Sports psychology - Mental preparation — OCR GCSE Physical Education
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Sports psychology - Mental preparation explained
Mental preparation techniques help a performer control arousal, focus and confidence before and during performance.
Read the full explanation
Imagery means creating a vivid picture of a skill or successful outcome in the mind, for example a gymnast picturing a clean landing before a routine. Mental rehearsal is running through the sequence of a movement in the mind without physically performing it, such as a swimmer rehearsing the timing of a tumble turn. Selective attention is deliberately focusing on the most relevant cue and ignoring distractions, for example a penalty taker blocking out the crowd to concentrate on the target area. Positive thinking replaces self-doubt with encouraging self-talk and confident expectations, such as a sprinter telling themselves they have trained well. Each technique is applied to a practical example, so link the technique to a named skill and a specific moment of use.
Your focus
- State what imagery, mental rehearsal, selective attention and positive thinking each involve.
- Apply each mental preparation technique to a specific practical sporting example.
- Distinguish between the four techniques when selecting the best match for a scenario.
Sports psychology - Mental preparation exam tips
Marking Points
- Identifies imagery as creating a mental picture of a skill or successful outcome and applies it to a named practical example.
- Describes mental rehearsal as running through a movement sequence in the mind without physical practice and links it to a specific skill.
- Explains selective attention as focusing on relevant cues while ignoring distractions and applies it to a named situation.
- States that positive thinking uses encouraging self-talk or confident expectations and applies it to a performer's preparation.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Name the technique first, then give a specific practical example with a named skill and moment of use.
- 💡Distinguish imagery from mental rehearsal clearly, since the two are easily confused.
- 💡Link each technique to what the performer gains, such as focus, confidence or control of arousal.
Common Mistakes
- Confuses imagery with mental rehearsal; keep imagery as a mental picture and mental rehearsal as running through the movement sequence.
- Treats selective attention as ignoring all information; keep it as focusing on the most relevant cue while blocking distractions.
- Describes positive thinking as simply feeling happy; keep it as deliberate encouraging self-talk or confident expectation.