Aggression in Sports
Question
Required Text:
-
Sanderson, C. A. (2017). Sport Psychology. New York: Oxford
University Press / ISBN: 978-0-19-991744-0
Relevant
Chapter: 8
Paper guideline
Paper guidelines |
These papers are about 3 (minimum) or 4 pages in length, with
standard one-inch margins, double-spaced with an 11- or 12-point font. The
prompts are constructed specifically to promote a paper about this length. When
writing, if all terms are described and supported, and/or personal examples and
perspectives are integrated, the paper will approximate or exceed this
length. Papers consisting of a short paragraph with a few sentences
generally lack substance and thoroughness for full credit. While going over two
pages is acceptable (grades won't be marked down for it), aim for at least 3
pages in length. Note the minimum length does not include the
title or reference pages.
In terms of formatting, APA style should be adhered to. For a
student paper, there should be an APA style title page (abstract not needed)
and headings (e.g., level 2) which break apart sections at logical spots.
Assuming you use the book for most material, please cite it in APA style. If
you use additional sources (articles, websites) those should be cited
appropriately in text and on the reference page.
A helpful APA style resource is the OWL at Purdue University,
which may be found at: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
Prompt
Discussion aggression in sport.
First, define aggression and various types. How do you differentiate between
some forms of aggression and what could otherwise be considered violence?
Discuss situational factors associated with athlete aggression. Offer examples
to help illustrate these points.
Thereafter, offer some personal
perspectives: What is your opinion of aggression in sport? Do aggression (or even violence) have a
legitimate place in sport? Perhaps only certain sport(s)? With this
information, can anything be done to reduce athletic aggression? Offer
rationale and specific step(s)/solution(s).


Solution
Aggression in Sports
Sports participation has many positive aspects for the
sport's participants as players or spectators. On the other hand, athlete
events are always associated with aggressive behavior. But then, what is
aggression? Aggression is verbal or physical behavior that leads to
self-assertion; it is frequently angry and destructive, and it is intended to
be injurious, either physically or emotionally, and it is aimed at dominating
one person over another (Sofia & Cruz, 2017). It may arise from innate
drives and be a response to frustration. Overly violent and destructive
conduct, subtle attitudes of antagonism and obstructionism, or healthy
self-expression can all be signs of it. Aggression in sports is a
characteristic that can have many positive and negative effects on performance.
Most people consider aggression to be a negative psychological trait. However,
some sports psychologists and coaches agree that aggression can be a factor in
improving performance.
There are different types of aggression, namely:
reactive-expressive, that is, verbal and physical aggression,
reactive-expressive, and proactive relational aggression, which can break human
relationships, for instance, by spreading malicious rumors. However, aggression
in sports is differentiated into hostile aggression and instrumental aggression
(Shachar et al., 2016).
Hostile aggression refers to actions motivated by
anger intended solely to hurt someone. Thus, the perpetrator wants the victim
to suffer from this form. For example, a soccer player may deliberately and
illegally trip an opponent to hurt that person. This is unacceptable in most
cases, and that's why, in such cases, the perpetrators may be banned from the
sport for a certain period or removed from the game for some time before
resuming. For example, when a bowler throws a bouncer to deliberately shake up
the batsman's concentration, This is usually with the intent of injury.
Instrumental aggression is the display of negative
behavior to achieve a planned result. This type of aggression has unique
characteristics that differentiate it from hostile aggression. Intentional and
planned out beforehand, goal-oriented, committed to causing harm (physical,
social, or emotional), intended to place the aggressor in a favorable position
and avoid failure or unfavorable consequences. To win the ball, a rugby player,
for example, will employ aggression to tackle his opponent. The player's
aggressiveness is aimed to retake possession of the ball, not to damage the
opponent.
One could differentiate between the different forms of
aggression. As for sports aggression, many people confuse and make mistakes
between the different forms of sports aggression. Aggression can be visible in
a crowd's reaction to on-field activity, and it can also be perceived as a
natural component of the sport. Some sports need physical contact, and
aggressiveness is unavoidable because it is a natural aspect of the game. Many
sporting activities mistakenly categorized as hostility are not classified as
such by commentators and forecasts. As a result, we can assume that the
following examples are not considered aggressiveness based on the definition of
hostility in sports:
·
A
challenge that leads to unintentional injuries, such as a soccer player going
into a 50/50 challenge.
·
After
a bad shot, a furious tennis player vents his frustration on the racket by
slamming it on the ground.
·
A form of destructive aggression aimed towards
a specific item, such as a door.
·
Verbal
abuse or instances where teammates act as a barrier where aggression is
directed at a victim with no likelihood of physically damaging the opponent.
Situational Factors Associated
with Athlete Aggression.
When an athlete's expectations for reinforcement for
aggressive behavior are high (e.g., praise from parents, coaches, and peers),
and the reward value outweighs the punishment value, aggression arises in
sports (gaining a tactical or psychological advantage with a personal foul). Situational
expectations, such as game time, crowd encouragement, and score position,
influence athletes' decisions about when it is appropriate to be aggressive
(Krishnaheni & Shahin, 2014).
Here
are some of the factors deemed to have many sport-specific behaviors.;
·
The
game's structure
·
Perception
of the victim's motivation
·
Apprehension
of retaliation
·
The
temperature of the environment.
Structure of the Game
Several game-related variables highlight aggression in
sports, and these include such;
Point differential- as scores between two opposing teams increase, frustration
build-up can lead to aggression.
Home or away-it has been
known, especially in soccer, that teams playing away have shown many tendencies
of more aggression.
Participation outcome- losing
teams have shown significantly heightened aggression than their winning
counterparts.
Period of sporting play- aggressive
behavior has increased in multi-period play sports.
Perception of the Victim's Intent.
When an athlete perceives the opponent intends to
cause harm or injury, they are more inclined to act aggressively towards their
opponent. For example, in rugby, if the players perceive that the opponent
intends to cause harm, their response will be potentially influenced by their
level of aggression.
Fear of Retaliation.
Fear of retaliation can prevent
players from acting aggressively against an opponent out of fear and respect.
Players are likely to engage in unsportworthy behavior if they get the same in
return.
Environmental Temperature.
According to research, it's been shown that
environmental temperatures effects on performance are curvilinear, in that
performance increases to an optimum point before a visible decrease in
performance (Sofia & Cruz, 2017).
Opinion
on Aggression in Sports.
As much as some studies and researchers say that
aggression improves performance in games, I think it is because they mistake
aggression for assertiveness. For example, in contact games like rugby,
assertiveness is shown in how the players make their presence known through
physical and verbal approaches whose intent is not to cause harm to the
opponents. As both instrumental and hostile aggressiveness are motivated by the
desire to damage another player or human person, they should be discouraged at
all levels of competition.
The
legitimacy of Aggressiveness in Sports.
In combat sports like judo, karate, wrestling, or team
contact sports like rugby, aggressive and violent activities forbidden outside
or in non-contact sports like basketball and cricket are legal. These sports
are characterized by high levels of hostility and frequent violent physical
contact, which may be tolerated by the game's rules and is not intended to
cause injury. Outside of the game, however, the same aggressive behavior may be
classified as criminal (Shachar. et al., 2016)
However, excessive violence that is
not in line with the game's competitive spirit is illegitimate and, in certain
cases, illegal. There are some gray zones in some sports, such as rugby, where
aggressiveness is considered a valid game aspect.
Steps
to Control Aggression and Violence by Athletes.
As much as aggressiveness is legitimate in combat and
contact games, high degrees of aggressiveness deemed to cause harm to the
opponents are discouraged and termed as illegitimate actions (Fatma, Khan &
Husain, 2017). Therefore, many steps are set forward to control aggressiveness
and violence in sports. As we all know, violence in sports is ugly to both
athletes and fans. The following steps must be taken:
·
Young
athletes must be taught how to be forceful but not aggressive, and athletes who
engage in aggressive behavior must be severely penalized, well beyond any
game-based reinforcement.
·
Appropriate
role play can help an athlete manage his or her rage.
·
In
emotionally heated game situations, athletes should be rewarded for
demonstrating restraint and tolerance.
·
Adequate
counseling and rehabilitation can help aggressive athletes.
·
The
organizers should create a welcoming mood that is more analogous to a family
gathering.
·
The
tolerance and patience of the coach or leader will reduce violent behavior in
athletes.
References.
Sofia, R.,
& Cruz, J. F. A. (2017). Unveiling anger and aggression in sports: The
effects of type of sport, competitive category and success level. Revista
de psicología del deporte, 26(2), 21-28.
Shachar,
K., Ronen-Rosenbaum, T., Rosenbaum, M., Orkibi, H., & Hamama, L. (2016).
Reducing child aggression through sports intervention: The role of self-control
skills and emotions. Children and youth services review, 71,
241-249.
Krishnaveni,
K., & Shahin, A. (2014). Aggression and its influence on sports
performance. International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and
Health, 1(2), 29-32.
Fatma, H.,
Khan, T. F., & Husain, M. (2017). Psychobiology of aggression in
sports. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 8(7),
744-747.




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