Anxiety Flashcards
Anxiety
a negative aspect of stress characterised by irrational thinking, loss of concentration and fear of failure
Competitive trait
A disposition to suffer nerves in most
sporting situations
Competitive state
Anxiety experienced at a specific time during a competitive situation
Somatic
Physiological responses
Eg. Muscular tension, shaking, pacing, high heart rate, sweating
Cognitive
Psychological responses
Eg. Lack of focus, confusion, worry, irrational thoughts
Causes of anxiety
Being watched Injury Time running out while losing Playing badly Increased competition
Methods of measuring anxiety
Questionnaire
Observation
Physiological measures
Pros of questionnaire
- Efficient, quick, Cheap
- Deals with lots of info
- Allows easy comparison
- Lots of people at the same time
Cons of questionnaire
Biased answers • Misunderstand/ leading questions • Depends on mood • Subjective • Low response rate
Pros of observation
- True to life
* During real game
Cons of observation
- Behaviour change when watched • Subjective
- Know the performer
- May need more than 1 observer
Pros of physiological
- Objective
- Specific
- Factual
- Can be measured in real life situations
Cons of physiological
• May cause stress when measured • May need training to use the equipment • Expensive equipment • Device may restrict performance
how different types of anxiety can affect sports performance
A trait is anxiety in most situations, always nervous before a game.
A state anxiety is specific to the situation and can change, becoming high at specific times such as taking a penalty.
If you have the trait you are more likely to experience the state.
Cognitive anxiety is psychological and includes irrational thinking and loss of concentration.
Somatic anxiety is physiological and includes muscular tension.
