Sports Psychology
This section covers sports psychology. The exam tests motivation, arousal and anxiety, personality, concentration and psychological techniques used to improve performance.
Motivation
Intrinsic motivation comes from interest and enjoyment; extrinsic motivation comes from rewards such as trophies or money. Achievement motivation is the tendency to seek success and persist. Excessive extrinsic rewards can sometimes weaken intrinsic interest.
Arousal and anxiety
Drive theory predicts a linear rise in performance with arousal. The inverted-U hypothesis, associated with Yerkes and Dodson, predicts an optimal moderate arousal, with performance falling at very low or very high arousal. Anxiety has cognitive and somatic components. Arousal is not identical with anxiety.
Techniques
Goal setting should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Imagery rehearses movement mentally. Self-talk guides attention. Relaxation techniques reduce excessive somatic arousal. Concentration training helps attention narrow and shift appropriately.
Worked example
A shooter performs well in practice but poorly in finals, with a racing heart and rushed trigger. Reasoning: the pattern suggests over-arousal in competition. Use breathing and relaxation to lower somatic arousal, simulate finals pressure in practice, and set process goals such as a consistent pre-shot routine. The reasoning applies the inverted-U idea and does not simply tell the athlete to try harder.
Traps
Do not treat the inverted-U as universal. Do not equate arousal with anxiety. Do not assume extrinsic rewards always improve motivation. Do not confuse negative self-talk with useful instruction.