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Sport Psychology

Code: 102557 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Psychology OT 4

Contact

Name:
Miquel Torregrossa Alvarez
Email:
miquel.torregrossa@uab.cat

Teachers

Yago Ramis Laloux
Juan Maximiliano Devoto Araya
Joel Guillen Cots
Eduardo Amblar Burgos

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

The course Sport Psychology (102557) constitutes, together with the course “Physical Activity and Health” (102558), the subjects of the “Sports Psychology and Physical Activity” area.

The course Sport Psychology is framed in the Specialization in Psychological Intervention on Welfare and Quality of Life and in Analysis and Intervention in Educational Psychology. Coursing this subject allows the student to obtain one or both mentions, depending on the chosen subjects’ itinerary.

This course does not require previous knowledge of other subjects. It is convenient that students that want to specialize in the sports psychology field also course the subject 102558 – Physical Activity and Health, besides developing the Degree Project (TFG) based on one of the areas’ demands.

Lectures will be given in Catalan. Students can use one of the three official languages of the UAB (Catalan, Spanish, and English) in class and in their assignments.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The main aims of this subject are:

  • To know the role and tasks of professionals in sport psychology and the theoretical frameworks guiding their role.
  • To analyze the initiation and development of young athletes and their environment (i.e., coaches and families).
  • To describe the basic psychological processes involved in athletic performance and the main interventions techniques to enhance athletes’ performance.
  • To analyze the athletic career from a holistic perspective, career transitions and dual career.
  • To develop a Scientific Evidence-Based Professional Project (PPBEC) and apply it in the sports psychology field.

Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse scientific texts written in English.
  • Analyse the demands and needs of people, groups and organisations in different contexts.
  • Distinguish and relate the different focuses and theoretical traditions that have contributed to the historical development of psychology as well as its influence on the production of knowledge and professional practice.
  • Evaluate, contrast and take decision on the choice of adequate methods and instruments for each situation and evaluation context.
  • Identify and recognise the different methods of treatment and intervention in the different applied areas of psychology.
  • Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
  • Recognise the determinants and risk factors for health and also the interaction between people and their physical and social environment.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
  2. Analyse scientific texts written in English.
  3. Analyse the consequences of sport on the health and wellbeing of those who practice it.
  4.  Analyse the demands and psychological needs of athletes in sports situations.
  5. Contrast the demands and psychological needs of children, adolescents and young people related to the sports initiation.
  6. Contrast the demands and psychological needs of coaches, referees, officials and spectators at sporting sports contexts.
  7. Contrast the different methods of treatment and intervention in the field of applied psychology training, arbitration, the management and spectacle of sporting events.
  8. Contrast the main theoretical models used in the study of the psychological aspects of sport initiation.
  9. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  10. Define and decide the most appropriate methods and tools to assess the psychological needs of children and young people related to the sport initiation.
  11. Describe the consequences of sports initiation on health and wellbeing in children, adolescents and young people.
  12. Distinguish and decide the most appropriate methods and tools to assess the psychological needs of athletes in sports situations.
  13. Distinguish between the main characteristics of the theoretical focuses in the study of sports psychology and physical activity.
  14. Identify and decide on the most appropriate methods and tools to assess the psychological needs of coaches, referees, officials and spectators at sporting sports contexts.
  15. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  16. Identify the different methods of treatment and intervention in the field of psychology applied to sports performance.
  17. Identify the main theoretical models used in the study of psychological aspects related to sports performance.
  18. Identify the relevant aspects of interaction between sports players and their physical and social environment.
  19. Propose new experience-based methods or alternative solutions.
  20. Specify the various methods of treatment and intervention in the field of psychology applied to sport initiation.

Content

Block 1. Roles and functions of the specialist in sports psychology and the theoretical positions on which they are based
 
1.1. Roles and functions of the specialist in sports psychology
 
1.2. Conceptual frameworks and theoretical positions that underpin them
 
1.3. History of sports psychology
 
Block 2. The sports career from a holistic perspective, career transitions and the dual career
 
2.1. Sports career models
 
2.2. Predictable transitions (e.g., transition from junior to senior or retirement)
 
2.3. Unpredictable career transitions (e.g., disruption of the Olympic cycle, injuries)
 
2.4. The dual career
 
Block 3. Initiation and sports development of athletes and their environment
 
3.1. Initiation sport: Development and objectives
 
3.2. Psychology of sports initiation
 
3.3. Social agents in the environment: Training in initiation
 
3.4. Social agents in the environment: Parents of athletes
 
Block 4. Basic psychological processes involved in sports performance and the main intervention techniques linked to them
 
4.1. Psychological training programs and needs analysis
 
4.2. Intervention techniques (Goal setting, Imagined practice, Activation control, Self-talk, Micro and macro routines)
 
4.3. Group processes: Team dynamics, Team culture, Leadership and communication
 
(Translation suported by AIG)

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
D1. Challenges development and achievement 24 0.96 20, 10, 11, 8, 13, 17
D2. Lessons to work on the Scientific Evidence-Based Professional Project (seminars, small groups) 12 0.48 2, 7, 5, 6, 12, 14
Type: Supervised      
S2. Supervision of the Scientific Evidence-Based Professional Project 8 0.32 2, 7, 5, 6, 14
S2. Tutoring sessions related to the full grup evidences 8 0.32 20, 10, 11, 8, 13, 17
Type: Autonomous      
A1. Documentation and preparation of challenges 28 1.12 20, 7, 8, 13, 16, 17
A2. Development of the Scientific Evidence-Based Professional Project 70 2.8 4, 2, 20, 10, 7, 5, 6, 12, 16, 14

Directed activities

  • 12 sessions with the full group to work on and evaluate the content of the subject
  • 6 sessions in small seminar sub-groups distributed among the semester to develop a Scientific Evidence-Based Professional Project (PPBE) based on demands from sport institutions.

Supervised activities

  • Every directed activity involves a certain amount of hours of supervised activities from the teachers through the virtual forum of the course (Moodle) and the teachers’ specific tutoring hours.

Autonomous activities

  • It is necessary to carry out autonomous activities to follow through the core of the subject and the PPBE, to be able to reach the learning outcomes.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
EV1R1: Group Exhibition on Challenge 1. Promotion of a professional practice based on scientific evidence 15 0 0 20, 13, 17
EV2R2. Development of a written case on challenge 2: The holistic and ecological conception of the sports career 15 0 0 3, 4, 2, 1, 10, 6, 18, 16, 15, 19
EV3PP1: PPBEC Scientific congress and project presentation 10 0 0 2, 10, 7, 5, 6, 13, 16
EV4R3. Written test on Challenge 3: Educational and equitable sports initiation 15 0 0 1, 20, 10, 11, 8, 5, 15
EV5PP2: Professional Project Report 15 0 0 9, 1, 20, 10, 6, 12, 14, 15, 19
EV6PP3: Professional Project Presentation 15 0 0 7, 6, 16
EV7R4: Case analysis on challenge 4 Healthy and ethical high sports performance 15 0 0 3, 4, 2, 7, 18, 16

 

 

Evidence Code

Denomination

weight

Format

(oral, written or both)

Authorship

(individual, collective or both)

Via

(presential, virtual or both)

Week

EV1R1

Group Exhibition about Challenge 1

15

both

Collective

Presential

5

EV2R2

Case development challenge 2

15

written

Individual

Presential

8

EV3PP1

Scientific conference to present the project

10

both

Collective

Both

11

EV4R3

Written test Challenge 3

15

Written

Individual

Presential

12

EV5PP2

Professional Project Report

15

Written

Collective

Virtual

14

EV6PP3

Professional project presentation

15

Oral

Collective

Presential

14

EV7RE4

Case presentation Challenge 4

15

Both

Collective

Presential

15

 

 

 

Kind of feedback

Evidence

Week

Written

EV2R2

EV4R3

10

14

Digital tool

EV3PP1

EV5PP2

12

19

Classroom

EV1R1

EV6PP3

EV7RE4

5

14

15

tutorial

EV2R2

EV4R3

10

14

  

An assessable student is considered to be anyone who has presented evidence of learning with a weight equal to or greater than 40% of the grade.
 
To pass the subject in continuous assessment, it will be necessary (a) to have obtained a grade equal to or greater than 5 in the weighted sum of all the evidence, and (b) an average score of these written tests greater than 3.5. In case of not meeting these requirements, the maximum grade to be recorded in the academic record will be 4.5 points and the student will have the right to retake.
 
Students who have presented evidence with a weight equal to or greater than 2/3 of the total grade during the continuous assessment and have obtained a grade of less than 5 points and greater than or equal to 3.5 points may apply for retake. Written tests linked to challenges may be retaken. The professional project based on scientific evidence is not retaken. The recovery will serve to obtain a 5 as the final grade for the subject, regardless of the grade obtained in each of the recovered evidence.
 
No unique final synthesis test for students who enrol for the second time or more is anticipated.
 
THE SINGLE EVALUATION IS REQUESTED ONLINE (E-FORM) IN THE SPECIFIC PERIOD (more information on the Faculty's website). The single evaluation will be carried out in the second evaluation period. All the contents of the subject will be evaluated with the same evaluation weight as in the continuous evaluation. The 4 written tests linked to the 4 challenges of the subject (60%) will be carried out with an evaluation weight equal to that of the continuous evaluation of the challenges, and a professional project report will be submitted aimed at responding to a specific demand from a sports entity (40%). The approximate duration of the test will be 4 hours. The same recovery process as that of the continuous evaluation will be applied.
 
In this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is allowed as an integral part of the development of the work, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution by the student in the analysis and personal reflection. The student must clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. The lack of transparency in the use of AI will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in serious cases.
 
 

The guidelines for evaluation can be found in the following link: https://www.uab.cat/web/estudiar/graus/graus/avaluacions-1345722525858.html


Bibliography

Castillo, Isabel & Álvarez, Octavio (2023). Psicología Social de la Actividad Física, el Deporte y el Ejercicio. Madrid; McGraw Hill.

Cruz, Jaume. (Ed.), (2001). Psicología del Deporte. Madrid : Síntesis.

Hanrahan, Stephanie. J., & Andersen, Mark. B. (2010). Routledge Handbook of Applied Sport Psychology: A Comprehensive Guide for Students and Practitioners

León Zarceño, E.M., Garcés de los Fayos, E.J. (2024). Fundamentos de Psicología del Deporte. Editorial Médica Panamericana.

Weinberg, Robert & Gould, Daniel (2019). Foundations of sport and exercise Psychology. 7th Edition. Champaign, Il.: Human Kinetics.

 

 


Software

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Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(SEM) Seminars 111 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 112 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 113 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed