Applied Behavior Analysis
Applied Behavior Analysis and Organizational Behavioral Management in Sports Psychology
The psychology field has seen the application of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for a long time. ABA is mostly used to explain the importance of behavior modifications in this field. Applying ABA also helps to understand the different factors that make people behave in the manner they behave. This concept is most commonly used to modify the behavior of people with a sign of self-destructive behavior. It is also applied to children with autism. In comparison with other psychological sciences, the concept of ABA is the latest to be developed and applied. This paper aims to review existing literature on ABA with relation to its application in the field of sports psychology. Apart from a literature review of ABA application in sports psychology, the paper also presents a literature review on organizational behavior management (OBM) in sports psychology promoting behavior change and modifications.
Applied Behavior Analysis in Sports Psychology
ABA has mostly been used to promote significant behavioral changes in people with developmental issues by using psychological therapy. Heitzman-Powell et al. (2014) indicate that ABA has facilitated many psychological professionals in different fields to enable their patients to deal with clinical, physical, and even psychological factors that mostly influence behavior. Using ABA as recommended by sports psychologists involves presenting the players with reference points for their behavior and social background. This can also involve the team they play for. Heitzman-Powell et al. (2014) insist that ABA is very important in its role as a social characteristic. However, it should be used effectively by involving various strategies depending on the user for it to produce the desired results. On the same note, Davis et al. (2015) also indicate that any applicant of ABA should ensure to understand its prerequisites before deciding to apply it in their fields. This will ensure that they make all the necessary adjustments to make the ABA fit in the field they intend to apply it.
The most effective approach when improving the effectiveness of ABA is identifying and focusing on the observable characteristics in the target subject (Tai & Miltenberger, 2017). According to Tai & Miltenberger (2017), applying ABA in sports psychology needs psychologists to understand the function of behavior in sports performance and how adjusting behaviors can help promote the level of performance desired. Keeping track of the important behavior changes in the sports performers will require that the psychological practitioners in the sports setting allow for direct observation and analysis of the targeted behaviors among the players (Aunger & Curtis, 2016). Direct observation is critical for the integration of linguistic, self-care, and social behavior as factors that may be working for or against the players.
There are functional relationships between the behavior of players and the environmental conditions they are exposed to (Aunger & Curtis, 2016). Fong, Ficklin & Lee (2017) supports these presentations by arguing that the outcome of a player’s productivity is dependent on their physical and social environments, which are critical reference points for sports psychologists when they are using applied behavior analysis approaches with their subjects. The presentations of Aunger & Curtis (2016) agree that an examination of these functional relationships between behavior and environments is critical to the application of the concept in any field. Analysts, such as sports psychologists, using the applied behavior analysis model will monitor the behavior of sports team members by determining the level of deviation from the behavior that is acceptable of a certain group. In so doing, for instance, players are expected to act a certain way, and in this way, show specific characteristics that are associated with these athletes. Any athletes that deviate from the specific behavioral characteristics are identified through applied behavioral analysis, and thus will enable sports psychologists to identify environmental issues that may be detrimental to the athletes in their care.
According to a study by Critchfield & Reed (2017), the use of evidence-based behavioral measurements, such as the comparison of behavior and environments, is a critical strategy for the users of applied behavioral analysis. Besides normal people being evaluated with the application of the strategy, applied behavioral analysis can be used to identify the mental health conditions of athletes by the sports psychologists (Critchfield & Reed, 2017). Every behavioral analysis of athletes by the psychologists has to be individualized to each person, as this will allow for the accuracy of applied behavior analysis in the determination of the extent to which the person has deflected from the norm.
Organizational Behavior Management in Sports Psychology
According to Rumbold, Fletcher & Daniels (2018), an organization whose primary activities are sports is still a viable business, and the fact that it deals with people, organizational behavior management is critical to such teams. Additionally, Rein & Memmert (2016) posits that sports organizations are dependent on interpersonal relationships for success. In turn, these interpersonal relationships are dependent on the behavioral positions of the people involved and their psychological positions. Yuriev et al. (2018) define organizational behavior as the scientific study of people’s behavior, the structural choices of these organizations, and the overall group dynamics of that organization. In sports psychology, it is evident that organizational behavior management is critical in the promotion of effective interpersonal relationships between the athletes in these teams.
Rein & Memmert (2016) argue that the sports field is filled with numerous interactions of people on different levels. Sports teams have many stakeholders who are critical players in the activities of every sports team. In these stakeholder roles, different people have distinct characteristics, which influence how they act around and towards other people (Rein & Memmert, 2016). When dealing with players, their coaches, and other actors in an athlete’s life, sports psychologists have the task of integrating all of these behavioral differences into harmonized characteristics within the teams for overall positive outcomes in the team activities.
Chacón-Moscoso (2018) echoes the presentations of (Rein & Memmert, 2016) by positing that organizational behavior management is primarily the observation and management of people who are at work. Group dynamics, which are the factors used by Chacón-Moscoso (2018) to explain the function of organizational management in group settings, are what will be the critical reference points for sports psychologists in applying the concept to their field. According to Rumbold, Fletcher & Daniels (2018), organizational behavior management for sports psychology practitioners will enable them to understand the behavior of their team members, how it influences their productivity, and the overall impact of this on their team growth and progression.
There are numerous benefits of using organizational behavior management in the field of sports psychology. According to the arguments of Turnnidge & Côté (2018), the most critical benefit of applying the concept is being able to understand the specific differences of people in a team, and thus, determine how these differences inform their co-working abilities. Weinberg et al. (2016) echo these presentations by arguing that organizational behavior determines the allocation and control of resources available to the teams and determination of which people will benefit from different resources. Through organizational behavior management, a sports psychologist is able to identify the different emotional, social, and psychological conditions of the athletes, and thus inform the decisions on what kind of assistance to give to each member at any given point (Rumbold, Fletcher & Daniels, 2018). Another added benefit of the use of organizational behavior management in sports psychology is the enhancement of the skills of the psychologists in practice, as they seek to understand the differences of the people in their management and how each of their characteristics contributes to the group’s success (Critchfield & Reed, 2017; Rumbold, Fletcher & Daniels, 2018).
Conclusion
Both Applied Behavioral Analysis and Organizational Behavioral Management are concepts applicable to any field of practice that involves interpersonal interactions between human beings. For sports teams, people interact on different levels, from the team managers to the athletes and supporters. Therefore, the application of both behavioral techniques has been seen to be critical to the achievement of success in the field of sports psychology, as presented in the completed paper. Based on the review of related literature used for the current paper, it is possible to conclude that both concepts of applied behavioral analysis and organizational behavior management are important in the field of sports and especially sports psychology.
References
Aunger, R., & Curtis, V. (2016). Behaviour Centred Design: towards an applied science of behaviour change. Health psychology review, 10(4), 425-446. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2016.1219673
Critchfield, T. S., & Reed, D. D. (2017). The fuzzy concept of applied behavior analysis research. The Behavior Analyst, 40(1), 123-159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-017 0093-x
Chacón-Moscoso, S., Sanduvete-Chaves, S., Anguera, M. T., Losada, J. L., Portell, M., & Lozano-Lozano, J. A. (2018). Preliminary checklist for reporting observational studies in sports areas: content validity. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 291. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00291
Davis, R., Campbell, R., Hildon, Z., Hobbs, L., & Michie, S. (2015). Theories of behavior and behavior change across the social and behavioral sciences: a scoping review. Health Psychology Review, 9(3), 323-344. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F17437199.2014.941722
Fong, E. H., Ficklin, S., & Lee, H. Y. (2017). Increasing cultural understanding and diversity in applied behavior analysis. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 17(2), 103. https://doi.org/10.1037/bar0000076
Heitzman-Powell, L. S., Buzhardt, J., Rusinko, L. C., & Miller, T. M. (2014). Formative evaluation of an ABA outreach training program for parents of children with autism in remote areas. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 29(1), 23-38. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1088357613504992
Rumbold, J. L., Fletcher, D., & Daniels, K. (2018). Using a mixed method audit to inform organizational stress management interventions in sport. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 35, 27-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.10.010
Rein, R., & Memmert, D. (2016). Big data and tactical analysis in elite soccer: future challenges and opportunities for sports science. SpringerPlus, 5(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-016-3108-2
Turnnidge, J., & Côté, J. (2018). Applying transformational leadership theory to coaching research in youth sport: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 16(3), 327-342. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2016.1189948
Tai, S. S., & Miltenberger, R. G. (2017). Evaluating behavioral skills training to teach safe tackling skills to youth football players. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 50(4), 849 855. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.412
Weinberg, R., Freysinger, V., Mellano, K., & Brookhouse, E. (2016). Building mental toughness: Perceptions of sport psychologists. The Sport Psychologist, 30(3), 231-241. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2015-0090
Yuriev, A., Boiral, O., Francoeur, V., & Paillé, P. (2018). Overcoming the barriers to proenvironmental behaviors in the workplace: A systematic review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 182, 379-394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.041
Leave a Reply