Sports Psychology Flashcards
7 cards from real ITF practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Sports Psychology flashcards as text
A tennis player consistently double-faults when serving at 30-40. This pattern is BEST explained by which psychological concept?
Answer: Situational anxiety triggered by high-stakes moments
Situational (state) anxiety spikes at critical scorelines, disrupting motor patterns the player executes normally.
Which self-talk strategy is MOST effective for a player who tends to dwell on errors during a match?
Answer: Instructional self-talk to refocus on technique cues
Instructional self-talk (e.g., 'watch the ball, stay low') redirects attention to task-relevant cues and breaks the error-dwelling cycle.
The Inverted-U Hypothesis suggests that optimal tennis performance occurs when arousal is:
Answer: At a moderate level for the individual and task
The Inverted-U model shows performance peaks at a moderate arousal level, dropping off when arousal is too low or too high.
A coach wants to build a junior player's intrinsic motivation. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
Answer: Emphasize personal improvement and mastery over outcome
Mastery-oriented environments where improvement and personal challenge are valued sustain intrinsic motivation.
Which of the following BEST describes 'attentional narrowing' in a pressured tennis situation?
Answer: The player focuses only on immediate threat cues and ignores tactical options
Under high anxiety, attentional narrowing causes athletes to fixate on threat-related cues, reducing their tactical decision-making capacity.
A player wins a match and attributes the result to 'luck.' According to attribution theory, this internal/external locus reflects:
Answer: An external, unstable attribution that may undermine confidence after future wins
Attributing success to luck (external, unstable) means the player doesn't credit their own ability, limiting confidence growth.
During a long changeover, a player appears tense and breathing rapidly. The QUICKEST intervention a coach can suggest is:
Answer: Slow, diaphragmatic breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system
Controlled diaphragmatic breathing is the fastest physiological tool to lower heart rate and reduce acute anxiety during changeovers.