Sports Psychology (Personality, Motivation, Anxiety and Aggression)
This domain tests personality, motivation, anxiety and aggression as they appear in sport. You need to distinguish stable traits from temporary states and choose practical interventions.
Core concepts
- Personality: traits are relatively stable; states are momentary. Trait theories include introversion–extraversion and Type A/Type B patterns; sport behaviour is also shaped by situation.
- Motivation: intrinsic motivation comes from interest and competence; extrinsic motivation comes from rewards or pressure. Achievement motivation affects choice of challenge and persistence.
- Anxiety: trait anxiety is a general tendency; state anxiety is temporary. Cognitive anxiety is worry; somatic anxiety is perceived physiological arousal. The inverted-U idea predicts best performance at moderate arousal, but the optimum varies by task and performer.
- Aggression: hostile aggression aims to harm; instrumental aggression harms as a means to a goal; assertion is forceful but within rules and without intent to harm.
Worked example
A basketball player misses free throws after loud crowd noise. The player reports racing heart and worry about missing. Reasoning: somatic and cognitive state anxiety are high; a pre-shot routine, slow breathing, cue words and imagery can reduce arousal and restore attention. Punishment alone does not teach the routine.
Traps
- Calling all aggression 'bad' and missing instrumental aggression.
- Confusing assertion with aggression.
- Assuming high arousal always improves performance.
- Treating extrinsic rewards as always harmful; they can support learning but may undermine intrinsic interest if overused.