PRACTICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

Use of digital forms vs. extensive traditional tests

In the dynamic environment of sport, long and tedious psychological assessments are often impractical and rejected by athletes.

The modern trend is towards frequent micro-assessment using digital technology.

Short forms in mobile applications (Google Forms, wellness apps) make it possible to collect real-time data on mood, sleep or perceived stress, without interrupting the athlete's routine.

Instead of administering a 100-question personality test once a year, it is more effective to ask players to answer three questions on their mobile every morning: "How did you sleep?", "What is your energy level?" and "How motivated do you feel?".

This provides the psychologist with a live dashboard to spot trends (e.g., a mid-week dip in team motivation) and intervene proactively, rather than analyzing an outdated "snapshot" of a paper test.

Direct observation as the main tool

Despite the usefulness of tests, the psychologist's most powerful assessment tool is direct and systematic observation in the athlete's "natural habitat": training and competition.

Observing how a player reacts to a mistake, how he communicates with teammates or his body language on the bench provides qualitative information that no questionnaire can capture.

An example: A questionnaire may indicate that an athlete has "high confidence," but direct observation reveals that, whenever the coach corrects him, he lowers his head and isolates himself. This discrepancy is vital.

The psychologist, notebook in hand (or mentally), records these behaviors ("avoidance behavior after negative feedback") to address them later.

Observation makes it possible to assess the "real" behavior under pressure, not just what the athlete believes or says about himself.

Summary

In modern sport, digital micro-assessment is prioritized over extensive testing. The use of mobil