Steinberg, L., Cauffman, E., and Monahan, K.C. (2015). Psychosocial maturity and desistance from crime in a sample of serious juvenile offenders. Juvenile Justice Bulletin, March 2015. World Health Organisation (WHO) (2013). Marketing of foods high in fat, salt and sugar to children: Update 2012-2013. Copenhagen, Denmark: World Health Organisation. Read More

Cognitive Behavioural Techniques (CBT) use by Sports Psychologists to Improve Athletes’ Performance and Reduce Anxiety 

Sports performance and eventual outcome of individuals can be attributed to their cognitive abilities just like their physical capability is made fit for any given competition. Cognitive Behavioural techniques (CBT) can be utilized by sports psychologists to impact positively on the overall performance of athletes by sufficiently reducing anxiety levels. This essay critically discusses how CBTs can be used by sports psychologists to enhance the performance of athletes and reduce their anxiety during training, as well as during competition.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) involves a system of psychotherapy that attempts to bring down the level of excessive emotional reactions and self-defeating behavior by adapting to modify the faulty and maladaptive beliefs underlying the reactions (Behncke, 2004). This gives rise to a new trend in their training targeting the cognitive, as well as behavioral realignment to meet certain levels of goals and targets. Nazam and Husain (2014) explored the relationship between anxiety and sports performance and identifies that sports psychologists have a greater role to enhance the performance of athletes through various interventions. In context, the interventions basically address various strategies towards reducing anxiety through enhancing exercise and sports performance among the athletes. Omar-Fauzee, et al. (2009) critically outlines that imagery and coping strategies are crucial in enhancing performance among sportsmen: coping in this regard involved strategies, responses, tactics, cognitions, or behaviors.

Enhancing mental skills through rehearsals, imagery and visualizations are critical cognitive aspects that enhance performance in sports (Behncke, 2004). Having clear behavioral traits helps reduce stress or anxiety among athletes, as well as restructuring negative thoughts into positive attitudes that result in better performance. Participants in sports get used to their practices after training and coping strategies are embraced. The need to develop strong behavioral approaches in sports ensures endurance and sticking to set out sporting tactics to achieve set targets or goals. To endure the sporting challenge entails effective management of one's stress during the competition and fighting to the end of the challenge (Omar-Fauzee, et al., 2009). Having a positive attitude to the sporting challenge, setting goals or targets, and creating critical behavioral approaches involve crucial techniques that enhance performance for athletes. Behncke (2004) concludes that the initial and continued ability to devise a self-monitoring approach, which is enhanced by mental skill training, is basically crucial in the implementation of cognitive practices to enhance performance among athletes. Once a sportsperson acquires skills through training, they are able to master them through coping strategies and perfect them through continued exercises.      

In conclusion, cognitive-behavioral techniques are crucial tactics in sports that can be utilized by sports psychologists to enhance performance among athletes. By embracing techniques that enhance cognitive abilities, sports psychologists introduce approaches that help athletes develop sporting strategies and cope to achieve better performance. Sporting is influenced by the cognitive level of an individual and having a positive attitude reduces anxiety while increasing the endurance capacity. Thus, sports psychologists can effectively utilize CBTs to positively impact the performance of athletes by basically reducing their anxiety levels. 

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