Sports Psychology Exam Questions
and Answers | Latest Version |
2025/2026 | Correct & Verified
What is sports psychology mainly concerned with?
✔✔The study of how psychological factors affect sports performance
What does motivation mean in sport?
✔✔The drive that influences an athlete’s effort and persistence
What type of motivation comes from internal satisfaction?
✔✔Intrinsic motivation
What type of motivation comes from rewards or recognition?
✔✔Extrinsic motivation
What is arousal in sports psychology?
✔✔A level of physical and mental alertness
Why is too much arousal harmful to performance?
✔✔It can cause anxiety and loss of focus
What theory explains the relationship between arousal and performance?
1
,✔✔Inverted-U theory
What is competitive anxiety?
✔✔Feelings of tension and worry before or during competition
What is cognitive anxiety?
✔✔Mental worry and negative thoughts
What is somatic anxiety?
✔✔Physical symptoms like sweating or rapid heartbeat
What is self-confidence in sport?
✔✔Belief in one’s ability to perform successfully
Why is self-confidence important for athletes?
✔✔It improves performance and resilience
What is imagery in sports psychology?
✔✔Mental rehearsal of skills or performance
Why do athletes use mental imagery?
✔✔To improve skill execution and confidence
2
,What is goal setting in sport?
✔✔Establishing specific objectives to improve performance
What type of goals focus on skill improvement?
✔✔Process goals
What type of goals focus on final results?
✔✔Outcome goals
What type of goals focus on performance standards?
✔✔Performance goals
Why are realistic goals important?
✔✔They increase motivation and commitment
What is concentration in sport?
✔✔The ability to focus attention on relevant cues
What causes loss of concentration in athletes?
✔✔Distractions and negative thoughts
3
, What is selective attention?
✔✔Focusing on important information while ignoring distractions
What is mental toughness?
✔✔The ability to cope with pressure and adversity
Why is mental toughness important in competition?
✔✔It helps athletes perform under stress
What is stress in sports psychology?
✔✔A response to perceived pressure or demand
What is burnout in athletes?
✔✔Physical and emotional exhaustion from prolonged stress
What causes athlete burnout?
✔✔Overtraining and lack of recovery
What is self-talk?
✔✔Internal dialogue that influences thoughts and behaviour
How does positive self-talk help performance?
4
and Answers | Latest Version |
2025/2026 | Correct & Verified
What is sports psychology mainly concerned with?
✔✔The study of how psychological factors affect sports performance
What does motivation mean in sport?
✔✔The drive that influences an athlete’s effort and persistence
What type of motivation comes from internal satisfaction?
✔✔Intrinsic motivation
What type of motivation comes from rewards or recognition?
✔✔Extrinsic motivation
What is arousal in sports psychology?
✔✔A level of physical and mental alertness
Why is too much arousal harmful to performance?
✔✔It can cause anxiety and loss of focus
What theory explains the relationship between arousal and performance?
1
,✔✔Inverted-U theory
What is competitive anxiety?
✔✔Feelings of tension and worry before or during competition
What is cognitive anxiety?
✔✔Mental worry and negative thoughts
What is somatic anxiety?
✔✔Physical symptoms like sweating or rapid heartbeat
What is self-confidence in sport?
✔✔Belief in one’s ability to perform successfully
Why is self-confidence important for athletes?
✔✔It improves performance and resilience
What is imagery in sports psychology?
✔✔Mental rehearsal of skills or performance
Why do athletes use mental imagery?
✔✔To improve skill execution and confidence
2
,What is goal setting in sport?
✔✔Establishing specific objectives to improve performance
What type of goals focus on skill improvement?
✔✔Process goals
What type of goals focus on final results?
✔✔Outcome goals
What type of goals focus on performance standards?
✔✔Performance goals
Why are realistic goals important?
✔✔They increase motivation and commitment
What is concentration in sport?
✔✔The ability to focus attention on relevant cues
What causes loss of concentration in athletes?
✔✔Distractions and negative thoughts
3
, What is selective attention?
✔✔Focusing on important information while ignoring distractions
What is mental toughness?
✔✔The ability to cope with pressure and adversity
Why is mental toughness important in competition?
✔✔It helps athletes perform under stress
What is stress in sports psychology?
✔✔A response to perceived pressure or demand
What is burnout in athletes?
✔✔Physical and emotional exhaustion from prolonged stress
What causes athlete burnout?
✔✔Overtraining and lack of recovery
What is self-talk?
✔✔Internal dialogue that influences thoughts and behaviour
How does positive self-talk help performance?
4
