6.1.3 - arousal

Question 1

define arousal

Answer 1

an energised state, a readiness to perform.

present before, during and after sport in varying levels.
correct levels can push you to peak performance but too little or too much can cause performance issues.

Question 2

what are the impacts of under arousal?

Answer 2

• poor selective attention or cues missed
• lack of concentration or focus
• social loafing
• ringleman effect
• slower reaction times/decision making
• attentional wastage/narrowing
• failed to reach zone of optimal functioning or peak flow experience

Question 3

what are the impacts of over arousal?

Answer 3

• poor selective attention or cues missed
• lack of concentration or focus
• slower reaction times/decision making
• attentional wastage/narrowing
• failed to reach zone of optimal functioning or peak flow experience
• violence/rule breaking

Question 4

what is the dominant response?

Answer 4

at high arousal, we pick up less information (attentional narrowing) and we focus on the dominant response

Question 5

how does the task and performer affect the dominant response?

Answer 5

task = simple or performer = expert, dominant response = correct

task = complex or performer = novice, dominant response = impaired

Question 6

what are the three theories of arousal?

Answer 6

• inverted-u theory
• drive theory
• catastrophe theory

Question 7

describe the inverted-u theory?

Answer 7

as arousal increases, so does performance but only to moderate level, after which performance suffers.

under or over arousal can be equally bad for performance and the optimal level can very

Question 8

describe the drive theory?

Answer 8

initial motivation causes an increased drive, more effort, more success and a repetition of the same response.

P=f(DxH) (drive x habit strength)
increases in a linear fashion

Question 9

describe the catastrophe theory?

Answer 9

increased arousal improves performance to a point but an intense combination of somatic and cognitive anxieties causes a dramatic deterioration in performance.

player can only recover if initial anxiety is low and there is time available, player may not recover

Question 10

what is peak flow performance?

Answer 10

ultimate intrinsic experience felt by athletes fo=ro a positive mental attitude, with supreme confidence, focus and efficiency.

high confidence, controlled and relaxed, effortless movement.

occurs when timing, action and motion = perfect

Question 11

what is the zone of optimal functioning and how does it feel?

Answer 11

area of controlled arousal and high level performance, adapted version of the inverted-u theory

feels:

• effortless
• supreme confidence
• calm under pressure
• total control of actions
• totally focuses on activity

results in a smooth effortless performance

Question 12

what factors affect peak flow performance?

Answer 12

• poor mental prep and failure to meet optimal arousal
• injury or fatigue
• environmental influences such as crowd pressure and refs choice