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 junior player becomes extremely nervous before every competitive match but performs well in practice. The MOST appropriate long-term intervention is:
Answer: Systematic desensitization — gradual exposure to competitive stressors paired with relaxation
Systematic desensitization progressively exposes athletes to anxiety-provoking competition scenarios while practicing relaxation, reducing conditioned fear responses.
Cohesion in a tennis doubles partnership is BEST defined as:
Answer: The dynamic process of sticking together and remaining united toward goals and tasks
Group cohesion encompasses both task cohesion (working together toward goals) and social cohesion (bonding and liking), and both contribute to team performance.
When a coach provides feedback ONLY after successful shots and ignores errors, this reinforcement schedule primarily risks:
Answer: The player developing an inaccurate self-assessment and not correcting technique flaws
Ignoring errors means players receive no corrective information, leading to uncorrected technical flaws and an inflated self-assessment.
The concept of 'psychological momentum' in tennis suggests that after a key point is won:
Answer: Confidence increases and the player perceives subsequent performance as more within their control
Psychological momentum shifts perception of control and self-efficacy favorably, increasing confidence and intensity after key positive events.
A coach observes that a player's motivation drops significantly when injured and unable to train. According to Self-Determination Theory, this MOST likely indicates:
Answer: The player's need for competence is threatened when unable to perform skilled actions
SDT identifies competence, autonomy, and relatedness as basic psychological needs; injury blocks competence expression, undermining intrinsic motivation.
Which of the following coach behaviors is MOST likely to create a MASTERY climate rather than a performance climate?
Answer: Rewarding effort, learning, and personal improvement regardless of match outcome
A mastery climate emphasizes self-referenced improvement and effort, promoting intrinsic motivation and reducing fear of failure.
A player who maintains positive body language and walks with purpose between points even when losing is demonstrating which psychological strategy?
Answer: Acting 'as if' — using body language to influence internal emotional state
The 'act as if' strategy uses deliberate body language to generate the physiological and emotional states associated with confidence, influencing actual performance.