Section 4 - Sport Psychology

Question 1

Skill

Answer 1

Skill is a learned action

Question 2

Ability

Answer 2

Ability is someone’s inherited traits

Question 3

What are basic and complex skills

Answer 3

Basic - quick to learn as it doesn’t need much thought or decision making e.g. running

Complex - needs lots of decision making so requires lots of thought and coordination e.g. overhead kick

Question 4

What is an open and closed skill

Answer 4

Open - performed in a changing environment where the performer has to react and adapt to external factors e.g. football tackle

Closed - is always performed in the same predictable environment and is not affected by external factors e.g. long jump

Question 5

What is self and externally paced skills

Answer 5

Self - controlled by the performer as they decide when and how quickly it is done e.g. badminton serve

Externally - affected by external factors which control when it starts and how quickly it’s done e.g. football pass

Question 6

What are gross and fine skills

Answer 6

Gross - involves powerful movements performed by large muscle groups e.g. long jump

Fine - uses smaller muscle groups to carry out precise movements which require accuracy and coordination e.g. archery

Question 7

Performance Goals

Answer 7

Performance goals are based on improving your own personal performance e.g. new PB in 100m

Question 8

Outcome goals

Answer 8

Outcome goals are focused on the end result e.g. gold medal in 100m

Question 9

SMART Goals

Answer 9

Specific - say exactly what you want to achieve

Measurable - goals need to be measurable

Accepted - goals should be decided by everyone involved (performer and coach)

Realistic - set targets you can realistically reach

Time bound - set a deadline for reaching your goal

Question 10

Guidance

Answer 10

How to perform or develop a skill

Question 11

Verbal guidance

Answer 11

An explanation in words of how to perform a technique

Question 12

Advantages/Disadvantages of Verbal guidance

Answer 12

Advantages
- can be combined with other types of guidance
- helpful for elite performers who’ll understand any technical language
- can give guidance during a performance

Disadvantages
- less useful for teaching complex skills which are difficult to explain
- could be confusing for a beginner if it uses complicated language

Question 13

Visual guidance

Answer 13

A coach could use demonstrations, videos or diagrams of a technique to show how it should be performed

Question 14

Advantages/Disadvantages of Visual guidance

Answer 14

Advantages
- work well for beginners as they can copy the skill
- can be used to teach closed skills
- slow motion videos can be useful to highlight small details of a skill for elite performers

Disadvantages
- less useful for teaching complex or open skills as they are more difficult to copy
- demonstrations for beginners must be clear concise and simple in order to be useful

Question 15

Manual guidance

Answer 15

When a coach physically moves your body through the technique

Question 16

Advantages/Disadvantages of Manual guidance

Answer 16

Advantages
- useful for teaching beginners so they can get the ‘feel’ of a skill before doing it on their own
- helpful for teaching complex skills

Disadvantages
- a performer could start to rely on it and not be able to perform the skill without it
- difficult to use with big groups of learners

Question 17

Mechanical guidance

Answer 17

Using sport equipment

Question 18

Advantages/Disadvantages of Mechanical guidance

Answer 18

Advantages
- useful for teaching beginners so they can feel safe when practicing a new skill that might normally be dangerous
- helpful for teaching complex skills

Disadvantages
- a learner might be unable to perform the skill without the help of the equipment
- difficult to use in large groups

Question 19

Feedback

Answer 19

Finding out how you did

Question 20

Intrinsic feedback

Answer 20

You know how well you did the technique because of what it ‘felt’ like. This is called kinaesthetic feedback and works best for elite performers - they can judge how well they’ve performed

Question 21

Extrinsic feedback

Answer 21

Someone else tells you or shows you what happened and how to improve. This is best suited for beginners - they don’t gave the experience or knowledge to accurately assess their own performance

Question 22

Knowledge of performance

Answer 22

Did you use the correct movements/techniques?

This can be extrinsic or intrinsic.

This type of feedback works well for elite performers as it helps to ‘fine tune’ a skill they already perform.

Question 23

Knowledge of results

Answer 23

What was the outcome?

This usually extrinsic and can include data e.g. your time in a race.

This is useful for beginners as they need to be told whether or not they achieved the right result.

Question 24

Positive feedback

Answer 24

Focuses on what you did well

Question 25

Negative feedback

Answer 25

Focuses on what you didn’t do well

Question 26

Feedback for beginners

Answer 26

It’s better to avoid too much negative feedback with beginners as it can put them off learning the skill. Positive feedback is better as it helps them to remember which parts of the movement they should repeat.

Question 27

Feedback for elite performers

Answer 27

Negative feedback can be useful for elite performers as it can help to motivate them by setting a goal for them to aim for.

Question 28

Information Processing Model

Answer 28

Input - when you receive information for my the environment through your senses e.g seeing and hearing what is happening during a game (involves selective attention) Decision making - when you decide how to respond to the input. To decide on the best response you compare what is happening at the time (stored in your short term memory) with your past experiences of performing the skill (stored in your long term memory) Output - your muscles react to messages form the brain telling them what to do to perform the skill Feedback - after the output your receive extrinsic or intrinsic feedback (or both). This helps you to improve the skill next time you perform it

Question 29

What is being mentally prepare for sport?

Answer 29

It is all about being able to get in the ‘zone’. It can help you to stay focused, confident and motivations to keep control of your emotions and cope with stress so you can perform at your best.

Question 30

Mental rehearsal

Answer 30

Imagining yourself carrying out a movement or skill perfectly or you picture a positive outcome e.g. winning a race

Question 31

Visualisation

Answer 31

Involves imagining yourself in a relaxing place to help you feel calm

Question 32

Deep breathing

Answer 32

It helps to lower your heart rate (which increases when you are anxious) and make you feel more calm

Question 33

Imagery

Answer 33

It is used when you imaging being somewhere or doing something (mental rehearsal and visualisation)

Question 34

Positive self talk

Answer 34

It is telling yourself positive things that will motivated you or reassure you that you can perform well

Question 35

Selective attention

Answer 35

It is focusing on the important things that will help you perform well and ignoring things that aren’t important

Question 36

What is arousal level?

Answer 36

It is how mentally (and physically) alert you are.

Question 37

Low arousal level

Answer 37

You are not very excited and you’re unlikely to perform well.

Question 38

High arousal level

Answer 38

You are determined and ready and should be able to perform your skills well.

Question 39

What happens when your arousal level risers too much?

Answer 39

You will become anxious and nervous. You might become tense which can cause you to ‘choke’ so your performance will suffer. You might also become over aggressive.

Question 40

What skills require high arousal levels?

Answer 40

Gross skills e.g. tackling in football because it will help you to commit to putting all of your effort into getting the ball. But if your arousal leave is too high, you might end up hurting someone.

Question 41

What skills require low arousal levels?

Answer 41

Fine skills e.g. fielding in cricket because it will keep your hands steady to catch the ball. But if your arousal level is too low then you won’t be alert enough to move into a good positive to the catch the ball.

Question 42

What is motivation?

Answer 42

It is about how keen you are to do something and it’s what drives you on when things get difficult - desire to succeed.

Question 43

Intrinsic motivation

Answer 43

Motivation from the enjoyment and good feelings you get from taking part in physical activity and sport e.g. pride and high self esteem

Question 44

Extrinsic motivation

Answer 44

Motivation through rewards from other people. This can be tangible (you can touch it e.g. trophies and money) or intangible (you can’t touch e.g. applause and praise from a coach)

Question 45

Direct aggression

Answer 45

Involves physical contact with another person e.g. pushing against opposing team in a rugby scum so you can win the ball

Question 46

Indirect aggression

Answer 46

Doesn’t involve physical contact - a player gains an advantage by aiming the aggression at an object instead e.g. a golfer performing a drive would use indirect aggression towards the golf ball to hit it powerfully

Question 47

Introverts

Answer 47

Shy, quite and thoughtful - they like being alone Usually prefer sport they can do on their own They tend to like sports where they’ll need fine skills, high concentration and low arousal For example archery, snooker and athletics are all suited to introverts

Question 48

Extroverts

Answer 48

More sociable - they’re talkative and prefer being with other people Might get bored when they’re alone so they usually prefer team sports They also tend to like fast paced sports that need gross skills and low concentration For example hockey, rugby and football are well suited to extroverts