Exercise and Sport Behavior Exam 3 Ronny

What is arousal?

A blend of physiological and psychological activation; not inherently positive or negative.

How is anxiety different from arousal?

Anxiety is a negative emotional state involving worry and nervousness; arousal is activation itself.

Why regulate arousal?

To stay in an individual's optimal zone for focus and performance.

Does every athlete have the same optimal arousal?

No; optimal levels vary by individual, sport, position, and task.

What are signs of underarousal?

Slow reactions, heavy legs, boredom, distraction, low energy, and little enthusiasm.

What are signs of overarousal?

Tight muscles, sweating, racing heart, worry, negative self-talk, and poor concentration.

What are examples of arousal-inducing techniques?

Faster breathing, energetic movement, mood words, music, shouting, energizing imagery, and warm-ups.

What are examples of arousal-reduction techniques?

Breathing, progressive relaxation, mindfulness, coping strategies, desensitization, and stress inoculation.

What is the first step in regulating arousal?

Develop self-awareness of your arousal and anxiety signals.

What is somatic anxiety?

Physical symptoms of anxiety, such as muscle tension and rapid heartbeat.

What is cognitive anxiety?

Mental worry, negative thoughts, and concern about performance.

What is progressive relaxation?

Tense and then relax muscle groups to learn to recognize and release tension.

What kind of anxiety does progressive relaxation primarily target?

Somatic anxiety.

What is breath control?

Using slow, deep, rhythmic breathing to reduce physiological tension.

When can athletes use breath control in competition?

During a time-out or break in play.

What is box breathing?

A patterned breath cycle with four equal phases, often 4 seconds each.

What is biofeedback?

Physiological measurements that help people recognize and regulate bodily responses.

A smartwatch displays an athlete's heart rate; what technique is this?

Biofeedback.

What is mindfulness?

Present-moment awareness with acceptance and without judgment.

What is the relaxation response?

Quieting the mind and lowering tension through meditation-based practices.

What is systematic desensitization?

Gradual exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli paired with relaxation.

What is stress inoculation training (SIT)?

Gradually practicing coping with increasing stress through helpful thoughts, imagery, and self-statements.

What are the four SIT stages?

Prepare for stressor; handle stressor; cope with overwhelm; evaluate coping efforts.

What is pressure training?

Creating competition-like pressure during practice to improve coping in games.

What are the three demand categories in pressure training?

Task, performer, and environmental demands.

What are examples of pressure-training task demands?

Time limits, equipment changes, and score requirements.

What are examples of pressure-training environmental demands?

Noise, weather, and altitude.

What is coping?

Changing thoughts and behaviors to manage demands judged stressful or overwhelming.

What is problem-focused coping?

Trying to change the stressful problem itself; e.g., planning and time management.

When is problem-focused coping best?

When the stressful situation can be changed.

What is emotion-focused coping?

Managing feelings about a stressful situation; e.g., relaxation or meditation.

When is emotion-focused coping best?

When the stressful situation cannot easily be changed.

Name athlete coping techniques.

Self-talk, task focus, social support, preparation, rational thinking, and time management.

How do elite athletes often interpret anxiety?

More often as facilitative energy rather than debilitating fear.

What is imagery?

Creating or recreating an experience mentally using sensory information.

What are synonyms for imagery?

Visualization, mental rehearsal, symbolic rehearsal, covert practice, mental practice.

What senses can imagery involve?

Visual, kinesthetic, auditory, tactile, and olfactory.

Which imagery sense is especially important to athletes?

Kinesthetic: feeling movement and body position.

What are major benefits of imagery?

Concentration, motivation, confidence, emotion control, skill learning, strategy, and preparation.

When can athletes use imagery?

In practice, before or during competition, afterward, and during injury rehabilitation.

When do athletes commonly use imagery most?

Before competition; it is often underused after practices and competitions.

What is motivational-specific imagery?

Imagining a specific goal or outcome, such as winning.

What is motivational-general mastery imagery?

Imagining confidence, focus, resilience, and mental toughness.

What is motivational-general arousal imagery?

Imagining psyching up, calming down, or controlling activation.

What is cognitive-specific imagery?

Mentally rehearsing a specific motor skill or technique.

What is cognitive-general imagery?

Mentally rehearsing game plans, strategies, and routines.

Which imagery category is most useful for skill learning?

Cognitive-specific imagery.

Which imagery category is most useful for learning strategy?

Cognitive-general imagery.

What is internal imagery?

Seeing the action from your own first-person point of view.

What is external imagery?

Watching yourself perform from an observer's perspective.

Which imagery perspective emphasizes feeling movement?

Internal imagery, especially the kinesthetic sense.

Which imagery perspective can help evaluate movement form?

External imagery.

What is psychoneuromuscular theory?

Imagined movement activates related muscles and strengthens neural pathways.

Imagery produces muscle activity similar to physical practice; which theory?

Psychoneuromuscular theory.

What is symbolic learning theory?

Imagery creates mental codes or blueprints for movement patterns.

What is bioinformational theory?

Imagery consists of stimulus, response, and meaning propositions stored in the brain.

What are stimulus propositions in bioinformational theory?

Features of the imagined setting, such as the crowd or equipment.

What are response propositions in bioinformational theory?

Imagined physical and emotional reactions, such as pounding heart or gripping a bar.

What are meaning propositions in bioinformational theory?

The athlete's interpretation of the stimulus and response, such as excitement versus fear.

What is functional equivalence theory?

Imagery and physical action engage overlapping neural mechanisms.

Should imagery replace physical practice?

No; combining imagery with physical practice is best.

What is the psychological skills explanation for imagery?

Imagery can increase confidence and concentration and reduce anxiety.

What does PETTLEP stand for?

Physical, Environment, Task, Timing, Learning, Emotion, Perspective.

What does PETTLEP help athletes do?

Make imagery more realistic and functionally similar to performance.

What is a risk of repeatedly suppressing negative imagery?

It can interfere with performance by reinforcing unwanted images.

What is self-confidence?

Belief that you can successfully perform a desired behavior.

What is trait self-confidence?

The certainty you generally have about succeeding across situations.

What is state self-confidence?

The certainty you feel about succeeding at a particular moment.

Confidence changing during a game is which type?

State self-confidence.

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

An expectation helps bring about the expected outcome.

What is a negative self-fulfilling prophecy?

Expecting failure contributes to actual failure.

What abilities can sport self-confidence concern?

Physical skills, psychological skills, decisions, fitness, and learning.

Should confidence be as high as possible regardless of reality?

No; realistic optimal confidence is better than unjustified overconfidence.

What is overconfidence?

Confidence greater than ability or preparation justifies.

What is self-efficacy?

Belief in your capability to perform a specific task successfully.

Is self-efficacy task-specific?

Yes, though it can transfer to similar tasks.

How does self-efficacy influence behavior?

It affects activity choices, effort, persistence, and goal difficulty.

Does self-efficacy alone guarantee performance?

No; ability and motivation are also needed.

What is self-regulatory efficacy?

Belief in your ability to overcome obstacles and sustain goal-directed behavior.

What is learning efficacy?

Belief in your ability to learn a new skill.

What is decision-making efficacy?

Belief in your ability to make effective decisions.

What is coping efficacy?

Belief in your ability to cope with perceived threats or adversity.

What is self-presentational efficacy?

Belief in your ability to present a desired image to others.

What is other efficacy?

Belief in another person's ability, such as a teammate's ability to score.

What is collective efficacy?

A team's shared belief in its collective capabilities.

What is the strongest source of self-efficacy?

Performance accomplishments or mastery experiences.

What are vicarious experiences?

Gaining confidence by watching another person succeed.

What is verbal persuasion?

Confidence-building encouragement from others.

What are imaginal experiences as a source of efficacy?

Imagining yourself successfully mastering a task.

How do physiological states affect self-efficacy?

Interpreting arousal as helpful or threatening changes confidence.

How do emotional states affect self-efficacy?

Mood and emotion provide information used to judge capability.

What is the relationship between self-efficacy and behavior?

Reciprocal: efficacy shapes behavior and performance feeds back into efficacy.

How can coaches build athlete confidence?

Create mastery successes, prepare athletes, use imagery, goal maps, and supportive feedback.

What is expectancy effect in coaching?

Coach expectations can influence treatment of athletes and their subsequent performance.

What is coaching efficacy?

A coach's belief in their ability to influence athletes' learning and performance.

What are the four dimensions of coaching efficacy?

Motivation, game strategy, technique, and character building.

What are subjective goals?

General intentions judged subjectively, such as having fun or feeling confident.

What are objective goals?

Specific, measurable standards to achieve, often by a deadline.

What is an outcome goal?

A competitive result dependent partly on others, such as winning.

What is a performance goal?

A personal standard independent of opponents, such as a faster race time.