arousal

Question 1

What is arousal

Answer 1

the state of readiness. our level of alertness/readiness to perform our activity

Question 2

What is the drive theory

Answer 2

• proposes a linear relationship between arousal and performance
• as arousal increases performance increases
• performance increases proportional to arousal
  e.g. elite level sprinters arousal increases, they are more alert giving them a quicker sprint start and 100m time

Question 3

What are the positives of the drive theory

Answer 3

• demonstrated by elite athletes –> at high arousal previously learned skills are referred to and correct. as arousal increases performance increases
• true for gross/simple skills as they receive higher arousal for optimal performance e.g. shotput, long jump

Question 4

What are the negatives of the drive theory

Answer 4

• doesn’t apply to beginners –> high arousal causes performers to resort to previously learned skills because they are dominant but not correct. as arousal increases, performance decreases
• not true for fine/complex skills as they require lower arousal for optimum performance
• highly skilled players ‘choke’ in highly charged situations e.g. england football penalties

Question 5

What is the inverted U theory

Answer 5

• as arousal increases so does performance, but only up to an optimal level
• if arousal increases beyond the optimum level, performance will decrease
  e.g. elite footballer consistently scores as they are more alert and accurate due to high arousal. when optimum surpassed more shots are missed

Question 6

What are strengths of the inverted U theory

Answer 6

• it accurately explains why we often see more mistakes at higher levels of arousal - above optimum
• we can modify the optimal level of arousal depending on skill type and level, and personality

Question 7

What are the negatives of the inverted U theory

Answer 7

• too simplistic, optimal performance doesn’t always occur at moderate levels of arousal
• one curve doesn’t explain the different optimal levels of arousal needed for different skill levels, activities and personality
• after optimal arousal is passed, we often see a more rapid drop in performance - not a steady decline

Question 8

What is the catastrophe theory

Answer 8

• as arousal increases so does performance, but only up to an optimum level
• once athletes arousal reaches above optimum level there is a massive/rapid decline in performance
• after the sudden drop in performance, if arousal decreases then performance will increase but not back to the original optimum level
  e.g. an elite footballer scores a goal and arousal is high and reaches optimal level, then the player gets a red card after a bad tackle

Question 9

What are the positives of the catastrophe theory

Answer 9

• explains why we often see a sudden drop in performance rather than a steady decline
• explains how performance can increase again if arousal is controlled

Question 10

What are the negatives of the catastrophe theory

Answer 10

• not all performers have a sudden drop in performance, sometimes it’s more gradual
• some very high level athletes may be able to gain optimal performance even after showing the rapid decline in performane