NSCA CSCS Sport Psychology and Motivation 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 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'?
- Peak activation
- Flow state (Correct answer)
- Hypnotic trance
- Dissociative focus
Correct answer: Flow state
Flow state, as described by Csikszentmihalyi, is a state of optimal experience marked by total concentration, effortlessness, and intrinsic enjoyment.
Question 2: An athlete repeatedly tells herself 'I am strong and I can do this' before a heavy lift. This technique is best classified as:
- Attentional focusing
- Positive self-talk (Correct answer)
- Centering
- Preperformance routine
Correct answer: Positive self-talk
Positive self-talk involves using instructional or motivational internal statements to maintain confidence and optimal focus.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes the concept of competitive state anxiety?
- A stable personality trait related to competition
- Temporary feelings of tension and apprehension specific to a competitive situation (Correct answer)
- Chronic worry about training performance
- General anxiety unrelated to sport performance
Correct 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.
Question 4: Team cohesion in sport psychology is divided into task cohesion and social cohesion. Which type has the STRONGER relationship with team performance?
- Social cohesion
- Task cohesion (Correct answer)
- Both equally
- Neither; individual ability matters more
Correct 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.
Question 5: A strength coach uses a points system where athletes earn rewards for completing extra conditioning work. This is an example of which behavioral principle?
- Negative reinforcement
- Token economy/positive reinforcement (Correct answer)
- Punishment
- Extinction
Correct 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.
Question 6: The OPTIMAL functioning zone model (IZOF) developed by Hanin suggests that:
- All athletes perform best at the same arousal level
- Each athlete has an individualized zone of optimal anxiety for best performance (Correct answer)
- Anxiety always impairs performance
- Higher anxiety always produces better athletic performance
Correct 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.
Question 7: Which attentional style involves a broad internal focus, which is useful for game planning but may lead to over-thinking during performance?
- Narrow-external
- Broad-internal (Correct answer)
- Narrow-internal
- Broad-external
Correct answer: Broad-internal
Broad-internal attention is directed inward to analyze many internal cues simultaneously, useful for strategy planning but potentially harmful during execution.
NSCA CSCS Sport Psychology and Motivation 4
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'?