Arousal Flashcards
Define arousal
A state of action/excitement/a readiness to perform, a drive to achieve
What types of arousal can a performer experience
Somatic (physiological)
Cognitive (psychological)
What does drive theory suggest
As your arousal increases so does your performance, linearly
What causes increased drive to perform
Increased motivation
What is the equation for drive theory? Explain it
P=f(DxH)
Performance is the function of drive multiplied by habit
What is dominant response
The stand out response that a performer thinks is correct
Why is the drive theory unrealistic
It is unrealistic to suggest that performance is always going to increase
How can high arousal affect response? Give an example
Means less information is processed and the performer tends to focus on the dominant response which is thought to be correct
For example, in football having high levels of arousal could make a performer go back to using basic plays
How does dominant response differ between experts and novice performers
Experts are used to having high arousal so their dominant response is usually correct
Beginners are the opposite and their dominant response is likely to lead to mistakes
What happens when a task is complex and arousal is high
Performance is impaired as you cannot process all the information so the performer may miss important cues
What is the inverted U theory
States that increased arousal improves performance up to an optimum point at moderate levels of arousal
Not enough or too much can lead to performance deterioration
What happens if a performer is under aroused
They will be unbothered about the game
Unenergetic, slow performance
Not ready for the game
What happens if a performer is under aroused
They will be unbothered about the game
Unenergetic, slow performance
Not ready for the game
What happens if a performer is over aroused
Anger/over excitement can lead to heightened emotions affecting decisions and performance
What 3 things can influence optimal arousal
Experience
Personality
Task
How can being an expert influence arousal
They are used to and can deal with pressure effectively, even with limited info
Their dominant response is mostly correct therefore they can perform at a high level with high arousal
How can being a novice influence arousal
They operate better at lower levels due to being uncomfortable under pressure
How can being an extrovert influence arousal
They can perform happily at high arousal
RAM suggests that they have lower levels of activation and can tolerate increases in arousal
How can being an introvert influence arousal
They perform better at low levels of arousals
Naturally have higher levels of arousal therefore perform better at low levels of arousal - for example a introvert would feel uncomfortable in loud, busy places so would shut down, whereas they would perform better in quieter spaces
What is RAS? What does is stand for?
Reticular Activating System
Controls and measures levels of adrenaline in the body
How can gross skills influence arousal
Can be performed at high levels of arousal
How can fine skills influence arousal
Needs a precise amount of control so lower levels of arousal would be better
How can simple skills influence arousal
Less decision making and can still be executed well with high levels of arousal
How can complex skills influence arousal
Lots of decision making so needs lower levels of arousal
What is the catastrophe theory
Arousal improves performance to an optimal point, but there is a dramatic reduction in performance when arousal increases past the optimal point
What causes a catastrophe slump
High levels of cognitive and somatic anxieties
What is cognitive anxiety
Negative self talk
Worry
Lack of communication
What is somatic anxiety
Muscle stiffness
Shakes and sweats
Can a performer recover from a catastrophe slump? How?
Yes if the initial cause of the catastrophe is mild
The performer can attempt to recover by reducing arousal and anxiety
What must a performer do to save them from a complete catastrophe
Deep breathing
Progressive muscle relaxation (tensing and relaxing body from bottom to top)
What happens if the performer fails to control the catastrophe
Arousal will continue to increase further decreasing performance
Positives of the drive theory
Explains high performance
Shows how dominant response is likely to occur
Shows how experts can cope with higher levels of arousal
Negatives of the drive theory
Isn’t applicable to novices as they haven’t mastered dominant response
Linear relationships are not realistic as they barely ever occur
Doesn’t consider nature of the task or ability
Positives of the inverted U theory
Takes in to account task and ability
Shows optimal performance is not the same for all sports
Shows that it can shift based on personality eg extroverts can cope with higher levels of arousal
Takes into account that performance can decline with high arousal
Negatives of inverted U theory
Increase and decrease of performance isn’t a smooth, gradual process - it can drop quickly
Only considers cognitive or somatic arousal
Positives of catastrophe theory
Most realistic model
Explains why performance can drastically decline
Takes into account various factors (somatic and cognitive)
Explains how some performers recover
Negatives of catastrophe theory
Performers don’t always experience sudden decline, but experience slow decline
Doesn’t take task/ability in to account
What is zone of optimal functioning
A zone at which a performers performance is at its peak and is most concentrated
How does zone of optimal functioning differ from inverted U
It is not one point of optimal performance, it is a zone which a performer can fluctuate in and out of
What happens when a performer is in the zone of optimal functioning
Things are effortless, performer reaches supreme confidence, total control and focus
The ultimate intrinsic experience is felt by athletes from a positive mental attitude with supreme focus and efficiency
What is peak flow experience
An extension of feelings in the zone
The ultimate intrinsic experience felt by athletes from a positive mental attitude with supreme confidence, focus and efficiency
What do performers believe they can do at peak flow experience
Complete their challenge
Clear goals
Reach total focus
What does a performer have to do to develop/enhance peak flow
Be confident in preparation
Be in optimal conditions
Have optimal fitness levels
What factors affect the peak flow experience
Poor mental preparation and the failure to reach optimum arousal levels
Environmental influences eg pressure from the crowd or frustration caused by referees decisions
Effect of injury or fatigue during the game will stop the player keeping up
