Sports Psychology Revision and Exam Practice

This lesson consolidates all the sports psychology content covered in this course and provides structured revision materials and exam technique guidance for OCR GCSE PE Paper 2. The OCR specification (J587) tests sports psychology in Section 2.2, and questions range from 1-mark recall to 8-mark extended responses. This lesson will help you organise your knowledge, identify common question types, and develop the exam skills needed to maximise your marks.

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Key Terms and Definitions

Use this table as a rapid-fire revision resource. Cover the definition column and test yourself.

Term	Definition
Skilful movement	A movement that is efficient, pre-determined, co-ordinated, fluent, and aesthetic
Efficiency	Using only the muscles and energy needed — no wasted effort
Pre-determined	The outcome is planned in advance
Co-ordinated	Body parts work together in the correct sequence and timing
Fluent	Smooth flow from one phase to the next
Aesthetic	Pleasing to the eye; looks effortless
Simple skill	Requires little information processing, few decisions, few sub-routines
Complex skill	Requires significant information processing, many decisions, multiple sub-routines
Open skill	Performed in an unpredictable, changing environment
Closed skill	Performed in a stable, predictable environment
SMART	Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Recorded, Timed (OCR version)
Performance goal	Based on personal improvement, regardless of the result
Outcome goal	Based on competitive result (winning)
Imagery	Creating a vivid mental picture using all senses
Mental rehearsal	Mentally practising the physical movements of a skill
Selective attention	Focusing on relevant cues while ignoring distractions
Positive thinking	Focusing on strengths, success, and positive outcomes
Visual guidance	Guidance the performer can see (demonstration, video, diagrams)
Verbal guidance	Spoken instructions, explanations, and feedback
Manual guidance	Coach physically supports or moves the performer's body
Mechanical guidance	Equipment or devices support the performer
Intrinsic feedback	From within the performer (feelings, sensations)
Extrinsic feedback	From outside the performer (coach, video, results)
Knowledge of Performance (KP)	About the quality and technique of the movement
Knowledge of Results (KR)	About the outcome of the performance
Positive feedback	About what was done well
Negative feedback	About what needs to be corrected

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Topic-by-Topic Revision Checklist

Use this checklist to identify any gaps in your knowledge. Tick each point once you are confident you can explain it and give a sporting example.

Characteristics of Skilful Movement

• Define all five characteristics (efficiency, pre-determined, co-ordinated, fluent, aesthetic)
• Apply each characteristic to a named sporting skill
• Explain how the characteristics are linked to each other

Classification of Skills

• Define and explain the simple-complex continuum
• Define and explain the open-closed continuum
• Place named skills on both continua with justification
• Explain why a continuum is used (not fixed categories)

Goal Setting and SMART Targets

• Explain why goal setting is important (motivation, focus, adherence, confidence, progress monitoring)
• Define performance goals and outcome goals with examples
• State the OCR version of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Recorded, Timed)
• Write a full SMART goal for a named performer
• Explain what happens if each element of SMART is missing

Mental Preparation

• Define imagery, mental rehearsal, selective attention, and positive thinking
• Explain how each technique helps performance
• Apply each technique to a specific sporting scenario
• Explain how the techniques can be used together

Types of Guidance

• Define visual, verbal, manual, and mechanical guidance
• Give advantages and disadvantages of each
• Explain which types are best for beginners and which are best for experienced performers
• Apply guidance types to a named sporting skill

Types of Feedback

• Define intrinsic, extrinsic, KP, KR, positive, and negative feedback
• Explain when each type is most appropriate
• Discuss how feedback varies for beginners vs experienced performers
• Apply feedback types to a specific sporting scenario

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Common Question Types and How to Answer Them

1-Mark Questions (Recall)

Example: "State one characteristic of skilful movement." (1 mark)

Technique: Give one correct answer with no additional explanation. Be precise — use the OCR terminology.

Answer: Efficiency / Pre-determined / Co-ordinated / Fluent / Aesthetic (any one).

2-Mark Questions (Define + Example)

Example: "Define 'selective attention' and give a sporting example." (2 marks)

Technique: Write a clear definition (1 mark) and give a specific sporting example (1 mark).

Answer: "Selective attention is the ability to focus on relevant cues while ignoring distractions (1). For example, a tennis player focuses on the ball leaving the opponent's racket while ignoring the noise from the crowd (1)."

3–4 Mark Questions (Explain)

Example: "Explain how a coach could use visual guidance to help a beginner learn a gymnastics forward roll." (3 marks)

Technique: Name the type of guidance, describe what the coach does, and explain why it is effective for this performer and this skill.

Answer: "The coach could demonstrate the forward roll, showing the correct tucked body position and smooth rolling action (1). This gives the beginner a clear mental picture of what the skill should look like (1). Visual guidance is particularly effective for beginners because they need to see the whole movement before attempting it themselves (1)."

6–8 Mark Extended Response Questions

Example: "Evaluate the use of different types of feedback for a beginner learning to serve in tennis." (8 marks)

Technique:

1. Discuss multiple types of feedback (aim for at least four).
2. Apply each type to the specific scenario (beginner, tennis serve).
3. Evaluate — explain which types are most and least suitable, and why.
4. Conclude — state which combination of feedback would be most effective.

graph TD
    Q["Extended<br>Response"] --> D["Discuss multiple<br>feedback types"]
    D --> A["Apply to<br>the scenario"]
    A --> E["Evaluate<br>suitability"]
    E --> C["Conclude with<br>recommendation"]

    style Q fill:#8e44ad,color:#fff
    style D fill:#2980b9,color:#fff
    style A fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style E fill:#e67e22,color:#fff
    style C fill:#e74c3c,color:#fff

Model answer structure:

• Paragraph 1: Extrinsic feedback — essential for a beginner because they cannot yet interpret intrinsic feelings accurately. The coach tells them what they are doing well and what needs to change. Example: "Your ball toss was too far forward — keep it directly above your head."
• Paragraph 2: Knowledge of Results — the beginner sees whether the serve went in or not. This is motivating and provides clear outcome information, but does not explain what they need to change technically.
• Paragraph 3: Knowledge of Performance — more valuable than KR for long-term improvement. The coach provides specific technical feedback: "Your racket face was open at contact — close it slightly." This helps the beginner develop correct technique.
• Paragraph 4: Positive feedback — crucial for maintaining motivation and confidence. The beginner is likely to make many errors, so focusing on what they are doing well prevents frustration. Example: "Your footwork into position was really good."
• Paragraph 5: Negative feedback — should be used sparingly. While the beginner needs to know what to correct, too much negative feedback will reduce confidence. The coach should pair negative feedback with positive: "Your follow-through is great, but you need to get your elbow higher during the backswing."
• Paragraph 6: Intrinsic feedback — less suitable for a beginner because they do not yet know what the correct serve should feel like. As they improve, they will increasingly rely on intrinsic feedback.
• Conclusion: A combination of extrinsic, positive, and knowledge of performance feedback is most appropriate for a beginner learning to serve. Negative feedback should be used constructively and sparingly.

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Key Differences: OCR vs Other Exam Boards

It is important to know what OCR does and does not include:

OCR Includes	OCR Does NOT Include
Five characteristics of skilful movement	Information processing model
Two skill continua (simple-complex, open-closed)	Self-paced/externally paced continuum
SMART targets (Achievable, Recorded)	Arousal / inverted-U theory
Imagery, mental rehearsal, selective attention, positive thinking	Aggression (direct/indirect)
Four types of guidance	Personality types (introvert/extrovert)
Six types of feedback	Intrinsic/extrinsic motivation as separate topics