NSCA CSCS - NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Sport Psychology and Motivation Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An athlete who is primarily driven by the desire for trophies, social recognition, and avoiding punishment is demonstrating which type of motivation?
- Achievement motivation
- Intrinsic motivation
- Extrinsic motivation (Correct answer)
- Self-determined motivation
Correct answer: Extrinsic motivation
Extrinsic motivation stems from external sources, such as awards (trophies), social approval, and fear of punishment. In contrast, intrinsic motivation is an internal drive based on the love of the sport and the desire to be self-determining.
Question 2: A strength and conditioning coach is working with a basketball player who gets overly anxious and tense before big games, often resulting in poor shooting performance. Which of the following techniques would be MOST appropriate to help the athlete manage this high level of arousal?
- Listening to fast-tempo, high-intensity music
- Using positive, energizing self-talk like "Let's go!"
- Engaging in progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) (Correct answer)
- Performing a dynamic, explosive warm-up
Correct answer: Engaging in progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)
The athlete is experiencing excessive arousal (over-anxious and tense), which is detrimental to performance. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a somatic anxiety reduction technique that involves tensing and relaxing specific muscles to release tension and lower arousal. The other options are arousal-inducing techniques used to increase energy and intensity when an athlete is under-aroused.
Question 3: Which of the following is the BEST example of a process goal for a weightlifter?
- Winning the upcoming national championship.
- Increasing their back squat 1RM by 10 kg in the next 12 weeks.
- Focusing on maintaining a neutral spine during every deadlift repetition in today's session. (Correct answer)
- Placing in the top three at the regional qualifier.
Correct answer: Focusing on maintaining a neutral spine during every deadlift repetition in today's session.
Process goals focus on the specific actions and behaviors an athlete can control during performance. Maintaining a neutral spine is a specific, controllable action (a process). Winning a championship and placing in the top three are outcome goals, which depend on the performance of others. Increasing the 1RM is a performance goal, which is an achievement standard independent of other competitors but is still an outcome of training rather than the process itself.
Question 4: According to the Inverted-U Hypothesis, how is the relationship between arousal and performance best described?
- As arousal increases, performance linearly decreases.
- Performance is optimal at both very low and very high levels of arousal.
- Performance increases with arousal up to an optimal point, after which further increases in arousal lead to a decline in performance. (Correct answer)
- Arousal has no significant impact on athletic performance.
Correct answer: Performance increases with arousal up to an optimal point, after which further increases in arousal lead to a decline in performance.
The Inverted-U Hypothesis posits that as arousal increases from a state of low alertness, performance also increases, but only up to a certain point (the optimal zone). If arousal continues to increase beyond this point, it becomes excessive anxiety and stress, leading to a progressive decline in performance.
Question 5: A strength coach tells a novice lifter to "focus on pushing the floor away" during a squat. This is an example of using which type of attentional focus cue?
- Internal
- Broad-internal
- External (Correct answer)
- Narrow-internal
Correct answer: External
An external focus of attention directs the athlete's concentration toward the effect of their movement on the environment (e.g., pushing the floor). An internal focus directs attention to the athlete's own body movements (e.g., "focus on extending your knees"). Research has consistently shown that an external focus is superior for motor skill learning and performance.
Question 6: An athlete's belief in their capability to successfully perform a specific task, such as completing a 1RM deadlift, is known as what?
- Trait anxiety
- Self-efficacy (Correct answer)
- Achievement motivation
- Intrinsic motivation
Correct answer: Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is the belief in one's own ability to successfully execute a specific task or achieve a particular goal. It is a situation-specific form of self-confidence. Trait anxiety is a personality disposition to perceive situations as threatening, while achievement motivation is the drive to master tasks and overcome obstacles.
NSCA CSCS - NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Sport Psychology and Motivation Questions and Answers
An athlete who is primarily driven by the desire for trophies, social recognition, and avoiding punishment is demonstrating which type of motivation?