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Sport Psychology and Motivation Flashcards

7 cards from real NSCA CSCS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Sport Psychology and Motivation flashcards as text

  1. Which of the following is the MOST effective way a strength coach can enhance an athlete's self-efficacy?

    Answer: Structuring progressively challenging success experiences

    Mastery experiences (performance accomplishments) are the strongest source of self-efficacy according to Bandura's model.

  2. An athlete who attributes a poor performance to lack of effort rather than lack of ability is making an attribution that is:

    Answer: Internal and unstable

    Effort is classified as an internal (within the athlete) and unstable (can change) attribution in Weiner's attribution model.

  3. Which leadership style is MOST appropriate when working with a highly skilled, experienced athlete who prefers autonomy?

    Answer: Democratic/participative

    A democratic or participative leadership style is best suited for experienced, capable athletes who value input and autonomy in decision-making.

  4. The phenomenon in which an individual exerts less effort when working in a group than when working alone is called:

    Answer: Social loafing

    Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to reduce their effort and motivation when they are part of a group compared to working individually.

  5. Which motivational technique involves setting short-term, attainable subgoals that build toward a larger long-term goal?

    Answer: Graduated goal setting

    Graduated goal setting uses a stepwise progression of achievable short-term goals to maintain motivation and build toward a long-term objective.

  6. According to catastrophe theory, performance collapses abruptly (catastrophically) when both cognitive anxiety and arousal are:

    Answer: High cognitive anxiety combined with high somatic arousal

    Catastrophe theory proposes that performance drops sharply when high cognitive anxiety is combined with high physiological arousal, unlike a gradual decline.

  7. A coach who focuses feedback on what the athlete did correctly before addressing errors is using which motivational strategy?

    Answer: The sandwich approach

    The sandwich (or compliment-critique-compliment) approach frames corrective feedback between positive statements to maintain motivation and self-esteem.