Sports Psychology Exam 1 2025: Questions and Answers
"A disposition to strive for satisfaction when making comparisons with some standard of excellence in the
presence of evaluative others" is the definition of which of the following?
a. achievement motivation
b. self-esteem
c. self-confidence
d. self-concept
e. competitiveness - anse. competitiveness
"Self-competition" refers to ________, whereas performance in socially evaluative situations refers to ______.
a. competition; achievement motivation.
b. competition; social facilitation.
c. achievement motivation; competition.
d. achievement motivation; social facilitation.
e. competition; ego involvement. - ansc. achievement motivation; competition.
A highly trait-anxious athlete (compared to a less trait-anxious athlete) would perceive competition as:
a. more threatening and less anxiety producing.
b. less threatening and less anxiety producing.
c. more threatening and more anxiety producing.
d. less threatening and more anxiety producing. - ansc. more threatening and more anxiety producing.
A meta-analysis of the "big five" model of personality revealed:
,a. extraversion and conscientiousness were positively correlated with physical activity.
b. neuroticism was negatively correlated with physical activity levels.
c. social support was positively correlated with academic performance.
d. all of the above
e. a and b - anse. a and b
A moment-to-moment change in one's perceived physiological activation is referred to as:
a. cognitive state anxiety
b. somatic state anxiety
c. activation
d. trait anxiety
e. stress - ansb. somatic state anxiety
A quarterback needs to shift his attentional focus from surveying the field for receivers to delivering a pass. This
shift would be from:
a. broad-external to broad-internal.
b. broad-external to broad-external.
c. broad-external to narrow-external.
d. broad-external to narrow-internal.
e. narrow-external to broad-external. - ansc. broad-external to narrow-external.
A study by Sorrentino and Sheppard on motivation of swimmers found that:
a. approval-oriented swimmers demonstrated faster times in the group situation than in the individual
situation.
,b. approval-oriented swimmers demonstrated faster times in the individual situation than in the group
situation.
c. rejection-oriented swimmers swam faster individually than in relay situations.
d. a and c
e. b and c - ansd. a and c
A substantial imbalance between demand and response capability under conditions in which failure has
important consequences refers to:
a. arousal
b. sensational pressure
c. stress
d. state anxiety
e. trait anxiety - ansc. stress
A task goal orientation will usually lead to which of the following?
a. persistence in the face of failure.
b. selecting a very difficult task or opponent.
c. a strong work ethic.
d. a and c
e. a and b - ansd. a and c
A weakness in the psychodynamic approach is its:
a. sole focus on internal determinants of behavior
b. lack of attention to the social environment
, c. sole focus on external determinants of behavior
d. a and b
e. b and c - ansd. a and b
Ability is considered a(n) _______ and ________ attribute.
a. stable; external
b. stable; internal
c. unstable; internal
d. unstable; external
e. controllable; unstable - ansb. stable; internal
According to catastrophe theory, to recover from a catastrophe the athlete must:
a. completely relax physically.
b. control her worries through progressive relaxation.
c. reactivate herself in a controlled manner.
d. a and c
e. a and b - ansd. a and c
According to results from in-depth interviews with Olympic athletes, medalists exhibited which of the following
mental strategies?
a. less positive self-talk
b. more extensive mental preparation
c. better preparedness for unforeseen negative events
d. b and c
"A disposition to strive for satisfaction when making comparisons with some standard of excellence in the
presence of evaluative others" is the definition of which of the following?
a. achievement motivation
b. self-esteem
c. self-confidence
d. self-concept
e. competitiveness - anse. competitiveness
"Self-competition" refers to ________, whereas performance in socially evaluative situations refers to ______.
a. competition; achievement motivation.
b. competition; social facilitation.
c. achievement motivation; competition.
d. achievement motivation; social facilitation.
e. competition; ego involvement. - ansc. achievement motivation; competition.
A highly trait-anxious athlete (compared to a less trait-anxious athlete) would perceive competition as:
a. more threatening and less anxiety producing.
b. less threatening and less anxiety producing.
c. more threatening and more anxiety producing.
d. less threatening and more anxiety producing. - ansc. more threatening and more anxiety producing.
A meta-analysis of the "big five" model of personality revealed:
,a. extraversion and conscientiousness were positively correlated with physical activity.
b. neuroticism was negatively correlated with physical activity levels.
c. social support was positively correlated with academic performance.
d. all of the above
e. a and b - anse. a and b
A moment-to-moment change in one's perceived physiological activation is referred to as:
a. cognitive state anxiety
b. somatic state anxiety
c. activation
d. trait anxiety
e. stress - ansb. somatic state anxiety
A quarterback needs to shift his attentional focus from surveying the field for receivers to delivering a pass. This
shift would be from:
a. broad-external to broad-internal.
b. broad-external to broad-external.
c. broad-external to narrow-external.
d. broad-external to narrow-internal.
e. narrow-external to broad-external. - ansc. broad-external to narrow-external.
A study by Sorrentino and Sheppard on motivation of swimmers found that:
a. approval-oriented swimmers demonstrated faster times in the group situation than in the individual
situation.
,b. approval-oriented swimmers demonstrated faster times in the individual situation than in the group
situation.
c. rejection-oriented swimmers swam faster individually than in relay situations.
d. a and c
e. b and c - ansd. a and c
A substantial imbalance between demand and response capability under conditions in which failure has
important consequences refers to:
a. arousal
b. sensational pressure
c. stress
d. state anxiety
e. trait anxiety - ansc. stress
A task goal orientation will usually lead to which of the following?
a. persistence in the face of failure.
b. selecting a very difficult task or opponent.
c. a strong work ethic.
d. a and c
e. a and b - ansd. a and c
A weakness in the psychodynamic approach is its:
a. sole focus on internal determinants of behavior
b. lack of attention to the social environment
, c. sole focus on external determinants of behavior
d. a and b
e. b and c - ansd. a and b
Ability is considered a(n) _______ and ________ attribute.
a. stable; external
b. stable; internal
c. unstable; internal
d. unstable; external
e. controllable; unstable - ansb. stable; internal
According to catastrophe theory, to recover from a catastrophe the athlete must:
a. completely relax physically.
b. control her worries through progressive relaxation.
c. reactivate herself in a controlled manner.
d. a and c
e. a and b - ansd. a and c
According to results from in-depth interviews with Olympic athletes, medalists exhibited which of the following
mental strategies?
a. less positive self-talk
b. more extensive mental preparation
c. better preparedness for unforeseen negative events
d. b and c
