Anxiety and PA Flashcards
Anxiety
Is a normal human emotion in the fear family.
Commonly understood as a negative emotion that is experienced when faced with a real or imaged threat.
-elicited following an appraisal
-universal across people of all cultures
-has a distinct physiology (similar to physiology of stress response).
-cortisol being released through persistent stress is also linked to anxiety
-observed through discrete facial expressions.
-associated with unique set of action tendencies.
Stress, Arousal, and Anxiety are all related by distinct constructs…
Anxiety can last longer compared to stress.
Stress based on our person and places relationships.
Unconsciously or consciously we can perceive stressors that trigger a physiological arousal (can be internal and external).
Anxiety is most complex.
Arousal
A general state of physiological and psychological activation that can result from positive or negative situations.
How does anxiety differ from stress?
The perception and concern over the threat are disproportionate to the actual threat.
Cognitive and behavioural actions are undertaken to avoid the symptoms of anxiety attack.
The anxiety is usually experienced far longer than the arousal lasts.
The anxiety can occur in the absence of an actual threat; that is, even a perceived threat can result in anxiety.
Clinical Anxiety
It results in behavioural and cognitive changes.
Occurs without eliciting events.
Response is disproportionate and unmanageable.
Two dimensions of anxiety:
Cognitive anxiety
Somatic anxiety
Cognitive Anxiety
Mental component of anxiety, referring to worry, apprehension, concern, and self-focus.
Somatic Anxiety
Physical component of anxiety referring to perceptions of body states such as clammy hands, a racing heart, or butterflies in the stomach and tense muscles.
Dimensions of Anxiety Response
When we measure anxiety, they dimensions can help us understand the severity of the experience.
Intensity of symptoms
Frequency of cognitive intrusions
Direction interpretation of symptoms
Intensity of Symptoms
Examine amount or level of symptoms experience.
Frequency of cognitive intrusions
Amount of time (in %) that thoughts and feelings about competitions occupy the mind.
Directional interpretation of symptoms
Extent to which symptoms are labelled as either facilitative (positive) or debilitative (negative) to performance.
Trait and State Anxiety
Anxiety is both part of our personality and a situational response
State anxiety
Anxiety that is experienced at a particular moment in time or in a particular setting that can change from moment to moment.
Trait Anxiety
A general disposition to perceive a variety of situations as threatening.
Context Specific Anxiety
Competitive Anxiety
Social Anxiety
Social Physique Anxiety
Competitive Anxiety
Experienced in sport-related settings that athletes perceive to be stressful.
Competitive anxiety can lead to a variety of cognitive, behavioural, and physiological responses.
Social Anxiety
Occurs when people believe they will receive a negative evaluation from others.
Social Physique Anxiety
subtype of social anxiety that occurs when people are worried about receiving a negative evaluation about their bodies from others.
Anxiety and PA
Evidence physical activity/exercise…
Preventative effects anxiety symptoms or disorders.
-consistency is key
-greater self-report PA associated with fewer anxiety symptoms and scores on validated assessments
->PA associated with lower change of anxiety disorder diagnosis (dose response effect)
Efficacy as a treatment for those with clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders and nonclinical symptoms.
PA as a Treatment
May be a particularly helpful with clinical conditions involving anxiety sensitivity.
-anxiety sensitivity = tendency to misinterpret arousal
12 week resistance training (3x/week) paired with treatment:
-<PTSD symptoms, <depressive symptoms, >sleep quality
Acute (2 week) low and high intensity aerobic programs shown to improve anxiety sensitivity
-6x20 min sessions
