1. Section B: Psychology of sport performance
3. Mental preparation for sport performance

2. Syllabus Commitment Self-confidence Goal setting
Understand the importance and relevance to sport (related to anxiety management)
Factors affecting the setting of goals (SMARTER)
The candidate should set sporting goals and justify the use of short/intermediate/long term goals and process/performance/product goals to improve performance
Self-confidence
Sports confidence (Vealey)
The concepts of trait-sports confidence, competitiveness orientation, state sports confidence
Self efficacy (Bandura)

3. Syllabus Concentration Emotional control Attentional control
Cue utilisation (Easterbrook) and its link with arousal
Attentional styles (Nideffer)
Emotional control
Definition of activation and arousal
Awareness of their relationship to personality, ability level and complexity of the task
Zone of optimum functioning theory (Hanin)
Definition of anxiety
The nature and influences of anxiety
Trait distinction
Multi-dimensional theory
Sports competition anxiety
Anxiety management
Cognitive techniques
Somatic techniques

4. Commitment Goal setting can affect performance in four ways
By directing attention
By regulating the amount of effort that is put into a given task
Ensuring effort is sustained until the goal is reached
By motivating people to develop a variety of strategies to reach their goals

5. SMARTER S M A R T E Specific Measurable Agreed Realistic Time-phased
Exciting
Recorded

6. Different types of goals
Performance goals
Are concerned with performance judged against other performances
Are related to specific behaviours
May affect outcome goals
Process-oriented goals
Concentrate on the performer’s technique and tactics

7. Goal difficulty
Research has shown that setting difficult goals leads to better performance than setting medium or easy goals
Goals must be achievable but challenging (allows for motivation)

8. Other factors affecting goal setting
Long-term and short-term goals
Achievement of long-term goals is a progressive process and must start with achieving short-term goals
Short-term goals provide greater opportunity for success, which reinforce positive feelings, and help control anxiety levels
Evaluation
The measurement of goals will give information about success, in itself a motivating factor
Sharing decision making
Goals set through negotiation and agreements are for more effective than externally set goals
Participant has sense of ownership and be better motivated
Likely to be fairer and more realistic

9. Vealey’s sport confidence model

10. Vealey’s sport confidence model
Sport confidence is the belief or degree of certainty individuals possess about their ability to be successful in sport

11. Self-confidence A specific form of confidence, known as self-efficacy.
This is not an overall self-confidence but varies within each situation we find ourselves in.
Most people will choose to participate in sports at which they have a high self-efficacy, or belief in their ability at the task in hand.

12. Self-efficacy is affected by four factors:
Performance accomplishments - Past achievements in the activity encourage a feeling of self-efficacy
Vicarious experiences - Seeing someone else, who you believe to be of the same or lower standard to yourself, complete the task well provides confidence that you too can achieve
Verbal persuasion - Encouragement and positive words from those close to you can instill a sense of confidence
Emotional arousal - Control over arousal levels provides greater self-efficacy
These four factors can help athletes with low self-efficacy to boost their confidence and perform better by:
Setting achievable goals and highlighting successes
Using a peer to demonstrate new techniques
Promoting support and encouragement from the athletes family and friends
Using stress management techniques to aid relaxation

13. Concentration Attention
The ability to focus on cues appearing in the display and identify those which are relevant
Selective attention, and attentional or perceptual narrowing are linked to arousal
Capacity theories suggest that two or more tasks can be completed simultaneously, provided the total attentional capacity is not exceeded

14. Concentration
Nideffer suggested individual’s are either “effective” or “ineffective attenders”
The former are able to process information externally, allowing them to switch their focus of attention quickly without missing important cues
The latter experience difficulty concentrating, become confused and miss the relevant cues

16. Attentional or perceptual narrowing
Links arousal levels directly to the individual’s ability to focus on relevant cues and stimuli
Cue Utilisation
Attention is more effective if the performer concentrates on cues that are relevant
As the arousal level of the athlete increases, his/her attention narrows
If arousal levels are too low, then both irrelevant and relevant cues are attended to
If arousal levels are too high the irrelevant and relevant cues are ignored and there is a drop in performance
VERY SIMILAR PRINCIPLE TO INVERTED U THEORY

17. Emotional control Anxiety
Negative emotional feelings caused by an increase in arousal levels when a performer is faced with a situation in which they feel threatened or fear failure
State anxiety
Occurs when the performer is placed in a particular situation that can vary from moment to moment
Trait anxiety
The general disposition of an individual to perceive situations as threatening

18. The nature of stress Stressors Stress response Stress experience
The environmental changes that can induce a stress response
Stress response
The physiological changes that occur as a result of stress
Stress experience
The way we perceive the situation

19. Stressors
Competition
Conflict
Frustration
Climate

20. Competitive trait anxiety
A tendency to perceive competitive situations as threatening and to respond to these situations with feelings of apprehension or tension
Sport competition anxiety test
Competitive state anxiety inventory 2
Examine three aspects of a sports performer in a competitive situation
The respondent’s somatic anxiety
The respondent’s cognitive anxiety
The respondent’s self-confidence
Questionnaires are given out a week before, 24hrs before and 30min before

21. Stress management Two types of state anxiety have been recognised
Somatic anxiety
Cognitive anxiety
Management of cognitive anxiety can affect the somatic anxiety, and vice versa
The zone of optimal functioning is often cited as an important state of well-being

22. Zone of optimal functioning
The unique level of arousal for an athlete, which allows them to perform with maximum concentration and effort

23. Physical Relaxation Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This involves the deliberate contraction of muscles followed by a greater relaxation
Self-Directed Relaxation 
Relies on the athletes ability to isolate and relax individual muscle groups. This can be improved through practice
Deep Breathing 
This has calming effects on the mind as well as physiological effects such as reducing heart rate
Biofeedback 
Observing physiological measurements such as heart rate and breathing rate allow the athlete to focus their attention on reducing these measures

24. Imagery
Imagery is the use of mental images and scenarios to help relax the mind.
This can be either internal (seeing your performance from within your body) or external (viewing your performance as if you are someone or somewhere else).
Imagery can be used to relax by picturing a favourite place or calming scene or to rehearse the up-coming performance.
Mental rehearsal is thought to be effective on three levels
Neuromuscular: Thinking through a movement produces the correct order and force of muscular contraction, much like a dry-run
Cognitive: Thinking through and planning an event in the mind can help the athlete to deal with scenarios as they arise
Confidence building: The certainty in the athletes mind of what they are going to do during the event, game plans etc can help reduce anxiety and increase motivation