Fundamentals of Sports Psychology and Human Movement Science

Posted on Oct 15, 2025 in Physical Education

Introduction to Psychology

The word “psychology” is derived from two separate Greek words, as first noted by Aristotle: “psyche,” meaning soul, and “logos,” meaning study or science. Thus, psychology literally means the science or study of the soul. Historically, the definition evolved:

Rudolf Goeckel defined psychology as the science of the mind.
William Wundt defined psychology as the science of consciousness.
Eventually, John B. Watson defined psychology as the science of behavior.

At the present time, psychology is generally defined as the science of behavior and mental processes.

Importance of Psychology in Physical Education and Sports

Structuring self-confidence.
Helps to improve stress management.
Helps to improve focus, concentration, and attention.
Helps athletes work better with parents and coaches.
Helps to overcome emotional problems of athletes.
Enhances physiological capabilities.
Helps in controlling emotions.

Different Stages of Human Development

Infancy Stage

This stage spans from birth to the end of 2 years of age. At this stage, the infant’s grasping power and memory increase rapidly. Their thinking ability also increases, and they begin understanding simple adult conversations.

Childhood Stage

The childhood stage begins from the 3rd year and ends by the end of the 12th year. During this period, children gain significant control over their muscles and spend most of their time playing. Their thinking ability increases at a faster rate. Children at this stage are typically more courageous, imaginative, resourceful, and adventurous. They also exhibit the best motor learning ability.

Adolescence

Adolescence is a stage of complex changes, generally spanning from 13 to 19 years. The average age range for reaching puberty is between 9 and 14 years for girls, and between 10 and 17 years for boys. Puberty begins when the pituitary glands stimulate the production of the male sex hormone, testosterone, in boys, and the female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, in girls. Reasoning, planning, and problem-solving skills also continue to develop during adolescence.

Adulthood

Adults develop the ability to show and reciprocate love and to make long-term commitments. They develop an interest in guiding the development of the next generation, often by becoming a parent. Most young people leave home, complete their education, and begin full-time work. Major concerns of this phase include developing a career, forming an intimate partnership and marrying, rearing children, or establishing other lifestyles.

Adolescent Problems and Management

Common Adolescent Problems

Physical Problems: During adolescence, many bodily changes take place, including the development of sex glands. As a result of these changes, adolescents often feel restless and worried.
Mental Problems: Stress, tension, and strife are common during this age, leading to various mental health challenges.
Problem of Aggressive Behavior: Children in this age group tend to show aggressive behavior, often becoming aggressive over minor matters.
Lack of Stability and Adjustment: Adolescents often lack complete stability and face adjustment problems. They may struggle to coordinate and adjust with other people.
Emotional Problems: An adolescent is full of emotions. Under the influence of strong emotions, they may attempt challenging tasks that initially seem impossible.

Management Strategies for Adolescence

Education for Motor Development: Adolescents should be provided education for their motor development. They should be encouraged to play various games and sports.
Education of Psychology: Teachers and parents should have a basic knowledge of psychology to better understand the adolescent mind.
Sex Education: Although often neglected in society, proper sex education should be imparted in schools and colleges.
Moral and Religious Education: Providing moral and religious education can help give adolescents mental peace.
Providing a Suitable Environment: Adolescents require a suitable environment for growth and development, including proper facilities and opportunities for holistic development.

Team Cohesion in Sports

Team cohesion in sports refers to the willingness of a team to stick together and perform collaboratively to achieve success. It has long been associated with the amount of “togetherness” displayed by a team both on and off the field.

Types of Team Cohesion

Task Cohesion: This relates to how well team members work together to achieve common goals and objectives (e.g., working together to win a championship).
Social Cohesion: This refers to how well the team members enjoy each other’s company. In recreational sports, players may get along well and enjoy playing the game regardless of whether they win or lose.

Factors Affecting Team Cohesion

Satisfaction: Team cohesion is linked to the extent to which team members are pleased with each other’s performance and behavior.
Size of the Group: Team cohesion develops more easily and quickly in smaller groups.
Similarity: Cohesion develops easily if most members of the group share similar age, sex, skills, interests, and attitudes.
Stability: Team cohesion develops if the same members of the group remain together for a longer period.
Win-Loss Records: Team cohesion is often strengthened if the team has a good record of winning various championships.

Key Psychological Concepts in Sports Performance

Attention

Attention in games and sports is an extremely important aspect of mental preparation for competition. Athletes consider attention to be highly significant for optimal sports performance.

Resilience

Resilience in sports psychology is a main factor in sports activities because performance largely depends upon the resiliency of the concerned athlete. Resilience can be defined as the bouncing back of an individual from any traumatic experiences or disturbances.

Mental Toughness

Mental toughness is a concept that has emerged from the field of sports psychology. Due to its significant role in enhancing performance, it has taken up a permanent place in the sports world. Mental toughness is a measure of an individual’s ability to be resilient, have confidence, remain competitive, and overcome adversity in their life.

Kinesiology and Biomechanics

Definitions

Kinesiology: Kinesiology is precisely defined as “the study of the science of human motion.” According to Burke R.K., “kinesiology can be defined as studying the movement behavior of all living organisms.”
Biomechanics: Biomechanics is the study of the movement of living things using the science of mechanics.

Importance of Kinesiology and Biomechanics in Sports

Better Understanding of Mechanical Advantage and Disadvantage of Human Movements: Knowledge of kinesiology and biomechanics helps us understand how human body parts can move in a better way by considering internal as well as external factors. This helps us understand the mechanical advantages and disadvantages of movement in different sports.
Helps to Improve and Develop New Techniques: Everyone wants to perform optimally, and for that, every individual wants to use the most appropriate technique. Techniques are improved and developed on a regular basis, which is possible only because of kinesiology and biomechanics.
Helps to Upgrade and Develop New Sports Equipment: Change is the basic principle of life, and sports equipment is timely upgraded and new equipment is developed based on the demands of sports. Biomechanics helps in developing and improving the existing equipment for better performance.
Helps in Measurement and Evaluation of Sports Performance: Sports performance can improve if we regularly measure and evaluate it with the help of appropriate tools. Mechanics and kinesiology help in developing such records.
Helps in Conducting Research in Sports: Research is very important nowadays, as everyone wants to be the best. Research helps in solving current problems of sports as well as gives a futuristic vision to sports.

Principles of Biomechanics

Principle of Force and Movement: Force is essential for every movement, as it is necessary or a prerequisite to start, change, and stop the movement. Force can be either a push or a pull.
Principle of Acceleration: Acceleration is the rate of change in velocity. The acceleration produced in an object is directly proportional to the force applied on the object and inversely proportional to the mass of the object.
Principle of Linked Segments: The human body is made up of different segments that are attached through joints. To perform any movement, muscle force creates internal motion in different segments, and the speed of motion at the proximal end of a segment will transfer to the distal end of that segment via joints.
Principle of Stability: The stability principle concerns holding positions and balanced positions during an athlete’s movement. Stability is directly proportional to the base and mass but indirectly proportional to the height.
Principle of Mechanical Lever: This principle concerns the mechanical advantage and disadvantage of a movement. There will always be a mechanical advantage when the force arm is longer than the resistance arm, and vice-versa.

Kinetic and Kinematics in Sports

If an object is in a state of motionless equilibrium, it is known as static. If an object is in motion, it is considered dynamic, which is further classified into kinetic and kinematic.

Kinetic: This is the aspect of dynamics which considers the force or forces that cause objects or bodies to move.
Kinematic: This is the analysis of motion in terms of time, displacement, velocity, or acceleration. In scientific language, it is the geometry of motion, describing the above four states of motion as they occur either in a straight (linear) line or in a rotary (angular) direction.

Fundamental Human Movements

Flexion: It is a bending movement in which the angle between the moving bones decreases at the joint. For example, bending the head forward at the neck joint, flexing the biceps muscle of the upper limb at the elbow joint, or flexing the calf muscle of the lower limb at the knee joint.
Extension: It is the opposite movement of flexion, in which the angle between the moving bones increases at the joint. For example, straightening a flexed neck, elbow, or knee.
Abduction: It is the movement of a limb moving away from the midline or median plane of the body. For example, moving the arm or leg sideward away from the midline.
Adduction: It is the movement of a limb moving towards the midline or median plane of the body. For example, moving the arm or leg sideward towards the midline.
Rotation: It is the turning of a bone around its own axis. Rotation may be directed toward the midline or away from it. For example, rotation of the neck, shoulder, or leg.