Social Psychology: Influence of Sports in Adolescents Behavior Susana Torres 1

Social Psychology: Influence of Sports in Adolescents Behavior

Introduction:

What do you think when we talk about social psychology? Maybe the first thing that

comes to your mind is interaction with others, analyzing society or something else. What about

sports? You would say physical and mental activity. Well, I will put those two topics together

and analyze their relation.

Social Psychology is about interpersonal behavior. It is the study of the causes and

consequences of sociality (Schacter et Al., 2014, p. 27). The way individuals behave are related

to the influence of others. Interacting with other people can cause a negative or positive impact.

It will depends on the kind of situations they face.

Lets focus in one specific sport that has helped some people to improve their

personalities. It is called Tae Kwon Do is a Traditional Korean martial art which is considered to

be the most effective and most popular form of martial art in the world. This discipline can bring

a lot of great advantages to your social life.

Literature Review:

Social psychology recognizes that people exists as part of a network of other people and

examines how individuals influence and interact with one another. Social psychology was

pioneered by German emigres, such as Kurt Lewin, who were motivated by a desire to address

social issues and problems. This area of psychology examine behavior within the broader context

of human interaction (Schacter et Al, 2014, p. 30).

Social Psychology: Influence of Sports in Adolescents Behavior Susana Torres 2

Practicing sports is really important for individuals who have been facing problems of

self-efficacy. People who are around other positive ones will be motivated for those and improve

their personalities. Banduras construct of self-efficacy, regarded as one of the most important

interpersonal variables in social psychology, also operates at group level(Hagger &

Chatzisarantis, 2005).

Psychologist have gained the sight of the fact that human beings are fundamentally

social animals who are part of a vast network of family, friends, teachers and co-workers. People

are the most important and most complex organisms that we ever encounter; thus it is not

surprising that our behavior is strongly influenced by their presenceor their absence

(Schacter, et Al, 2014, p.27).

One of the earliest studies in social psychology was conducted in a sport con-text and

examined the effect of the presence of other people on the performance of motor skills and

cognitive tasks, a phenomenon that became known as social facilitation (Hagger &

Chatzisarantis,2005).

Being part of a group will help us to have more confidence. Interacting with significant

others while practicing sports makes to enhance our life through healthy physical and mental

activities. By considering the life of a focal individual in its unique particulars, especially those

concerning the individuals interactions with significant others (parents, coaches, teammates)

and the multiplicity of sociocultural settings and contexts within which these interactions occur

(home, sports venues, sport organizations), much can be learned about the development of an

individual athlete (Martin, 2016).

Social Psychology: Influence of Sports in Adolescents Behavior Susana Torres 3

Rata and Runcan state that experiences, which a student gets during schooling, affect

their self-image, level of aspiration, plans and life goals. A positive attitude towards oneself, i.e.

a positive image and a positive experience of oneself, are positive influences on academic

success and the achievement of a student. The grades which the student gets in school are very

important for the development of their self-concept because they become the measure by which

they evaluate and value their abilities, values and personality traits (Rata & Runcan, 2014).

On the other hand, students can be exposed to different situations and problems such as

bullying which is a negative environment for individuals. It can makes people to get their

personalities destroyed. They become vulnerable and easy to response with negative reactions

such as more violence, suicide and other behaviors.

The family as a basic social environment, which develops and forms personality, and the

school as a representative of institutional education and upbringing, are important factors in the

development of every individual and the whole society (Rata & Runcan,2014).

Tae Kwon Do makes people to get a powerful personality in a healthy way. Your mind

has control over your body. I will focus on the most important benefits.

*Develop discipline by training your body and mind in the tenets and techniques of

Taekwondo which are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit.

"Through strict discipline, Tae Kwon Do trains both the mind and the body, placing great

emphasis on the development of moral character. In other words, control of the mind, self-

discipline, kindness and humility must accompany the physical grace." (Law 5).

*Enhance self-esteem by feeling stronger in a healthy way.

Social Psychology: Influence of Sports in Adolescents Behavior Susana Torres 4

*Teach self-defense by training you to recognize situations in which physical self-

defense may be necessary, and teaching you how to control such situations to your advantage.

*Build confidence by encouraging you to succeed and to take control of your life.

*Enhance your life through practicing healthy physical and mental activities. It also helps

you to lose weight by exercising. Overweight and overworked, Theresa lee reinvented her life

and dropped more than 110 pounds after discovering Tae Kwon Do, a martial art that emphasizes

discipline and perseverance (McBride 1). Where there is a will, everything is possible.

*Improve Family relationship. The principles of strong families are respect, trust and

open communication. Therefore Taekwondo training promotes values such as honesty, courtesy,

loyalty, and cooperation to maintain a good familiar environment.

*Have a better behavior. Students learn how to value good habits and practice them.

Most kids take an interest in tae kwon do (literally, the art of kicking and punching) after seeing

it used in violent movies and cartoons. But parents are finding that the ancient Korean martial art

can deliver something else: better kid behavior (Family Matters 2). Tae Kwon Do emphasizes

moral development as well. Students learn respect for themselves and others.

*It is for everybody. All ages can practice TKD. It doesnt matter if you are child, adult

or senior. It is for girls and boys.

Tae Kwon Do also helps to relieve the stress making you feel free and relaxed. There are

more benefits that you will be discovering by the time. As you read Tae Kwon Do gives you

more than techniques of fighting.

Social Psychology: Influence of Sports in Adolescents Behavior Susana Torres 5

Application:

In 2002, Dilson was in the last year of his high school. He was always a shy boy. He

never made friends while studying. He did not like to hang out. Of course he had no girlfriend.

No dates. Nothing at all! Nerd could be a word to describe him perfectly by that time. It

sounds bad, doesnt it? Yeah, this was Dilson for a while during school.

This kind of social behavior was because of the bullying he was facing during school.

Everybody always made fun of him. They called me pudgy all the time, said Dilson, who

used to be a fat boy. There were two cruel little boys that enjoyed bothering him every single

day. It was like that the whole school year, his wife commented by frowning his face.

I could not believe why bullying based on physical appearance has to be like that

everywhere. When you are at school you are scared about how other children are going to treat

you. It was frustrating going school. I hated being there, Dilson rememberedalmost

cryingcleaning his eyes, however nothing is forever. My torture has to stop one day. (Torres,

personal communication, 2017). It stopped when he knew about Tae Kwon Do.

One day, Dilson was quietly walking on the street on the way home when he saw a lot of

advertisements about something unknown called Tae Kwon Do. It caught my attention

immediately, he said. (Torres, personal communication, 2017). It was an academy where people

trained in this discipline. After a few minutes of reading and looking, he decided to go in to that

place. He was fascinated about what he was looking at.

That day the trainer invited him to try it. I was too shy as usual because there were a lot

of big and strong guys practicing there, Dilson mentioned feeling embarrassed. Eventually he
Social Psychology: Influence of Sports in Adolescents Behavior Susana Torres 6

practiced it for an hour. Everybody got surprised about the potential he demonstrated that night.

It was like he had been hiding something. He didnt expect it.

Since that night he started training hard. With this discipline I did not only learn self-

defense. I also learned how to have a healthier life, good eating habits, self-control, self-

confidence, discipline and other good things, Dilson told me feeling proud. Those things helped

him to change his whole life.

Do you remember those cruel boys from school that I talked about before? Dilson

asked me. I said, Yes, being curious. He told me that he came back to those boys after a few

months of training. It was a surprise for meI have been being Dilsons fan for a whileand I

was expecting him to tell me that he hit those boys. It wasnt exactly like that.

One of the boys began to bother me saying bad words. The other guy wanted to kick

my butt, Dilson said. In that moment I was in shock, his wife said adding. Dilson was so

calm. I did not know what was going on. Suddenly, those two guys started hitting me as

crazies, but I was stopping their knocks without hurting them, Dilson explained being excited.

After a while those guys got tired, and I seemed to kick them, but I didnt touch them. I could

hurt them so hard, but I didnt do it (Torres, personal communication, 2017).

His wife thought he was still crazy or stupid until he started talking. I could kill you as

soon as I saw you, but it doesnt make me better or worse person than you guys. I just want to

tell you that what you do is so stupid. You have to be careful because you can destroy somebody

life. I will not hurt you, but I want you to stopped bothering me, he told to the guys that day

being peaceful (Torres, personal communication, 2017). It was incredible the way he acted.
Social Psychology: Influence of Sports in Adolescents Behavior Susana Torres 7

Dilson and his wife started laughing remembering that experience they had. They said, It is

funny now, but it was frustrating.

Dilson always believed in self-confidence is not measured by what others say. Everything

depends on what you think and believe about yourself. Therefore everything depends on you. He

is really good in Tae Kwon Do. When he is in competitions, everybody love the way he fights. A

lot of people admire him including me for sure.

What he taught me that day was something meaningful. He says sobbing, No matter

how strong you think you are if you dont make good decisions, you are nothing (Torres,

personal communication, 2017). Also he said that sports as a part of your life can make great

influence on you. Bullying at school is part of ignorance. Martial arts are not just a technique of

fighting. It is what some people need in their lives. It could be part of your improvement.

Dilson who is my older brother and friend said feeling happy being part of a society has

pros and cons. However if you make good decisions and get alone with good people, you will get

better results. There are a lot of ways to get better every day. Just find one as I did.

Conclusion:

Researching about this particular topic made me get more interested in social psychology.

Sometimes we dont realized how much others can influence in our life. Also many times we

react or act based on others opinion. I used to practice Tae Kwon Do. It was an incredible

experience. It helped me a lot in my social life during college in my country, Peru. After I

stopped practicing, it notice the big change in my behavior and attitude. It gave me a lot of

confidence and helped me to develop my patience.

Social Psychology: Influence of Sports in Adolescents Behavior Susana Torres 8

Sports as a part of your life can have a great impact if you let it. Sometimes we do a lot of

things because of either ignorance or lack of knowledge. Martial arts are not just techniques for

fighting. It is what some people need in their lives. It could be part of your education. Thus, it

can be part of a better behavior.

Everything is not great with TKD. It has some disadvantages such as getting hurt or

consuming too much time, but you should believe me it is worthy to practice. It gives you more

positive things than negatives.

I invite you all to research about what sports or martial arts, especially Tae Kwon are and

what it can make for you in your life. It will help you to develop patience, confidence, self-

discipline, and a consistently positive mental attitude. You will overcome fear, anger, jealousy,

laziness, and bad habits.

For sure I will keep researching about this topic, and how this kind of sport can make

people to have a better social life. I really love practicing Tae Kwon Do.
Social Psychology: Influence of Sports in Adolescents Behavior Susana Torres 9

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Hagger, M., & Chatzisarantis, N. (2005). Social Psychology of Exercise and Sport.

Maidenhead, England: McGraw-Hill Education.

Law, David R. A Choice Theory Perspective on Childrens Tae Kwon Do. International

Journal of Reality Therapy 24.1 (2004): 13-18. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Dec.

2014.

Martin, J., & Cox, D. (2016). Positioning Steve Nash: A Theory-Driven, Social Psychological,

and Biographical Case Study of Creatiivity in Sport. Sport Psychologist, 30(4), 388.

Doi:10.1123/tsp.2016-0002.

McBride, Pamela M. A Fighting Spirit. Essence 33.6 (2002): 102. Academic Search Premier.

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Rat a, G., & Runcan, P. (2014). Applied Social Psychology. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge

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Torres, Dilson. Personal interview. January 2, 2017.

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