Arousal Flashcards
What is arousal?
Arousal is a level of activation or excitation, measuring the wakefulness and alertness from deep sleep to agitation.
What is the RAS?
Reticular Activating System.
What does the RAS do?
Controls anxiety.
What are the two branches of the RAS?
Direction and Intensity.
What is used to control anxiety?
The RAS, Reticular Activating System.
Who created Drive Theory?
Hull.
What did Hull create?
Hull created Drive Theory.
What was Spence and Spence’s equation?
Performance level = Habit strength x Drive.
Who created the equation for Performance level?
Spence and Spence (1968).
When did Spence and Spence create the equation for performance?
1968.
What were evaluation points for Hull’s Drive Theory?
- Simplistic.
- Doesn’t account for personal differences.
- Doesn’t account for different activities.
- Doesn’t account for different levels of learning.
Which theory of arousal is a linear relationship between arousal and performance?
Hull’s Drive Theory.
Explain the trend shown in Hull’s Drive Theory:
The linear relationship shows higher arousal levels mean higher level of performance.
Who created the Inverted U theory?
Yerkes and Dodson.
What are evaluation points for the Inverted U theory?
- Simplistic.
- Doesn’t account for different activities.
- Doesn’t account for personality differences.
In the Inverted U theory, what is said to cause under-arousal?
They are tending to too much information and their selective attention is lacking.
In the Inverted U theory, what is said to cause over-arousal?
They are missing relevant cues which negatively impact performance.
How does over-arousal affect performance?
It decreases performance.
When does the zone of optimal performance occur?
At a moderate arousal level.
How does the Inverted U shape change for personality differences?
Introverts shift the curve left whilst extroverts shift the curve to the right.
Yerkes and Dodson created which theory of arousal?
The Inverted U theory.
How does the Inverted U shape change for Introverts?
Shifts to the left as they require less arousal to get in the zone of optimal arousal.
How does the Inverted U shape change for Extroverts?
Shifts to the right as they require more arousal to get in the zone of optimal arousal.
How does the Inverted U shape change for differences in experience?
A cognitive performer requires lower arousal to reach their optimum performance, an associative performer requires a medium amount of arousal and an autonomous performer requires high levels of arousal.
What factors can change the shape or location of the Inverted U?
- Personality,
- Experience,
- Difficulty
How does the Inverted U shape change for task difficulty?
A complex skill requires relatively low arousal levels whereas a simple skill requires a higher arousal level.
How does the Inverted U shape change for a complex skill?
The curve is shifted left as less arousal is required for optimal performance.
How does the Inverted U shape change for a basic skill?
The curve is shifted right as more arousal is required for optimal performance.
Summarise the catastrophe theory:
As arousal increases so does performance, until a threshold, where performance experiences an extreme decline. From there, if arousal decreases then recovery occurs and if arousal increases further then performance worsens at a gradual rate.
In the catastrophe theory, what are the possible outcomes after the extreme decline?
Recovery (if arousal lowers) and Gradual worsening (if arousal increases further).
What are the key words used to describe the trend shown in Hull’s drive theory?
Proportional linear relationship.
Which theory does the equation P = f ( H x D ) belong to?
Drive theory.
P = f ( H x D ), what does H and D mean?
H = The habit strength. D = Drive or arousal level.
What did Hanin create?
The (Individual) Zone of Optimal Functioning.
Who created the (Individual) Zone of Optimal Functioning?
Hanin.
What did Hanin suggest about arousal in the IZOF theory?
Hanin suggested that increases in arousal can improve performance and that the optimum level of arousal varies for individual players.
What is special about Hanin’s IZOF?
Instead of a point of optimum arousal, he described a zone or bandwidth.
How did Hanin say an individual could find their zone?
Using techniques such as mental rehearsal, visualisation and positive self-talk.
According to Hanin’s IZOF, once in the zone what happens to a performer?
- Their performance seems to flow effortlessly.
- A state of supreme confidence and calmness under pressure.
- The athlete feels that they are in total control of their actions and focus is optimised.
What is peak flow experience?
An extension of the feelings and performance levels experienced in the zone.
