LifeMatters: Mental Skills and Games for Sport and Life
Event Details
- Date:
- Friday, 17 July 2015
- Time:
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
- Room:
- 219
- UQ Location:
- Connell Building (St Lucia)
- Event category(s):
Event Contact
- Name:
- Mrs Sally Goodwin
- Phone:
- 56764
- Email:
- s.goodwin1@uq.edu.au
- Org. Unit:
- Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences
Event Description
- Full Description:
- LifeMatters is a multi-session program that combines the teaching of mental skills and games. The program is based, in part, on self-determination theory with the aim of meeting the basic psychological needs of relatedness, autonomy, and competence. The mental skills include activation control, goal setting, concentration/attention, imagery, self-talk, and self-confidence. The games are designed to be fun, but at the same time teach trust, communication, and problem solving. The initial program was 15 sessions and was run with teenagers at an orphanage in Mexico. Results showed significant increases in life satisfaction and self-worth. Through feedback, the program has been modified to 10 sessions and has been run in the slums of Buenos Aires, with teenagers living in poverty in Baja California, with inner city kids in Cleveland, Ohio, with former gang members and drug addicts in Mexico, and with teachers/coaches/students in Botswana, Africa. Results indicate that in addition to increases in life satisfaction and self-worth, there are also increases in happiness, resilience, confidence, and perceived competence. Qualitative data also support the value of the LifeMatters program.
Presenter:
Stephanie Hanrahan completed her PhD at The University of Western Australia in the area of attributional style in sport. After a short stint at the University of Otago in New Zealand, Dr Hanrahan joined The University of Queensland as a lecturer in 1990. She was a UQ Teaching Excellence Award winner in 1997 and is currently an associate professor with the Schools of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences and Psychology.
Dr Hanrahan's main research theme used to be achievement motivation in sport which she explored through a variety of avenues including attributional style, achievement goal orientations, motivational climate, expectancy of success, and the influence of the coach.
More recently she has pursued the use of psychological skills and games to enhance performance or life satisfaction and self-worth. Her work in this area has involved athletes with disabilities and other unique groups (e.g., Aboriginal performing artists, Mexican orphans, adult salsa dancers, adolescents living in the slums of Buenos Aires, former gang members).
Directions to UQ
- Google Map:
-
- Directions:
- St Lucia Campus | Gatton campus.
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