SCSA Physical Education Studies Sport psychology

While massage can help relieve muscle tension, it is not a practical or possible strategy to use right behind the starting blocks immediately before a race.

Meditation typically requires a quiet environment and sustained focus over a period of time, making it unsuitable for the chaotic moments just before a sprint.

Goal-setting is a preparatory psychological strategy used well in advance of an event to build motivation, not an immediate coping mechanism for acute anxiety.

This statement is incorrect because research shows that task cohesion, rather than social cohesion, is a stronger predictor of team performance.

This is incorrect because task cohesion refers to the degree to which team members work together to achieve common goals, not their external friendships.

This statement incorrectly defines social cohesion. The definition provided actually describes task cohesion, whereas social cohesion refers to the interpersonal relationships and friendships within the team.

While a respected captain can improve team cohesion and leadership, it does not directly address the lack of individual accountability that causes social loafing.

Training in larger groups actually increases the likelihood of social loafing, as individual efforts become harder to evaluate and individuals feel less accountable.

Setting easily achievable goals reduces overall motivation and effort, which does not solve the problem of individuals hiding their lack of effort within a group.

Thought stopping is a technique used to halt negative or irrational thoughts, but it is not primarily designed to directly raise an athlete's confidence.

In a high-stakes situation like a World Cup qualifier, an athlete's motivation and arousal are already extremely high. 'Psyching up' would likely lead to over-arousal, which can negatively impact performance.

Setting a negative goal, such as focusing on 'not making a mistake,' typically increases anxiety and stress rather than alleviating it.

Social activities outside of training help players interact in a relaxed environment, which promotes bonding and mutual respect.

Team building activities are specifically designed to improve communication, trust, and cohesion among team members, making this an effective strategy.

Creating smaller sub-groups can make it easier for players to connect and build trust in a less intimidating setting before integrating into the larger team dynamic.

While challenging tasks can sometimes increase overall motivation, they do not directly address the lack of individual accountability that causes social loafing.

Working with unfamiliar teammates can decrease group cohesion and trust, which may actually increase the likelihood of social loafing rather than reduce it.

Increasing the size of the group typically increases social loafing (a phenomenon known as the Ringelmann effect) because individual efforts become even less identifiable.

Increased motivation typically enhances alertness and anticipation rather than causing an insufficient state.

Increased concentration involves a high level of focus and alertness, which contradicts an insufficient state of alertness.

While decreased confidence can negatively impact performance or increase anxiety, it does not directly cause a lack of alertness or anticipation.

Constructive feedback is crucial for player development and role clarity; avoiding it hinders growth and can lead to misunderstandings that damage cohesion.

Arbitrarily dividing the team based on physical traits like height can create cliques and unnecessary divisions, which negatively impacts overall group cohesion.

While individual goals are useful for personal development, setting shared team goals is a much more effective strategy for uniting players and improving group cohesion.

Ensuring players know their roles increases individual accountability, which helps prevent social loafing rather than causing it.

Setting individual goals alongside team goals maintains personal accountability, which reduces the chances of social loafing.

Motivating and encouraging athletes increases their engagement and effort, which actively combats social loafing.

Mental imagery involves visualizing a performance or environment in one's mind without physically executing the movements. Martin was physically practicing on a real course.

Biofeedback uses electronic monitoring to convey information about physiological processes (like heart rate or muscle tension) to help an athlete learn to control them, which is unrelated to building a practice course.

Goal setting involves establishing specific, measurable objectives to achieve over time. While Martin likely had goals, the act of recreating the physical course is a simulation strategy.

Player contracts are considered an environmental factor because they are structural, normative forces that legally or formally bind individuals to a team.

The age of players is often classified as an environmental factor when it dictates league structure, eligibility, or age-group classifications that bring a team together.

The size of the playing group is a classic environmental factor in Carron's model, as it directly shapes the physical and social environment in which the team operates.

Meditation requires a quiet environment and time, making it impractical to perform right at the start line of a sprint race.

Stress inoculation training is a long-term psychological intervention that requires practice over time, not an immediate strategy that can be applied at the start line.

Listening to calming music is not feasible at the start line, as the athlete needs to be able to hear the starter's gun and instructions.

Self-talk is a psychological tool used for internal focus and self-regulation, not as a tactic to distract or intimidate opponents.

Effective self-talk should primarily be positive or instructional; negative self-talk typically decreases confidence and harms performance.

Focusing on potential mistakes can increase anxiety and actually cause the athlete to make those very errors due to a psychological phenomenon known as ironic processing.