The Psychological Performance Inventory

To help you get a clearer idea of your mental strengths and weaknesses, place an X in one of the five spaces for each of the items in the following list. Place only one check for each item. Your choices are ALMOST ALWAYS, OFTEN, SOMETIMES, SELDOM, and ALMOST NEVER. Select whichever one best fits your interpretation of the item as it relates to you in athletics. Your response is simply an estimate. Be as open and honest as you can with yourself and respond to each item as it pertains to you in the right-here-and-now context.

Psychological Performance Inventory

  1. I see myself as more of a loser than a winner in competition.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I get angry and frustrated during competition.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I become distracted and lose my focus during competition.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. Before competition, I picture myself performing perfectly.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I am highly motivated to play my best.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I can keep strong positive emotion flowing during competition.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I am a positive thinker during competition.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I believe in myself as a player/performer.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I get nervous or afraid in competition.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. It seems my mind starts racing 100 mph during critical moments of competition.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I mentally practice my physical skills.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. The goals I’ve set for myself as a player/performer keep me working hard.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I am able to enjoy competition even when I face lots of difficult problems.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. My self-talk during competition is negative.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I lose my confidence very quickly.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. Mistakes get me feeling and thinking negatively.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I can clear interfering emotion quickly and regain my focus.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. Thinking in pictures about my sport/competition/performance comes easy for me.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I don’t have to be pushed to play or practice hard. I am my own best igniter.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I tend to get emotionally flat when things turn against me during play.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I give 100 percent effort during play, no matter what.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I can perform toward the upper range of my talent and skill.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. My muscles become overly tight during competition.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I get spacey during competition.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I visualize working through tough situations prior to competition.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I’m willing to give whatever it takes to reach my full potential as a player.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I practice with high positive intensity.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I can change negative moods into positive ones by controlling my thinking.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I’m a mentally tough competitor.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. Uncontrollable events like the wind, cheating opponents, and bad officials/judges get me very upset.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I find myself thinking of past mistakes or missed opportunities as I play.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I use images during play that help me perform better.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I get bored and burned out.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I get challenged and inspired in tough situations.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. My coaches would say I have a good attitude.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I project the outward image of a confident fighter.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I can remain calm during competition when confused by problems.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. My concentration is easily broken.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. When I visualize myself playing, I can see and feel things vividly.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I wake up in the morning and am really excited about playing and practicing.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. Playing this sport gives me a genuine sense of joy and fulfillment.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never
  1. I can turn crisis into opportunity.

5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Almost Always / Often / Sometimes / Seldom / Almost Never

How to Score the Results

If you will go back and look, you will see a number beside each X you made for each item. For example:

Item

X 5
Almost Always

Take that number and place it alongside the item number in the following chart, e.g., 6 __5__. After doing this for all 42 items, add each of the seven columns separately. Use that total for making your own profile of mental strengths and weaknesses. Any of your total scores which fall below 20 need your special attention. When that happens, thoroughly review all training procedures which relate to that area of weakness.

26 – 30Excellent Skills

20 – 25Room for Improvement

6 - 19Needs Your Special Attention

Fill In Your Profile

AB CDEFG

1 ___2 ___ 3 ___4 ___5 ___6 ___7 ___

8 ___9 ___ 10 ___11 ___12 ___13 ___14 ___

15 ___16 ___ 17 ___18 ___19 ___20 ___21 ___

22 ___23 ___ 24 ___25 ___26 ___27 ___28 ___

29 ___30 ___ 31 ___32 ___33 ___34 ___35 ___

36 ___37 ___ 38 ___39 ___40 ___41 ___42 ___

Graph Your Profile

30

25

20

15

10

5

A B C D E F G