The "What makes you tick" programme will look at how the mind influences the body in competition.
"Most athletes have ups and downs while they're training, so they develop mental toughness as they're developing as an athlete. They get knocks and setbacks, such as injuries and deselection," programme manager Dr Angela Button said on Friday.
The behaviours were similar to people's "fight or flight" mechanisms, she said.
"There are generic behaviours that help you fulfil your potential. Things like how hard an athlete will work, focus and distraction control and mental visualisation and imagery. Mental imagery can prepare an athlete for something that's at hand.
"Research shows it's linked to those behaviours, but it's very individual. Some athletes need to hype up and some need to calm down. That's why team talks before a match aren't always the best thing for everyone there. Some people need to calm down before a match."
University of Otago physical education students were tested on the equipment on Friday.
"We developed a whole series of tests to see how people respond to certain situations. You don't have to be an athlete to test those types of behaviours," New Zealand International Science Festival director Chris Green said.
"We're targeting teenagers, because teenagers have a natural competitive streak."
A series of online tests had been developed from which "a top echelon" would be identified and brought to Dunedin for the science festival, Mr Green said.
"I want the festival to give people the opportunity to say 'thanks' to science. A lot of what happens to us is a direct result of science. Science plays a massive role in what makes us the way we are and the things we use on a daily basis."
The New Zealand International Science Festival has been held every two years in Dunedin since 1998. The eighth festival will be held from June 30 to July 8 next year.
It aims to make science fun and accessible and to encourage the sciences as a career.
