CSC Sports Psychology and Motivation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the inverted-U hypothesis (Yerkes-Dodson law) in sports performance?
- More arousal always produces better performance
- Performance improves as arousal increases up to an optimal point, then declines with excess arousal (Correct answer)
- Arousal has no effect on athletic performance
- Lower arousal always produces better performance
Correct answer: Performance improves as arousal increases up to an optimal point, then declines with excess arousal
The inverted-U hypothesis states performance peaks at a moderate, optimal arousal level and deteriorates when arousal is either too low or too high.
Question 2: Which psychological skill involves mentally rehearsing a skill or performance before physically executing it?
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Imagery (mental rehearsal/visualization) (Correct answer)
- Biofeedback
- Cognitive restructuring
Correct answer: Imagery (mental rehearsal/visualization)
Imagery involves vividly mentally simulating a skill, movement, or performance to reinforce neural patterns and build confidence without physical practice.
Question 3: What type of motivation comes from internal satisfaction, curiosity, and the inherent enjoyment of an activity?
- Extrinsic motivation
- Intrinsic motivation (Correct answer)
- Identified regulation
- External regulation
Correct answer: Intrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation is driven by internal rewards such as enjoyment, curiosity, and personal satisfaction rather than external incentives.
Question 4: Goal-setting theory (Locke & Latham) suggests goals are most effective when they are:
- Vague and flexible
- Specific and challenging (but achievable) (Correct answer)
- Only outcome-based
- Set by coaches without athlete input
Correct answer: Specific and challenging (but achievable)
Research by Locke and Latham demonstrates that specific, challenging, and achievable goals consistently produce higher performance than vague or easy goals.
Question 5: What is 'choking under pressure' primarily attributed to in sport psychology?
- Lack of physical conditioning
- Increased self-monitoring and conscious interference with automated motor skills (Correct answer)
- Too little arousal before competition
- Overconfidence
Correct answer: Increased self-monitoring and conscious interference with automated motor skills
Choking occurs when pressure increases conscious attention to well-learned automatic skills, disrupting the fluid execution that expertise normally enables.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'self-efficacy' in athletic performance?
- An athlete's overall self-esteem
- An athlete's belief in their ability to execute a specific task or performance (Correct answer)
- An athlete's trait anxiety level
- An athlete's motivation style
Correct answer: An athlete's belief in their ability to execute a specific task or performance
Self-efficacy (Bandura) is the task-specific belief in one's capability to perform a particular action, which strongly predicts effort, persistence, and performance.
CSC Sports Psychology and Motivation 1
What is the inverted-U hypothesis (Yerkes-Dodson law) in sports performance?