Sports Psychology, Motivation and Athlete Behaviour
Sports Psychology, Motivation and Athlete Behaviour
This domain tests psychological factors that affect performance and adherence. Expect questions on arousal, anxiety, motivation, goal setting, confidence, imagery, concentration and team behaviour.
Core rules and concepts
- Arousal is general activation; anxiety is worry plus physical tension. The inverted-U idea suggests performance rises with arousal to an optimum, then falls; the optimum differs by task and person.
- Intrinsic motivation comes from enjoyment and competence; extrinsic from rewards. Sustainable adherence usually needs intrinsic motivation.
- SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound. Process goals are more controllable than outcome goals.
- Psychological skills: imagery, self-talk, breathing, pre-performance routines and concentration cues.
- Self-efficacy and confidence are task-specific; success, modelling and encouragement build them.
- Team cohesion has task and social dimensions; roles, communication and shared goals build it.
- Burnout: exhaustion, cynicism and reduced efficacy; rest and load adjustment matter.
Worked example
A penalty taker feels over-aroused. The trainer uses slow breathing, a fixed routine and a process goal (“strike through the ball, low to the side”) rather than “don’t miss”. Reasoning: process focus reduces outcome worry and gives a controllable cue.
Traps
- Assuming high arousal always helps or always hurts.
- Using only rewards to build long-term adherence.
- Ignoring individual differences in anxiety and coping.