Chapter 6: How can psychology affect
performance?
Exam-style Questions page 129
1 Outline the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. (3 marks)
Motivation is the factor that causes a person to behave in a particular way. Motivation can be either
intrinsic or extrinsic in nature.
Intrinsic motivation comes from within the individual and is the most effective form of motivation. It can
include feelings of satisfaction with a performance or the personal desire to improve on a previous
performance. For example, a runner will continue to strive to finish a race despite having no chance of
winning.
Extrinsic motivation comes from sources outside the body and includes aspects such as material rewards
and social reinforcement. For example, an individual may be motivated to play football so he or she
receives a financial reward, a trophy or recognition as a star player.
2 Identify the sources of stress an athlete may face prior to and during a performance. (3 marks)
Stress is the response the body makes to the demands placed on it. Stress is a normal part of life but
when performing the body may experience more stress than average. Some of the sources of stress are
discussed below.
An individual may have a fear of success or failure. For example, when a person feels he or she doesn’t
have the ability to beat an opponent in a tennis game the person may fear the result of the game before it
occurs and this can express itself as stress.
A person’s expectations of his or her own performance can place stress on the individual. A person who
has been undefeated in a competition will have high expectations and experience the stress associated
with the desire to continue the winning streak.
Having been injured in a previous game can place extra stress on an individual prior to a performance as
the person is more likely to be worried about the injury re-occurring during the game.
An individual may experience stress as a result of the expectations of others, such as a crowd and the
media. When an athlete hears that he or she is expected to perform well or improve significantly from a
previous performance the athlete is more likely to feel an increase in his or her level of stress.
Particular weather conditions can also cause an individual to experience stress. If a person has
previously performed poorly in wet weather, the person may be more worried about his or her
performance on rainy competition days than he or she would be otherwise.
3 Describe how optimal arousal can enhance performance. (5 marks)
Arousal is the mental, emotional and physical readiness to perform a skill. The level of arousal has been
closely linked to physical performance, with an optimal level of arousal being closely linked to maximum
performance.
When an individual lacks arousal due to low levels of motivation, poor weather or lack of confidence in
his or her own ability there is a significant fall in the chances of a good performance. For example, if a
team is playing against an opposition that they have beaten easily a number of times they are likely to
have a lower level of arousal during the game and their performance may be poor even though they still
win the game.
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If an individual is over aroused (very nervous) prior to an activity or game then often the person’s
performance, especially in the early stages, will be below that of which the person is capable. For
example, at the start of a grand final or prior to taking a free throw in basketball that will win the game the
individual can become very anxious and nervous, creating a poor performance.
By ensuring that the individual has the correct balance between low arousal and over arousal the
performance of the individual can be maximised. When an individual undertakes motivational strategies,
such as goal-setting for a performance or performing strategies that help to reduce anxiety (for example,
relaxation activities), he or she will have a better balance of arousal and will therefore be able to perform
at the peak.
4 Discuss the effect of motivation on performance (6 marks)
Motivation is the drive of a person to behave in a particular way. In terms of physical activity this
behaviour tends to relate to desire or a lack of desire to perform well in an event or training. Without
motivation an individual will not perform to the best of his or her ability. Motivation can come from a range
of sources and has a great impact on sports performance.
Positive motivation occurs when an individual receives a reward for a performance. For example, the
athlete might receive praise from a coach at half time for the effort the athlete is making and this will lead
to the player continuing to apply himself or herself fully during the second half. This will lead to a positive
performance by the individual.
Negative motivation is the process of providing criticism or punishment for a poor sporting performance.
This can include being dropped to a lower grade after a game or being asked to do push-ups when a
pass is dropped in practice. This type of motivation is not effective for all players, however, and tends to
be less successful in improving performance in the longer term than positive motivation.
Intrinsic motivation comes from within the individual. The athlete will take pride in his or her good
performances and feel motivated to maintain his or her efforts in order to continue to gain these positive
feelings. If the athlete trains hard and sets a new personal best the athlete will be more likely to continue
to try to improve further. This type of motivation is very powerful and leads to better performance by the
individual.
Extrinsic motivation comes from sources outside the body. Examples of external motivation include
receiving a trophy, being paid a winning bonus or receiving praise in front of other people. Extrinsic
motivation can be beneficial for sports performance but does not always lead to ongoing motivation for
the individual. Once an individual has received enough trophies or plays a very good game and doesn’t
receive any external recognition the person’s level of motivation will fall and this will lead to a poorer
overall performance.
5a Describe the relaxation and goal-setting techniques that can be used to manage anxiety. (4
marks)
A number of strategies can be used to manage the anxiety an athlete experiences. These strategies
include a range of relaxation techniques that are designed to calm an athlete and the setting of both
short-term and long-term goals.
One relaxation technique is progressive relaxation. This involves the systematic tensing and releasing of
muscles throughout the body so that feelings of tension and stress are removed. For example, the
muscles of the leg (such as the quads and hamstrings) are contracted (held tightly) for 5 seconds and
then relaxed. This removes feelings of tension within the muscles and helps the athlete to relax.
Another relaxation technique is autogenic training. This process involves the use of the mind to produce
feelings of heaviness and warmth in the muscles. It can also involve the creation of relaxing images, such
as a tropical beach, to assist with the reduction of tension within the body. As the body begins to relax
there will be increased blood flow to the muscle, assisting with the feeling of recovery and relaxation.
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Meditation is another form of relaxation. This involves total concentration on a word or series of words or
a focus on sounds or an image. When the mind has a single focus other distractions are forced from the
mind and this allows the athlete to avoid focusing on the upcoming performance.
Short-term goals are achievements that can be accomplished in a day or over a period of a week or two.
For example, a short-term goal may be training an extra session per week for the next four weeks to
improve fitness. By achieving short-term goals the individual will experience success and be less anxious
about upcoming performances.
Long-term goals should reflect the end point of the training or season, such as to make the semi-finals or
be selected in a representative side. Long-term goals can be set three months ahead or years ahead, but
should be matched by a series of short-term goals so that overall progress can be made and measured.
5b Evaluate their effect on performance. (6 marks)
Relaxation and goal-setting techniques are very effective in improving performance for athletes provided
they are undertaken regularly and performed at appropriate times. They are designed to reduce the level
of anxiety experienced by an athlete and therefore assist the athlete to achieve a level of optimal arousal
prior to an activity.
Progressive muscular relaxation is an effective way of reducing tension within muscles and reducing the
effects of anxiety on the body. The process, if practiced regularly, will lead to the ability to gain the
feelings of relaxation without having to undertake the whole routine and can be formed quickly just prior
to a performance. By reducing tension within the muscles the athlete will be able to improve his or her
focus on the activity and therefore his or her performance.
Autogenic training will assist the athlete in both preparing for and recovering from a performance. When
anxiety occurs there is a decrease in the blood flow around the body and this can hinder the recovery an
athlete experiences and therefore reduce the level of the athlete’s next performance. Autogenic training
will allow the body to reduce levels of anxiety. This will benefit an upcoming performance but also aid
with recovery following a performance, leading to a higher ability to train or perform.
Meditation has similar effects to autogenic training. By clearing the mind the athlete will be able to reduce
his or her level of anxiety prior to activity, leading to increased focus on the skills required for the
performance. Meditation will also improve the ability of the athlete to undertake mental rehearsal as he or
she will be able to concentrate more completely on the task and this will also lead to improved benefits
for performance.
Short-term goals allow an athlete to focus on performance rather than results for activities and events
being undertaken. This leads to the athlete being able to see positive advances made within a
performance regardless of the results. For example, a rugby league team may lose a game but see their
performance as good as they reduced their error rate significantly, which was a goal set prior to play.
These achievements will improve motivation and lead to lower levels of anxiety felt by the team.
Long-term goals are similar in effect to short-term goals as they effectively reduce levels of anxiety and
increase motivation, both of which will lead to improved performance. Long-term goals, such as being
selected for a representative team in two years time, will motivate a player to continue to train during the
off-season and this will lead to improve physical capacities as the new season begins. This will increase
confidence and reduce anxiety, especially early in a season. It will be less effective as a strategy to
reduce anxiety and improve motivation if there are no short-term goals that work towards the longer term
goals as the player will not perceive any progress or improvement in his or her performances.
PDHPE Application and Inquiry HSC Course
ISBN 978 0 19 556610 9 © Oxford University Press Australia