Anxiety Flashcards
What are the 5 types of anxiety?
1 - Cognitive 2 - Somatic 3 - Trait 4 - State 5 - Competitive
Describe cognitive anxiety
This is the psychological component of anxity. They may be vague unpleasant thoughts a performer may develop - usually associated with concerns about underachieving
Name the negative effects of cognitive anxiety
1 - Confusion
2 - Irrational thoughts
3 - Lack of concentration
Describe somatic anxiety
This is the psychological response of the body to the performer’s cognitive anxiety
Give examples of the effects of somatic anxiety
1 - Increased heart rate and blood pressure
2 - Sweating
3 - Queasy feeling in stomach
4 - Clammy hands
Describe trait anxiety
Trait anxiety is INNATE and is a personality trait that is constant.
A person with a high level of trait anxiety tends to…
- Be generally predisposed with high cognitive and somatic anxiety
- Generally react to situations with a very high and often disproportionate level of state anxiety
- Tend to view competitive situations as threatening
What is trait anxiety also known as?
A-Trait
Describe state anxiety
This is situation specific anxiety. It can vary in intensity from situation to situation and at various times within a certain situation. State anxiety is temporary
What is state anxiety also known as?
A-State
How are state and trait anxiety related?
A performer with high trait anxiety is likely to perceive more situations as threatening and so is more likely to exhibit high levels of state anxiety, so trait anxiety affects state anxiety
How does cognitive anxiety affect performance?
LOOK AT GRAPH IN BOOKLET
There is a negative linear relationship between cognitive anxiety and performance - the lower the cognitive anxiety the better the performance
How does somatic anxiety affect performance?
LOOK AT GRAPH IN BOOKLET
Moderate levels of somatic anxiety produce the best performance (same curve as inverted-u theory)
What is cognitive and somatic anxiety like before a competition and during a competition?
LOOK AT GRAPH IN BOOKLET
Before competition…
-Cognitive effects tend to appear first, in the days before the competition. Tends to remain high until onset of exercise
-Somatic anxiety is low leading up to the event, but then rises quickly in the hours before the competition
During competition…
- Somatic anxiety tends to decrease during competition
- Both may fluctuate during significant parts of the competition e.g. if a penalty is awarded, a goal is scored etc
Describe competitive anxiety
This is sport specific anxiety - sufferers tend to see competitive situations as threatening