Knowledge and understanding - Mental factorsDecision-making

Decision-making is when the performer makes a voluntary choice from a set of alternatives. This decision will usually lead to a movement, action, tactical change or selected skill.

Positive impact

A 1500m runner nearing the final lap is assessing the form of the other athletes, judging how well their own body is coping with the race and the fitness strengths of the competitors in previous races.

The runner decides to push the pace to high intensity from the bell and ensure the stronger sprinters cannot use that strength in this race. This gives the runner a better chance of winning.

A cricket captain decides the current batters they are facing are getting very settled against the current pace bowlers.

The wicket is beginning to rough up a bit so he decides to put in a spin bowler.

This unsettles the rhythm of the batters, leading to frustration and more chances to take catches and wickets.

Negative impact

A golfer is faced with a tee shot which has particular choices to be made:

• if they take a driver they will bring into play two bunkers well placed down the fairway
• if they take a long iron off the tee they face no trouble but then the second shot into the green is much longer and it is a well-guarded green with water at one side of it

The golfer decides to take the driver and hope they can hit it away from the bunkers. However the shot lands in one of the bunkers. As a result of this decision they now have much less chance of saving par.

A gymnast performing in a vault competition has two different vaults to choose from for her final performance:

• the slightly easier one has been very consistent but does not award her as many marks
• the more challenging one is much higher value but the landing is very tricky

The gymnast decides to perform the more difficult one but has to take steps to correct the landing, which gives her much less chance of a high score and winning the competition.