Marcus, a professional heptathlete, is experiencing severe performance anxiety and chronic fatigue ahead of an upcoming championship. He consults a sports psychologist, who suspects his symptoms are compounded by recent stressful events.
During the consultation, the psychologist assesses Marcus using an Athlete Life Stress Scale (ALSS). This scale assigns stress points to major life and training events experienced over the past year. These points are accumulated to determine an overall stress score.
Below is a section of the scale showing the events Marcus experienced and his scores:
| Event | Stress Value | Occurrences in past 12 months | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious physical injury | 75 | 1 | 75 |
| Loss of major sponsorship | 55 | 1 | 55 |
| Conflict with head coach | 45 | 2 | 90 |
| Relocating to a new training camp | 35 | 1 | 35 |
| Change in daily training schedule | 20 | 3 | 60 |
| Overall Total | 315 |
Describe how the sports psychologist would use this data to advise Marcus on how to reduce his stress and anxiety.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Research methods and skills with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 657 questions covering Research methods and skills, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
