WorksheetsC.4 Review (Arousal, Anxiety, Stress, Coping)
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 20mins
Which of the following will not demonstrate a positive, linear relationship between arousal and performance? I. Elite Athletes II. Novice Athletes III. Simple (gross) motor skills IV. Complex (fine) motor skills
I and III
I and IV
II and III
II and IV
Which of the following is defined as the level of physical and psychological activation?
Arousal
Anxiety
Stress
Performance
Which of the following best describes the influence of drive theory on an elite athlete’s performance?
Arousal has no effect on performance for elite athletes.
Their performance will steadily improve as arousal continues to increase because elite athletes do not experience "choking."
High arousal negatively affects performance because the correct dominant response is not well learned.
High arousal positively affects performance because the correct dominant response is well-learned.
Which performer is most likely to benefit from high arousal according to Drive Theory?
An elite gymnast performing a beam routine
An elite sprinter at the starting blocks
A beginner golfer taking their first putt
A nervous tennis player in their first match
According to the inverted-U theory, performance is optimized for most athletes at:
Low levels of arousal
High levels of arousal
Moderate levels of arousal
Both low and high levels of arousal
What is the individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF)?
The personal range of arousal that leads to optimal performance for an individual athlete
The arousal level that leads to peak performance for all athletes
The lowest possible arousal level that prevents anxiety and mistakes
The point where performance completely deteriorates due to over-arousal
Which answer correctly matches the descriptions below? I. Muscle tension, rushed decisions, and reduced coordination lead to errors II. Attention is focused, energy levels high but controlled III. performer is under-energized or unfocused — movements are sluggish, attention drifts, motivation low
I — Optimal arousal, II — Low arousal, III — High arousal
I — High arousal, II — Optimal arousal, III — Low arousal
I — High arousal, II — Low arousal, III — Optimal arousal
I — Low arousal, II — Optimal arousal, III — High arousal
Which scenario best illustrates under-arousal in sport?
A goalkeeper reacting too slowly to a penalty shot due to lack of focus
A sprinter tensing up and false starting
A basketball player choking under pressure
A tennis player experiencing pre-match nerves
An athlete with low anxiety is likely to experience which of these emotions?
Fear, worry, despondency
Anger, disappointment, confusion
Fatigue, stress, overtraining
Excitement, desire, anticipation
Measurements of heart rate variation, blood pressure, and the galvanic skin response are all:
Objective measures of cognitive anxiety
Objective measures of somatic anxiety
Subjective measures of cognitive anxiety
Subjective measures of somatic anxiety
An individual with high neuroticism likely has a ______ IZOF than someone with low neuroticism.
Equal
Similar
Lower
Higher
Refer to the graph. A high jumper performs best when their arousal level is moderate (x ≈ 5). Which best explains why performance might decline if arousal increases further?
High arousal boosts adrenaline, allowing faster execution of technical skills.
Excessive arousal may impair motor coordination, leading to poor takeoff technique.
The athlete’s anaerobic threshold is exceeded, reducing available oxygen for power output.
Elevated arousal enhances muscle recruitment, improving jump height
Which of the following is a physical sign of high somatic anxiety?
Worry about losing
Lack of concentration
increased muscle tension
negative self talk
According to the catastrophe theory, a sudden and dramatic drop in an athlete’s performance occurs when there is a combination of:
Low physiological arousal and low cognitive anxiety
High physiological arousal and low somatic anxiety
High physiological arousal and high cognitive anxiety
Low physiological arousal and high cognitive anxiety
Under the catastrophe theory, if an athlete’s cognitive anxiety is low, their performance will follow a pattern most similar to the:
Drive theory
Reversal theory
Inverted-U hypothesis
Self determination theory
How is cognitive anxiety measured?
Objectively with physical measurements and data
Subjectively with physical measurements and data
Objectively with self-report questionnaires
Subjectively with self-report questionnaires
What term describes the negative psychological response that occurs when the demands of a situation outweigh an individual's perceived coping ability?
arousal
distress
eustress
flow state
Experiencing anxiety before a competition due to fear of the outcome is an example of:
Stress
Eustress
Distress
Arousal
Which of the following is an example of eustress?
Looking forward to a challenge
Anxiety before a game
Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of missing assignments
Worrying about losing
Which describes problem focused coping?
strategies that do not alter the stressor but regulate the negative emotional response to it
strategies that attempt to prevent the negative impact of a stressor by physically or psychologically distancing oneself from it
strategies that seek to alter the stressor
strategies that reduce somatic anxiety symptoms of the stressor
Which type of anxiety includes experiencing negative symptoms of physiological arousal such as rapid heart rate, sweating, and butterflies?
Cognitive anxiety
Somatic anxiety
Psychological anxiety
Arousal
Which category of coping strategies can be effective in the short term, but lead to increased stress and anxiety if used long term?
Problem focused
Emotion focused
Avoidance focused
Distress focused
What is the fundamental difference between arousal and anxiety?
Arousal is always negative, and anxiety is always positive
Arousal is a neutral state of activation, while anxiety is a negative emotional label given to that activation
Anxiety is only physiological, and arousal is only psychological
There is no difference; the terms are interchangeable in sport psychology.
Category of coping strategies that includes relaxation, self-talk, and seeking social-emotional support:
Problem focused
Emotion focused
Avoidance focused
Eustress focused
Which type of coping is most effective for managing uncontrollable stressors?
Technique focused
Avoidance focused
Problem focused
Emotion focused
What is the primary difference between trait anxiety and state anxiety in a sport setting?
Trait anxiety is only genetic and permanent, while state anxiety is temporary and due to the environment.
Trait anxiety affects elite athletes, while state anxiety only affects novice athletes.
Trait anxiety is a relatively stable and enduring characteristic, while state anxiety is a temporary emotional response to a specific situation.
Trait anxiety is measured objectively, while state anxiety is measured subjectively.
A swimmer saying “reach” before each stroke is an example of which practical mechanism of self talk?
Using an acronym of helpful phrases to remember while performing
Recalling feelings of prior positive experiences while performing
Describing physical movement in a simple word while performing
Using negative self talk to boost motivation while performing
Which coping skill is best for controlling heart rate?
Breathing techniques
Self talk
Imagery
Social support
Why might two athletes respond differently to the same arousal level?
Because arousal only impacts novice athletes
Because perception of arousal varies based on personality and coping skills
Because arousal only affects physiology, not psychology
Because arousal is unrelated to sport performance
Which of the following is an example of an athlete experiencing high cognitive anxiety?
The athlete's hands are shaking at the starting line.
The athlete is worried about disappointing their coach and is losing focus.
The athlete feels a sudden, urgent need to vomit before the game.
The athlete's heart rate is significantly elevated
Which core prediction is shared by both the Inverted-U Hypothesis and the Individual Zone of Optimal Functioning (IZOF)?
High arousal always guarantees the best performance
The relationship between arousal and performance is strictly linear
There is an optimal level of arousal that maximizes performance
Cognitive anxiety must be low for optimal performance.
The Catastrophe Theory suggests that a large drop in performance can be avoided even at high physiological arousal, provided the athlete maintains:
Low cognitive anxiety
High self talk skills
Low somatic anxiety
a consistently positive dominant response
An athlete is frustrated by a bad call from a referee and begins to review their training footage to find a technical flaw they can fix. This is an example of which type of coping strategy?
Avoidance-focused (distancing)
Problem-focused (seeking information/planning)
Emotion-focused (regulating feelings)
Arousal focused
Which coping strategy is primarily aimed at regulating the emotional response to a stressor, rather than changing the stressor itself?
Problem-focused coping
Avoidance-focused coping
Cognitive focused coping
Emotion-focused coping
According to the Inverted-U Hypothesis, an athlete performing a highly complex (fine) motor skill, like an archery shot, will likely have an optimal performance level at:
Very high arousal level, due to increased focus
Lower arousal level due to the coordination needed for complex, fine motor skills
A moderate arousal level
A high arousal level, because skill mastery eliminates all of the negative effects of anxiety
An athlete uses slow, controlled breathing before competition. The main reason this technique helps with anxiety is that it:
Creates a strong positive dominant response, instantly improving skill execution
Lowers physical symptoms like a fast heart rate and tense muscles
Acts as a mental block, completely eliminating all cognitive worry and fear of failure
shifts the athlete's personality from high trait anxiety to low trait anxiety
What term is used to describe stress that is perceived as negative or harmful, often leading to performance impairment?
Eustress
Arousal
Distress
Flow
An athlete repeatedly uses a key motivational phrase like "You've got this" before a difficult skill. This is an example of which psychological coping skill?
Intentional self-talk
Unintentional self-talk
Imagery
Relaxation
A common measurement for physical arousal, such as heart rate or blood pressure, is considered what type of measure?
Subjective
Objective
Cognitive
Psychological
Which term refers to the mental component of anxiety, characterized by negative thoughts and worry?
Somatic arousal
Cognitive anxiety
State arousal
Trait arousal
