This document discusses the differences between aggression and assertion in sports. Aggression is defined as behavior intended to cause harm outside the rules of the game, while assertion involves behavior within the rules to achieve goals in a non-violent manner. Some contact sports like boxing and rugby allow instrumental aggression through legal hits and tackles, which is similar to controlled assertion. Key differences are that aggression aims to harm and violates rules, while assertion stays within rules and the spirit of competition to accomplish objectives.

1. Short Term Psychological
Preparation
Aggression versus
Assertion

2. What is Aggression?
• “Intent to harm outside the laws of
the game”.
• A response or action with the
intention of causing injury or harm.

3. Violence is an extreme form of
aggression

4. What do you think could
cause aggression?

5. Causes of aggression
oNature of the game (contact/non-contact)
oWide division between scores
oPrevious experiences could cause grudges or
scores to settle
oFrustration caused by poor form, opposition &
referee’s decisions
oHostile crowds
oVenue – home or away
oExcessively high arousal levels
oExtrinsic rewards

6. What about these sports?

7. In some sports aggression is part of
the game, e.g. in boxing you can
punch above the waist and in
rugby you can use hard tackles to
intimidate an opponent.
This is called
INSTRUMENTAL AGGRESSION

8. Instrumental aggression is done
within the rules of the game, in
other words it is controlled and
channelled. This is very similar to
ASSERTION

9. Assertive behaviour:
Does not attempt to
harm & is within rules &
spirit of the game.

10. Differences between aggression and
assertion
• Aggression:
• Behaviour
intended to cause
harm
• Outside of the
rules
• Uncontrolled
• Assertion:
• Behaviour used to
reach a non-
violent goal
• Within the rules
• Channelled and
controlled

11. Think of examples of aggressive
and assertive behaviour from
sport. They might be your own
experiences or famous examples.