Arousal

Question 1

What is arousal:

Answer 1

the state of general preparedness of the body for action, involving physiological and psychological factors

Question 2

2 signs of high level arousal:

Answer 2

physiological (somatic) signs

psychological (cognitive) signs

Question 3

Physiological signs are:

Answer 3

increased HR
Increased BR
Sweating
Headache

Question 4

Psychological signs are:

Answer 4

Increased focus and concentration
Heightened awareness of important cues
Attention narrowing
Decreased reaction time

Question 5

If become too highly aroused psychological signs are:

Answer 5

anxiety
tension
negative self talk
inability to concentrate

Question 6

Audience affects arousal:

Answer 6

People watching
More you want to impress them the higher your arousal
Hence if you do not want to impress them it may not affect your arousal

Question 7

3 theories:

Answer 7

Drive
Inverted U
Catastrophe

Question 8

Drive theory states:

Answer 8

A linear relationship between arousal and performance
As arousal increases so does performance
Most relative for the elite
Higher arousal would intensify the DOMINANT RESPONSE

Question 9

For expert the dominant response is likely to be

Answer 9

automatic and correct therefore lead to an improvement in performance

Question 10

For beginner may be:

Answer 10

incorrect or inadequate and a higher level of arousal may cause a deterioration in performance(drive theory may be seen as inadequate)

Question 11

Equation proposed to describe the relationship between habit strength and drive:

Answer 11

Performance = habit strength X drive

Question 12

Drive theory is inadequate as

Answer 12

observation of even the most elite performers shows that at a certain level of arousal can stop the increase of performance or even deteriorate it

Question 13

Inverted U theory states:

Answer 13

performance will improve as arousal increases and a certain point will be reached where optimal performance is achieved - should arousal continue to increase past optimum arousal level, performance will deteriorate

Question 14

Reasons why a beginner is unable to perform as well as experts as levels of arousal increase:

Answer 14

1) Don’t have the same level of habitual skills
2) Beginner needs to give a greater proportion of their attention to the performance of the skill - increased levels may take attention away from the skill performance and therefore the skill deteriorates
3) Likely that beginners would normally perform better with lower levels of arousal than an expert wouldneed
4) Gross skill may benefit from higher levels of arousal than performers using fine skills

Question 15

Catastrophe theory involves:

Answer 15

a much more dramatic and faster reduction of performance - in U it is a steady decrease

Question 16

In catastrophe could recover optimal level of arousal through:

Answer 16

supportive words from a coach or teammate as well as the implementation of effective stress management techniques

Question 17

What is ZOF:

Answer 17

Zone of optimal functioning: the unique level of arousal for each athlete, which allows the athlete to perform with maximum concentration and effort

Question 18

Hanin (ZOF) proposed that:

Answer 18

each individual has a ZOF and is referred to as ‘being in the zone’

Question 19

Hanin (ZOF) believed that:

Answer 19

instead of being at a specific point, there is an optimal band width or area in which the performer achieves their best performance

Question 20

When in ZOF, athlete often experiences:

Answer 20

Feelings of the movement of being effortless, without conscious control
The ability to select the correct cues and make decision quickly and effortlessly in addition to remaining focused on the task without being distracted by other - IMPROVED SELECTIVE ATTENTION

Question 21

Comparison between ZOF and inverted U:

Answer 21

the optimum level of arousal does not always occur at the midpoint of the arousal continuum, variable factors such as: the situation and the performer will cause the ZOF to alter
The optimum level of arousal occurs over a band width

Question 22

Work must be done to allow the individual to recognise when they are both within and outside the ZOF:

Answer 22

Either need to relax or become more psyched up

Question 23

What is attentional narrowing?

Answer 23

when optimal arousal levels are reached the performer should be able to detect the correct stimuli easily

Question 24

Cue utilisation theory states that we:

Answer 24

detect cues required to complete the task successfully However if arousal increases, the performer may actually begin to miss vital cues and signals, which lead to a reduction in their performance levels

Question 25

Attentional narrowing links:

Answer 25

arousal levels directly to the individual’s ability to focus on relevant cues and stimulants

Question 26

As attentional narrowing continues, vital cues can be missed, known as:

Answer 26

attentional wastage - decreases performance

Question 27

Attentional wastage occurs when a performer’s concentration is:

Answer 27

misdirected to cues that are irrelevant - decreases performance

Question 28

Peak flow experience is:

Answer 28

a situation when the timings of movements and actions appear to be perfect
They seem unable to do wrong and everything they do seems to work
Ultimate intrinsic experience

Question 29

‘Flow experience’ common characteristics are:

Answer 29

Complete absorption in the activity
Clear goals
Totally focused on task
Effortless movements

Question 30

Factors that create peak flow experience:

Answer 30

Positive mental attitude with high levels of confidence
Relaxed performer, controlling anxiety
Focussing on specific aspects of the current performance
Confidence in personal physical readiness
Balanced emotional state

Question 31

Suggested that there is a link between somatic arousal and cognitive arousal:

Answer 31

when the performer has reached the correct level of somatic arousal and cognitive arousal is low - peak flow is likely to occur

Question 32

Many factors that may result in ‘disrupted flow’

Answer 32

Injury
Fatigue
Crowd hostility
Uncontrollable events
Personal issues
Lack of challenges
Not at optimal arousal levels
Limited cohesion within the group
Negative self-talk
Poor officials
Poor preparation
Poor performance