Best Case Thinking
Q: “We’re definitely winning first place.”
→ What kind of thinking is this?
A: Best-case / unrealistic expectation
Q: “If the robot messes up, the whole competition is ruined.”
A: Worst-case thinking
Q: What does “most likely” mean?
A: What will probably happen (realistic outcome)
Q: Who might have different expectations than you at a competition?
A: Teammates, coach, judges
Q: If your robot glitches, what’s one thing you can do?
A: Troubleshoot / stay calm / ask team for help
Q: Why can only focusing on the best case be risky?
A: No backup plan / leads to disappointment
Q: What emotion is often linked to worst-case thinking?
A: Anxiety / fear
Q: Why is most-likely thinking helpful before a competition?
A: Helps you prepare realistically
Q: What might a coach value more than winning?
A: Effort, teamwork, problem-solving
Q: What’s a good strategy if your team gets stressed?
A: Take a breath / reset / communicate
Q: Give a more realistic version of: “Everything will go perfectly.”
A: “We hope things go well, but we’re ready for problems”
Q: Give a more balanced version of a worst-case thought.
A: “If something goes wrong, we’ll fix it or adapt”
Q: Give a most-likely outcome for a robotics competition.
A: Some things go well, some challenges happen
Q: How might judges define “success”?
A: Creativity, design, explanation, teamwork
Q: Give a helpful self-talk statement before competing.
A: “I’m prepared, and I can handle challenges”
Q: How might a teammate feel if things don’t go as the best case predicted?
A: Frustrated, stressed, discouraged
Q: How might worst-case thinking affect performance?
A: Increased stress → worse performance
Q: How does most-likely thinking affect emotions?
A: Keeps you more calm and prepared
Q: Why might teammates have different expectations?
A: Different goals, confidence levels, experiences
Q: Why is having a backup plan important?
A: Reduces stress / increases control
Q: Why might someone want to believe only the best-case scenario?
A: Reduces anxiety / builds confidence (but can backfire)
Q: Why can thinking about worst-case scenarios still be helpful sometimes?
A: Helps you prepare / create backup plans
Q: Compare most-likely thinking to best/worst thinking.
A: It’s balanced, flexible, and realistic
Q: How can understanding others’ perspectives improve teamwork?
A: Better communication, fewer conflicts, shared goals
Q: Create a quick plan for a competition problem.
A: Identify issue → assign roles → fix → adapt