CSC Sports Psychology and Mental Conditioning 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the 'inverted-U hypothesis' (Yerkes-Dodson law) in sports performance?
- Performance increases linearly with arousal indefinitely
- Optimal performance occurs at moderate arousal levels, with too little or too much arousal impairing performance (Correct answer)
- High anxiety always improves performance in strength sports
- Arousal has no reliable relationship with athletic performance
Correct answer: Optimal performance occurs at moderate arousal levels, with too little or too much arousal impairing performance
The inverted-U hypothesis describes that performance peaks at an optimal moderate arousal level, declining when arousal is too low (under-activation) or too high (over-activation/panic).
Question 2: What is the purpose of a pre-competition routine for strength athletes?
- To add extra warm-up volume before competing
- To regulate arousal, reduce anxiety, and establish consistent psychological readiness (Correct answer)
- To socialize with teammates before competing
- To review technique with the coach one final time
Correct answer: To regulate arousal, reduce anxiety, and establish consistent psychological readiness
Pre-competition routines help athletes reach optimal arousal and focus, reduce performance anxiety through familiar rituals, and create consistent psychological readiness regardless of external conditions.
Question 3: Which psychological skill involves an athlete mentally rehearsing the performance of a skill or routine in vivid, realistic detail?
- Self-talk
- Goal setting
- Imagery (visualization) (Correct answer)
- Attentional control
Correct answer: Imagery (visualization)
Imagery (visualization) involves mentally simulating a skill or performance using all relevant senses, activating similar neural pathways as physical practice and improving execution confidence.
Question 4: What distinguishes process goals from outcome goals in athletic goal setting?
- Process goals focus on winning; outcome goals focus on technique
- Process goals focus on controllable behaviors and actions; outcome goals focus on results like winning (Correct answer)
- They are the same — both focus on performance improvement
- Outcome goals are more effective than process goals for all athletes
Correct answer: Process goals focus on controllable behaviors and actions; outcome goals focus on results like winning
Process goals target controllable performance behaviors (e.g., maintaining proper technique, keeping tight core), while outcome goals focus on results (e.g., winning, placing first) which are often outside the athlete's full control.
Question 5: Self-efficacy in sport psychology refers to which of the following?
- General self-esteem and life satisfaction
- An athlete's belief in their capacity to execute a specific task successfully (Correct answer)
- A personality trait that cannot be developed
- Intrinsic motivation for athletic participation
Correct answer: An athlete's belief in their capacity to execute a specific task successfully
Self-efficacy, as defined by Bandura, is an athlete's task-specific belief in their ability to successfully execute a particular performance — it is trainable and strongly predicts performance outcomes.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'choking under pressure' from a psychological perspective?
- A permanent inability to perform in competition
- Performance decrement under high-stakes conditions due to excessive self-focus disrupting automated skills (Correct answer)
- Normal performance decline due to fatigue in late competition
- A lack of technical skill that only appears under pressure
Correct answer: Performance decrement under high-stakes conditions due to excessive self-focus disrupting automated skills
Choking occurs when elevated pressure leads to excessive conscious monitoring of automated skills, disrupting the fluid execution of well-learned movements through over-thinking.
CSC Sports Psychology and Mental Conditioning 1
What is the 'inverted-U hypothesis' (Yerkes-Dodson law) in sports performance?