Sports Psychology

Question 1

What is a skill?

Answer 1

a learned action to bring about the result you want with certainty and minimum effort

Question 2

What is ability?

Answer 2

a person’s set of traits that control their potential to learn a skill

Question 3

What is the main difference between ability and skill

Answer 3

you are born with ability and you learn skills

Question 4

What are the 4 classification ranges of skills?

Answer 4

simple/basic to complex
open to closed
self- to externally-paced
gross to fine

Question 5

What is a simple/basic skill?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What is a complex skill?

Answer 6

needs lots of decision-making so requires a lot of thought and coordination
e.g. an overhead kick in football

Question 7

What is an open skill?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What is a closed skill?

Answer 8

always performed in the same predictable environment - not affected by external factors
Often involves the same action every time
e.g. when breaking in pool

Question 9

What is a self-paced skill?

Answer 9

controlled by performer - they decide when and how quickly it is done
e.g. free throw in basketball

Question 10

What is an externally-paced skill?

Answer 10

affected by external factors, which controls when it starts and how quickly it is done
e.g. passing in football

Question 11

What is a gross skill?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What is a fine skill?

Answer 12

uses smaller muscle groups to carry out precise movements that require accuracy and coordination
e.g. throwing a dart

Question 13

What are the 2 types of goals?

Answer 13

performance and outcome

Question 14

What are performance goals?

Answer 14

based on improving your own personal performance

Question 15

What are outcome goals?

Answer 15

focused on the end result only, i.e. winning

Question 16

Why is goal setting useful?

Answer 16

motivates you to train to achieve the goal
reaching a goal can boost confidence
reaching goal can help your emotional well-being

Question 17

What does SMART stand for?

Answer 17

specific
measurable
accepted
realistic
time-bound

Question 18

What does it mean if your goal has to be accepted?

Answer 18

should be decided by everyone involved, e.g. performer and coach

Question 19

What are the 4 types of guidance?

Answer 19

verbal
visual
manual
mechanical

Question 20

What are the pros of verbal guidance?

Answer 20

can be combined with other types of guidance
helpful for elite performers who’ll understand any technical language
can give guidance during a performance which can be particularly helpful for improving open skills

Question 21

What are the cons of verbal guidance?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What are the pros of visual guidance?

Answer 22

works well for beginners as they can just copy the skill
can be used to teach closed skills as they are often repetitive
slow motion videos can be useful for highlighting small details for elite performers

Question 23

What are the cons of visual guidance?

Answer 23

less useful for teaching complex and open skills as they are more difficult to copy
must be clear, concise and simple for beginners

Question 24

What is manual guidance?

Answer 24

when the coach physically moves your body through the technique

Question 25

What are the pros of manual guidance?

Answer 25

useful for teaching beginners as they can get the 'feel' of the movement helpful for teaching complex skills

Question 26

What are the cons of manual guidance?

Answer 26

performer could start to rely on it and no be able to perform the skill without it difficult for a big group of learners with children there are reservations against adults touching them

Question 27

What is mechanical guidance?

Answer 27

guidance given using sport equipment, e.g. a harness in trampolining

Question 28

What are the pros of mechanical guidance?

Answer 28

useful for teaching beginners as they can feel safe doing a movement that may be dangerous helpful for teaching complex skills

Question 29

What are the cons of mechanical guidance?

Answer 29

a learner may be unable to perform the skill without the help of the equipment difficult to use in large groups can be expensive

Question 30

What are the 2 types of feedback?

Answer 30

intrinsic extrinsic

Question 31

What is intrinsic feedback?

Answer 31

you know how well you did because of what it felt like and works best for elite performers

Question 32

What is kinaesthetic feedback?

Answer 32

basically the same as intrinsic: how you feel like your performance was

Question 33

What is extrinsic feedback?

Answer 33

someone else tells you or shows you what happened and how to improve. Suited to beginners as they don't have knowledge or experience to judge their own performance well

Question 34

What are the 2 types of information feedback can give?

Answer 34

knowledge of performance knowledge of results

Question 35

What kind of feedback would be best for beginners?

Answer 35

extrinsic knowledge of results positive mostly, little negative for improvement

Question 36

What kind of feedback would be best for elite performers?

Answer 36

intrinsic and extrinsic knowledge of performance negative

Question 37

What are the 4 stages of the information processing model?

Answer 37

input decision making output feedback (back to input)

Question 38

Explain what happens when taking a penalty in football using the information processing model.

Answer 38

input - position of keeper and ignore other distractions decision making - decide how to respond to the input by comparing what is happening at the time and what has happened in past experiences output - muscles react to the message from the brain telling them what to do in order to perform the skill feedback - receive extrinsic and/or intrinsic feedback to improve for next time

Question 39

What are some ways to prepare yourself mentally for sport?

Answer 39

mental rehearsal visualisation deep breathing imagery positive self-talk/thinking selective attention

Question 40

What is arousal?

Answer 40

how mentally and physically alert you are

Question 41

What is the inverted-U theory?

Answer 41

if your arousal is low, you're unlikely to perform well at higher arousal levels you'll be determined and ready so you should be able to perform your skills well if arousal level is too high, you can become anxious or overaggressive which could make your performance suffer

Question 42

What are the 2 types of motivation?

Answer 42

intrinsic and extrinsic

Question 43

What is intrinsic motivation?

Answer 43

motivation from enjoyment and good feelings you get from taking part in physical activity and sport

Question 44

What is extrinsic motivation?

Answer 44

motivation through rewards from other people/sources this can be tangible (e.g. trophy) or intangible (e.g. praise)

Question 45

Which type of motivation is usually seen as more effective and why?

Answer 45

intrinsic as you are more likely to try hard in sport and carry on playing it in the long run if you enjoy it

Question 46

What is direct aggression?

Answer 46

involves physical contact with another person e.g. bodying in football

Question 47

What is indirect aggression?

Answer 47

a player gaining advantage by aiming aggression at an object instead e.g. golfer hitting ball

Question 48

What type of sports do introverts like?

Answer 48

solo sports fine skills, high concentration and low arousal e.g. archery, snooker

Question 49

What type of sports do extroverts like?

Answer 49

team sports fast-paced, gross skills, low concentration e.g. hockey, football