Arousal Flashcards
What is arousal?
It is a general physiological and psychological activation of the organism (person) that varies on a continuum from deep sleep to intense excitement. ‘Gould and Krane (1992)
What are the two main theories that explain the relationship between arousal levels and performance?
- drive theory
- inverted U theory
Drive theory (Hull 1943)
A01
- the first theory
- it is a linear relationship between performance and arousal
- as arousal increases so does performance
- increase in arousal causes the dominant habit to occur more
- the dominant response is more likely as arousal increase
- the skill level of performance depends on how well the skills have been learned
Drive theory can be summarised as:
Performance= arousal (habit) x skill level (habit strength)
A02
According to drive theory,
- autonomous stage of learning/ well learnt dominant response perform better as arousal levels increase/ at high arousal
- cognitive stage of learning/ unskillful dominant response performs worse with high levels of arousal/ better with low levels of arousal
Practical examples: if the drive theory has some truth then:
The ‘autonomous’ footballers should have won the challenge and made very few mistakes because the dominant response is to be able to shoot a ball correctly and confidently
Practical exam answer responses:
E.g. a novice rounders player who is trying to impress his friends missed the ball
E.g. an expert dancer scores performs the best they ever have in their A-LEVEL PE assessment
A03
Pros
- simple to understand. Clearly shows the relationship between arousal and performance
- this theory is made more reliable/ accurate by relating arousal to dominant response
- for some performers/ autonomous stage of learning/ experts it is an accurate representation of what happens when arousal increases
- it is more likely to be accurate for certain types of skills e.g. gross skills such as rugby tackles etc
- it helps teachers/ coaches to understand effect of arousal on performance
Cons
- quality of performance does not always increase as levels of arousal increase
- too simplistic a view of the relationship between arousal and performance
- doesn’t consider individual differences/ level of performer/ type of skill.
Does not explain the reasons why skilled performers in the autonomous phase of learning often fail to complete skills in situations of high arousal
- doesn’t explain decline in performance at high arousal: for example, consider how often a professional player appears to make an easy mistake, such as missing a penalty or dropping a catch
- doesn’t explain why some people/ experts/ personalities/ extroverts perform well at low arousal e.g. scoring a goal when you aren’t trying hard in training
- doesn’t acknowledge drive reduction/ idea that performer may lose motivation/ perceive task to be fulfilled so drive reduced
Application: effective for well-learned or simple tasks where the dominant response is correct. However, for complex or new tasks, increased arousal may lead to incorrect responses
Inverted U theory
- second theory
- this theory states that as the athletes arousal levels increases so will their performance; this rise will continue to an ‘optimum point’ where performance will be at a very high level
- However, if arousal continues to rise beyond this ‘optimum point’ performance will deteriorate
- Small amount of anxiety suggests that the performer is causal or inattentive, therefore unlikely to perform at his or her best (i.e. produce a low performance)
- high anxiety or arousal can cause over-excitement or disruption of concentration or attention or control
- the inverted U theory explains the difference depend on the type of activity, personality, and stages of learning
Inverted u theory: type of activity
- gross skills require high optimum levels of arousal. Sports examples is a clean and jerk
- fine skills require a lower optimum level of arousal. Sports example is a snooker shot
- too much or too little arousal interferes with coordination, decision making and/ or performance
Inverted U theory: personality
- extroverts perform better when under situations of high levels of arousal (they have lower base line arousal levels)
- introverts perform better under situations of low levels of arousal (they have higher baseline arousal levels)
Inverted U theory: stages of learning
- cognitive stage: requires low levels of arousal because of the inability to attend to many cues, so they are unable to chunk information, the increased arousal causes a narrow attention band which means they will miss vital cues
- high arousal in beginners (cognitive) will impair performance. The dominant response is incorrect therefore performance deteriotes
- autonomous stage: requires high levels of arousal because they can chunk information together and run whole motor programmes as one piece of information. This frees attention channels, so the attention band needs high arousal to narrow and block out irrelevant cues
- elite (autonomous) performer with a well-learned task, dominant response will be correct so high arousal will not impair performance it will help improve performance
Inverted U theory evaluation (A03)
Pros
- it is seen to be more realistic than drive theory
- it is true that there is a certain optimal point of arousal/ that above or below optimal arousal performance quality is lower
- it is simple and easy to understand and to apply
- it helps teachers/ coaches to understand the effect of arousal on performance
- the optimal point of arousal can shift higher or lower for different personalities/ skill level/ types of skill
Cons
- it is still too simple/ limited view of the relationship between arousal ad performance
- it could be said to be too even a distribution. Performance can drastically drop if aroused
- the two models do not distinguish between the effects of somatic and cognitive anxiety. Catastrophe theory suggests that an athlete is affected differently by each type of anxiety and that performance does not simply drop off. Sometimes the performance can dramatically decline.
Strategies to achieve optimal arousal
- relaxation techniques: deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation can help reduce arousal
- mental imagery: visualising successful performance can enhance confidence and regulate arousal
- self-talk: positive affirmations can help manage anxiety and maintain optimal arousal levels
- pre-performance routines: establishing consistent routines can provide a sense of control and readiness
