Sports Psychology | AQA GCSE Physical Education (8582)
Sports Psychology
- 113 questions
- 7 subtopics
- Paper 2
- Paper 2
Sports Psychology is examined in Paper 2, Socio-cultural influences and wellbeing in physical activity and sport.
It covers Classification of skills, goal setting and SMART targets, information processing, types of guidance, types of feedback, arousal, the inverted-U theory and stress management and aggression, personality and motivation.
Sample questions from Sports Psychology
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Classification of skills
What is a complex skill?
Show the answer
A complex skill needs a lot of concentration, decision making and coordination. A somersault in gymnastics and a tumble turn in swimming are complex skills. -
Classification of skills
Classify a tennis serve on the open–closed and pacing continua, with reasons.
Show the answer
A tennis serve is closed because the server performs it in stable conditions with no opponent interfering. The serve is self-paced because the server decides when to toss the ball. -
Goal setting and SMART targets
Why should beginners avoid outcome goals?
Show the answer
Winning may be an unrealistic target for a beginner. Repeated failure to win can demotivate a beginner and lead them to give up. -
Goal setting and SMART targets
What makes a target measurable?
Show the answer
A measurable target can be recorded so that progress can be checked. A netball shooter could count the goals scored from ten attempts. -
Information processing
What is selective attention?
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Selective attention is focusing on the relevant information in the display and ignoring what is irrelevant. A cricket batter focuses on the ball and ignores crowd noise. -
Information processing
What happens at the output stage?
Show the answer
The chosen response is sent as nerve impulses to the muscles. The muscles then carry out the movement. -
Types of guidance
What is verbal guidance?
Show the answer
Verbal guidance is information the performer hears, usually from a coach or teacher. A coach telling a swimmer to keep a high elbow in front crawl gives verbal guidance. -
Types of guidance
What is mechanical guidance?
Show the answer
Mechanical guidance is the use of equipment or aids to help a performer learn a skill. A float in swimming and a harness on a trampoline are examples of mechanical guidance.
The 7 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Classification of skills | Skill against ability, and the basic–complex, open–closed, self-paced–externally paced and gross–fine continua, with skills classified and justified. | 17 |
| Goal setting and SMART targets | Performance and outcome goals, why outcome goals are best avoided, how goals improve performance, and writing a SMART target for a performer. | 15 |
| Information processing | The input, decision making, output and feedback stages, the display and selective attention, short-term and long-term memory, and the model applied to a goalkeeper. | 16 |
| Types of guidance | Visual, verbal, manual and mechanical guidance, their advantages and disadvantages, and choosing guidance for a beginner or an elite performer. | 16 |
| Types of feedback | Positive and negative feedback, knowledge of results and knowledge of performance, intrinsic and extrinsic feedback, and matching feedback to the performer's level. | 15 |
| Arousal, the inverted-U theory and stress management | Arousal and the inverted-U theory, under- and over-arousal, the arousal each skill needs, and deep breathing, mental rehearsal and positive self-talk. | 16 |
| Aggression, personality and motivation | Direct and indirect aggression, introverts and extroverts and the sports that suit them, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation with their strengths and risks. | 18 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA GCSE Physical Education Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 653 questions with their answers.