Arousal Flashcards
Attential Narrowing
Occurs when a performer is aroused so they focus on certain cues and ignore others
Attentional Wastage
Performers concentration is misdirected to irrelevant cues
Ringelmann Effect
When a team’s performance decreases with group size
Social Loafing
Individual loss of motivation in a team player due to a lack of performance
Under Arousal:
Poor selective attention
Lack of concentration
Attentional
slower reaction time
Ringelmann effect
Social loafing
What is Arousal?
A energised state, a readiness to perform
Drive theory
Initial motivation causes increased drive, more effort, more success and a repetition of the same response.
Increases in linear fashion
The dominant response
The Inverted U theory
Increased arousal improves performance but only to a moderate level, after which more arousal causes performance to suffer
Personality: At low arousal
Introverts perform best because they already have high adrenaline levels
Personality: At high arousal
Extroverts can tolerate extra adrenaline
Experience: At lower arousal
A novice performs best because they need to concentrate on lots of info. Uncomfortable under pressure, incorrect dominant response.
Experience: At high arousal
Experts are used to the pressure and can operate on limited info. Dominant response is mainly correct
Type of Task: At low arousal
Fine and complex skills are performed best because they require control and decision making.
Type of Task: At high arousal
Gross and simple skills are performed best because they need less control and decision making.
Problems with inverted U theory
Critics question if optimal arousal always occurs at the mid-point of the curve
Catastrophe Theory
Adaptation of the inverted U theory
Increased arousal improves performance to a point but an intense combination of somatic and cognitive anxieties causes a dramatic deterioration in performance.
Peak Flow Performance
Highly focussed on the task
Movement or skills feel effortless
Clear goals
High levels of confidence
Peak Flow Performance def.
The ultimate intrinsic experience felt by athletes from a positive mental attitude, with supreme confidence, focus and efficiency
Zone of Optimal functioning
Area of controlled arousal and high level of performance
Athletes perform best not at a point but in an area or zone
