Sport psychology

Sport psychology explores how psychological factors influence performance in sport and exercise, and how participation in sport affects psychological well-being. In AQA A-Level Physical Education, this topic covers key areas such as personality, motivation, arousal, anxiety, aggression, and group dynamics. Understanding these concepts helps athletes optimise their mental state for competition, cope with pressure, and work effectively within a team. For example, the inverted-U theory explains how moderate arousal leads to peak performance, while too little or too much can impair it.

This topic is vital because mental factors often separate good performers from great ones. You'll learn practical techniques like goal setting, mental rehearsal, and relaxation strategies that athletes use to enhance focus and confidence. Sport psychology also links to other areas of the specification, such as skill acquisition (e.g., how arousal affects learning) and socio-cultural issues (e.g., how group dynamics influence participation). Mastering this content will help you analyse real-world sporting scenarios and apply psychological principles to improve performance.

In exams, you'll be expected to define key terms, explain theories with sporting examples, and evaluate their strengths and limitations. For instance, you might discuss how a rugby player's high trait anxiety could be managed using stress management techniques. By the end of this topic, you should be able to critically assess how psychological factors interact and recommend evidence-based interventions for athletes.