Anxiety, Stress and Coping Flashcards
Define anxiety
A negative emotional state, characterised by feelings of nervousness, worry and apprehension, and associated with activation or arousal of the body (Weinberg and Gould, 2011)
What are cognitive and somatic anxiety?
Cognitive anxiety relates to negative expectations and cognitive concerns about oneself, in the situation at hand
Somatic anxiety is related to physiological arousal
(Martens et al., 1990)
What is the Multidimensional Anxiety Theory?
Considers cognitive and somatic anxiety and the relationship with self-confidence.
Somatic anxiety - inverted U shape relating to performance
Cognitive anxiety - inverse linear relationship with performance
As anxiety levels increase, self-confidence levels decrease leading to worse performance
From 2 days prior to the event, somatic anxiety levels rise from low whilst cognitive anxiety levels remain high, following the event, both anxiety levels fall.
What research support is there for the Multidimensional Anxiety Theory?
Hanton et al (2004). 82 competitive athletes, range of levels, completed the CSAI-2. Results showed that, regardless of skill level, there was a significant increase in somatic and cognitive anxiety and a significant decrease in self confidence from 2 hours prior to competition. Regardless of time, high level athletes found anxiety more facilitative than low level athletes. Regardless of skill level, time spent attending to anxious thoughts increased sharply from 7 days prior to the event.
Woodman and Hardy (2003). Review of 47 studies, most using CSAI-2. Focus on cognitive anxiety. Results showed that, regardless of skill level, gender, or sport type, higher anxiety correlated with worse performance. Thought to result from reduced attention and poor decision making.
What is the CSAI-2?
Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (Martens et al., 1990) is a 27-item scale questionnaire with 9 questions on each of the topics of somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety and self-confidence. This determines the frequency, intensity and direction of each component.
Define stress
A substantial imbalance between demand and response capability under conditions where failure to meet the demand has important consequences (McGrath et al., 1970).
What is the transactional model of stress?
Lazarus’s (1999) Transactional model of stress: A framework for the process of coping with stressful events. Transactions between the person and environment.
Primary appraisal - evaluation of the significance of the stressor
Relational meaning - personal significance of the event and its consequences
Secondary appraisal - evaluation of the contrallability of the stressor (coping resources)
Coping efforts - actual strategies used to mediate primary and secondary appraisals
Define ‘coping’.
The process of constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands or conflicts appraised as taxing or exceeding one’s resources (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984)
What are the 2 approaches to coping?
Problem-focused coping: efforts to alter the problem that is causing the stress. Females use this more often (Nichols et al., 2007)
Emotion-focused coping: regulating the emotional response to the problem causing the stress. Individual sports athletes use this more often (Nichols et al., 2007)
A combination of the 2 is suggested for athletes
According to Nichols et al (2007) study on 749 athletes, what are the commonest sources of stress?
Fear of injury, coach relatioship and performance.
Males - greater fear of injury and error
Females - communication between self and coach/teammates
Individuals - personal training regime
Team - team selection and teammates mistakes
International/national level - training regime and coach
What evidence exists promoting the use of PST as an anxiety/stress intervention?
Fletcher and Hanton (2001) - 114 competitive non-elite swimmers completed the CSAI-2 and TOPS. Those who scored highly for psych skills usage reported less cog and somatic anxiety and found anxiety more facilitative. Self-talk, relaxation and, to a lesser extent, imagery were correlated with lower anxiety levels, more facilitative anxienty and greater self-confidence.
Kendall et al (1990) - 4 female college basketballers. Performance of a specific defensive skill was video-analysed pre- and post-intervention, which was a 5 day programme of imagery, self talk and relaxation used independently throughout the season. Definite improvement in performance reported following intervention.
Parnabas et al. (2014) - 122 uni athletes, range of levels, answered questionnaires about their use of relaxation and imagery techniques. Use of these skills was positively associated with performance.
