ITF Sports Psychology 2

Question 1

A tennis player consistently double-faults when serving at 30-40. This pattern is BEST explained by which psychological concept?

Accepted Answer

Situational anxiety triggered by high-stakes moments

Answer

Situational (state) anxiety spikes at critical scorelines, disrupting motor patterns the player executes normally.

Question 2

Which self-talk strategy is MOST effective for a player who tends to dwell on errors during a match?

Accepted Answer

Instructional self-talk to refocus on technique cues

Answer

Instructional self-talk (e.g., 'watch the ball, stay low') redirects attention to task-relevant cues and breaks the error-dwelling cycle.

Question 3

The Inverted-U Hypothesis suggests that optimal tennis performance occurs when arousal is:

Accepted Answer

At a moderate level for the individual and task

Answer

The Inverted-U model shows performance peaks at a moderate arousal level, dropping off when arousal is too low or too high.

Question 4

A coach wants to build a junior player's intrinsic motivation. Which approach is MOST appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Emphasize personal improvement and mastery over outcome

Answer

Mastery-oriented environments where improvement and personal challenge are valued sustain intrinsic motivation.

Question 5

Which of the following BEST describes 'attentional narrowing' in a pressured tennis situation?

Accepted Answer

The player focuses only on immediate threat cues and ignores tactical options

Answer

Under high anxiety, attentional narrowing causes athletes to fixate on threat-related cues, reducing their tactical decision-making capacity.

(ITF) International Tennis Federation Coaching Certification Practice Test