AQA GCSE Physical Education key terms

Aggression taken out on an object to gain an advantage over an opponent, without physical contact between participants, such as hitting a tennis ball hard during a rally.

The process of receiving information, choosing a response, carrying it out and using feedback to inform future responses.

Breathing air into the lungs; also called inspiration.

Restraints that normally hold someone back from behaving in a particular way.

Existing in a person from birth rather than being learned.

Information received by a performer through their senses.

The additional volume of air that can be breathed in after a normal inhalation.

A non-physical reward, such as praise, feedback or applause from other people.

How hard a performer trains, for example their running pace or the resistance they lift.

Muscles between the ribs that help move the rib cage during breathing.

Periods of hard exercise interspersed with periods of rest or low-intensity exercise.

A method of collecting data by asking someone questions and recording their responses.

Feedback gained through the performer’s own senses, such as how a movement feels or what they see happen after an action.

The drive to take part or achieve that comes from within, such as enjoyment, pride, self-satisfaction or personal achievement.

A personality type characterised by being shy or quiet, thoughtful and enjoying time alone.

A theory proposing that performance improves as arousal increases towards an optimal level, then declines as arousal increases further.

A muscle contraction that produces tension without changing the muscle's length.

A contraction in which a muscle changes length while producing tension; it may be concentric or eccentric.

A place where two or more bones meet.

A tough, fibrous covering that encloses and supports a synovial joint, helping to prevent dislocation.

Awareness of the position and movement of the body: the ‘feel’ of a movement.

Feedback about the quality of how a skill was performed, such as its technique or timing, rather than its final outcome.

Feedback about the outcome of a performance, such as a score, time, finishing position or whether a shot scored.

A substance produced when glucose is incompletely broken down during anaerobic respiration in muscles.

A broad muscle on either side of the back that helps move the upper arm at the shoulder.

A feeling of tiredness, low energy and lack of motivation to be active.

A situation in which competitors have a fair opportunity to succeed under the same rules and conditions.