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
Which psychological state is characterized by complete absorption in an activity, a sense of control, and intrinsic reward, often described as being 'in the zone'?
Answer: Flow state
Flow state, as described by Csikszentmihalyi, is a state of optimal experience marked by total concentration, effortlessness, and intrinsic enjoyment.
An athlete repeatedly tells herself 'I am strong and I can do this' before a heavy lift. This technique is best classified as:
Answer: Positive self-talk
Positive self-talk involves using instructional or motivational internal statements to maintain confidence and optimal focus.
Which of the following BEST describes the concept of competitive state anxiety?
Answer: Temporary feelings of tension and apprehension specific to a competitive situation
Competitive state anxiety is a transient emotional response (A-state) to competitive situations, varying in intensity across different events.
Team cohesion in sport psychology is divided into task cohesion and social cohesion. Which type has the STRONGER relationship with team performance?
Answer: Task cohesion
Research consistently shows that task cohesion—commitment to achieving group goals—has a stronger positive relationship with team performance than social cohesion.
A strength coach uses a points system where athletes earn rewards for completing extra conditioning work. This is an example of which behavioral principle?
Answer: Token economy/positive reinforcement
A token economy is a positive reinforcement system where tokens or points are earned for desired behaviors and exchanged for rewards.
The OPTIMAL functioning zone model (IZOF) developed by Hanin suggests that:
Answer: Each athlete has an individualized zone of optimal anxiety for best performance
The IZOF model proposes that each athlete has a unique, individual zone of anxiety intensity within which performance is optimal.
Which attentional style involves a broad internal focus, which is useful for game planning but may lead to over-thinking during performance?
Answer: Broad-internal
Broad-internal attention is directed inward to analyze many internal cues simultaneously, useful for strategy planning but potentially harmful during execution.