Sports Psychology & Mental Training for Swimmers Flashcards

What psychological concept refers to an athlete's belief in their ability to successfully execute a specific task?

Answer: Self-efficacy

Self-efficacy, developed by Bandura, is the task-specific belief in one's capability to execute a behavior successfully, and is a strong predictor of athletic performance.

Which mental skill technique involves creating a detailed mental image of a successful performance before it occurs?

Answer: Visualization/imagery

Visualization (mental imagery) involves mentally rehearsing performance, activating many of the same neural pathways used during physical execution.

Which arousal theory proposes that performance improves as activation increases to an optimal point, then declines with further arousal?

Answer: Inverted-U Theory

The Inverted-U Theory (Yerkes-Dodson) states there is an optimal arousal level for peak performance — too little or too much arousal hurts performance.

What type of goal focuses on the result of a competition relative to opponents, such as winning or finishing in a specific place?

Answer: Outcome goal

Outcome goals center on competitive results versus others (e.g., winning, ranking) and are the least controllable because they depend on competitor performance.

In sports psychology, 'choking' under pressure is best described as:

Answer: Performance deterioration caused by excessive conscious self-monitoring

Choking occurs when pressure triggers reinvestment of conscious attention into automated skills, disrupting fluid performance.

Which of the following is a hallmark characteristic of the 'flow state' described by Csikszentmihalyi?

Answer: Complete absorption in the task with effortless performance

Flow state features total immersion, effortless execution, loss of self-consciousness, and distorted sense of time — commonly called being 'in the zone.'

Pre-competition routines primarily benefit swimmers by:

Answer: Creating consistency and helping athletes reach optimal psychological readiness

Consistent pre-competition routines help swimmers control arousal, direct attention, and build confidence through a reliable psychological preparation sequence.