Arousal

Question 1

`What is arousal?

Answer 1

Arousal describes how excited and motivated an individual is about a specific task

Question 2

Changes in arousal can provide improvements or decrements in performance, based on what 3 things?

Answer 2

1) The performer’s original arousal level
2) The location of their optimal point of arousal
3) The task they are performing

Question 3

Increased arousal levels causes an increase in muscle tension, fatigue, and decrements in co-ordination. Why is this?

Answer 3

-Muscle tension makes it harder to produce coordinated movement, as a muscle that is already tense cannot contract anymore, of which interferes with other contraction of muscle groups
-When an individual is tense and anxious, it can make them feel fatigued. Fatigue can detract from producing skilled performances and it can interrupt concentration

Question 4

What are the 3 types of attention spans that arousal levels can cause?

Answer 4

Narrow, broad, optimal

Question 5

What level of arousal causes narrow attention span?

Answer 5

High arousal levels

Question 6

What level of arousal causes broad attention span?

Answer 6

Low arousal levels

Question 7

What level of arousal causes optimal attention span?

Answer 7

Optimal arousal levels

Question 8

Attention span is closely related to what two psychological phenomena?

Answer 8

Flow states and choking

Question 9

What is a flow state?

Answer 9

A point where your arousal has produced an optimum attention span, and you feel absorbed in the activity (IPS)

Question 10

What is choking?

Answer 10

A point that occurs after your flow state, where large uncontrollable errors start to occur, causing a deterioration in performance.

Question 11

What level of arousal causes choking?

Answer 11

High arousal levels

Question 12

What are the 4 theories related to arousal?

Answer 12

1) Drive theory
2) Inverted U hypothesis
3) Catastrophe theory
4) IZOF theory

Question 13

What is the Drive theory?

Answer 13

Drive theory shows that there is a linear relationship between arousal level and performance. As arousal increases, so does performance.

Question 14

Who theorised about the Drive theory?

Answer 14

Hull, 1943

Question 15

What is a downside of the Drive theory?

Answer 15

When referring to a novice, arousal increases are to have little to no effect on performance, as the skill is not well-learnt.
If the arousal levels succeeds skill level too much, it is likely to make performance even worse.

Question 16

What is a positive of Drive theory?

Answer 16

It is able to explain the effect of increased arousal levels on well-learnt skills, and works best when applied to simple tasks

Question 17

What is the Inverted U hypothesis?

Answer 17

It shows that the relationship between arousal level and performance was curvilinear, rather than linear (Drive theory).

This theory states that arousal levels will increase up to a certain point where the arousal state is optimal (IPS - Ideal performance State).

Once arousal levels have reached the IPS, any further increases in arousal will result in a decrease of performance.

Question 18

Who theorised about the Inverted U hypothesis?

Answer 18

Yerkes and Dodson, 1908

Question 19

What is the Catastrophe theory?

Answer 19

Catastrophe theory presents an adaptation to the Inverted U hypothesis.

This theory states that the curve will not be regular in shape.

Once arousal levels have gone just past IPS, any further increase will lead to a sudden drop in performance, AKA the point of catastrophe.

Question 20

Who theorised about the Catastrophe theory?

Answer 20

Fazey and Hardy, 1988

Question 21

What is a positive about the Catastrophe theory?

Answer 21

The theory helps to explain the phenomenon of ‘choking’. Choking is characterised by athletes making large errors and unable to control their performance. This theory shows that choking could be linked to the point of catastrophe.

Question 22

What is Individual zones of Optimal Functioning? (IZOF)

Answer 22

IZOF shows that athletes have a zone of state anxiety that is comfortable for them, and where their performance is best.

Once an athlete is above/below this point, there is a detriment to their performance.

This theory was presented as an alternative to Inverted U, as it shows that optimal performance does not always happen at the midpoint of the curve for all athlete, but varies from athlete to athlete.

Question 23

Who theorised about Individual Zones of Optimal Funtioning?

Answer 23

Hanin, 1970’s