arousal, stress and anxiety in sport Flashcards
arousal
a level of physiological and psychological activation
phyaiological component of arousal
increases or decreases the bodys level of activation (high HR and BP, trembling and muscle tension)
psychological componenet of arousal
either positive feelings such as excitement/ confidence, or negative feelings such as fear/sadness or discomfort/.
does anxiety = arousal
no
anxiety =
High arousal states that produce feelings of discomfort & concern. a perceived threat.
stress =
a perceived imbalance between the demand and our capabilities. in an environment where failure to meet damands has consequences.
what can stress lead to
state anxiety
State Anxiety:
A current emotional state or mood characterised by feelings of apprehension and muscle tension and associated with negative affect
competitive trait anxiety =
A predisposition to perceive competitive sport as threatening and to respond to this perceived threat with varying levels of state anxiety.
what are the subcomponents of state anxiety
cognitive (thoughts and emotions) and somatic (physical/pyhsyological)
what is the relationship between trait and state anxiety
not a direct one to one relationship. correlations are moderate.
four stages of the stress process
Stage 1: Environmental Demand
Stage 2: Perception of Demands
Stage 3: Stress Response
Stage 4: Behavioural Consequences
two types of sources of stress
situational and personal
situational source stress
the amount of imporatnce placed on the outcome. the uncertainty of the outcome, capabilites and relationship with others.
personal sources of stress
trait - predisposition to perceive competition and social evaluation as more or less threatening.
self-esteem.
three theories of arousal-performance relationship
drive theory, inverted u theory and castastrophy theory
what is the drive theory
there is a linear relationship between performance and arousal.
drive theory predictions
increased arousal - increased probability of a dominant response.
inverted U theory
performance will increase in proportion to increases in arousal up to a certain point. Beyond this optimal level, performance will begin to decrease.
for inveted u thoery under arousal leads to …
lack of focus and low motivation
for inveted u thoery over arousal leads to …
anxiety and impaired performance.
do all sports have the same optimal level of arousal
no, golf requires less arousal when compared to sprinting.
Catastrophe Theory
Multidimensional Arousal & Anxiety (different kinds).Increase in physiological arousal leads to increased performance up to a certain optimal point.
After this point is reached, the person perceives an imbalance between demands and capabilities (i.e., stress), which leads to cognitive anxiety and performance suddenly drops (i.e., ‘choking’)
how somatic effects influence performance
Decreased coordination - tight, jerky movements.
(ii) “Paralysis by Analysis” - need to relax mind and body.
how cognitive effects influence performance
(i) Negative thoughts - worry about failure.
(ii) Lose confidence.
(iii) Attention and focus shift - ‘tunnel vision’:
Focus of attention becomes too narrow, and important information is missed.
