NSCA CSCS - NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Sport Psychology and Motivation 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?

Accepted Answer

Extrinsic motivation

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Engaging in progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Focusing on maintaining a neutral spine during every deadlift repetition in today's session.

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Performance increases with arousal up to an optimal point, after which further increases in arousal lead to a decline in performance.

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

External

Answer

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.

NSCA CSCS - NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Practice Test

NSCA CSCS - NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Practice Test

NSCA CSCS - NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Sport Psychology and Motivation Questions and Answers