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  • Essay / Theories of Environmental Influences on Sports Performance

    A theory that reviews different environmental factors is social learning theory. This one was created by Bandura and looks at the type of impact the environment has on behavior. Bandura believed that characteristic traits did not impact behavior and depended on the environment in which they were found. This helps explain why some introverted athletes can display extroverted behavior. Performers who have introverted characteristics may participate in sports such as soccer, which is generally a sport that an extrovert would choose due to its high level of arousal. In Bandura's theory, this is due to external factors such as family and friends who encouraged the athlete to participate in this type of sport. Bandura believed that two main categories influenced behavior. These are modeling and social reinforcement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Modeling is when a behavior is copied by those around them. This also helps explain out-of-character behavior, particularly in high arousal levels. An example of this could be shouting and swearing at a crowd after scoring a goal. This is not an expected behavior of an introvert, but if the athlete has seen this modeled by many football players on television, then they are more likely to behave this way. The second impact on behavior is social reinforcement. This explores how others' responses to your behavior can impact how often you behave in a specific way. It's often positive reinforcement that has the greatest impact, as if you receive a positive response to a behavior you are more likely to repeat it. An example would be diving into football. If an athlete dives during a football game and receives a penalty, not only do they get the penalty, but also positive reinforcement from the coach and teammates. The athlete is therefore more likely to reproduce this behavior. Bandura also advised people trying to train athletes and artists. He believed there were four steps to help change behavior. In sports, these changes can also contribute to changes in sports performance. The first step is called modeling. When an artist copies the behavior of another athlete, it is called modeling. If they are successful and dominant, they will likely get someone's attention, for example if a gymnast demonstrates a skill that they are able to copy and repeat the technique from the demonstration. An example of this is when a young footballer watches Ronaldo perform a bicycle kick. Due to the great publicity Ronaldo receives, he is considered a role model and the young sportsman imitates his behavior. The second stage is retention; this is when the behavior or skill is in your memory, this is effective in sports like a tennis player as he will observe his competitor from previous games and observe their performance. If an action is not memorable, there will be a serious lack of motivation and retention. This is important during sports and has an impact on performance. The third theory of social learning is motor reproduction, which is when an athlete repeats and practices skills, such as in golf by practicing hitting the ball with power and speed. They observe then practice and then learn how to perform it..