ch8 - psychology of athletic preparation and performance Flashcards
ideal performance state?
(1) absence of fear (2) no thinking about performance (related to the motor stage of automaticity) (3) narrow focus on activity itself (4) sense of effortlessness (5) sense of personal control (6) distortion of time and space / slowed time
can worry, anger, frustration, or anxiety have physiological effects?
athletes who experience this have less physical energy to perform
definition of emotion?
temporary feeling states that occur in response to events and that have both physiological and psychological components
definition of arousal and how to measure?
blend of physiological and psychological activation in an individual and refers to the intensity of motivation at any given moment; measured by: heart rate, blood pressure, electroencephalography (EEG), electromyography (EMG), catecholamine levels, self-report instruments such as the activation-deactivation checklist
definition of anxiety?
negatively perceived emotional state characterized by nervousness, worry, apprehension, or fear
symptoms of somatic anxiety?
tense muscles, tachycardia, and upset stomach
symptoms of state anxiety?
elevated autonomic and voluntary neural outflow and increased endocrine activity
effects of state anxiety on performance?
positive, negative, or indifferent, depending on various factors like athlete’s skill, personality, and task performed
definition of psychological efficiency?
knowing the appropriate zone for optimal performance and managing it accordingly
factors of pyschological inefficiency?
(1) a high degree of ego involvement, in which the athlete may perceive a threat to self-esteem (2) a perceived discrepancy between one’s ability and the demands for athletic success (3) a fear of the consequences of failure (such as a loss of approval from teammates, coach, family, or peers)
definition of stress?
a substantial imbalance between demand (physical, psychological, or both) and response capability, under conditions in which failure to meet that demand has important consequences
definition of stressor?
an environmental or cognitive event that precipitates stress
what is negative stress?
distress
what is positive stress?
eustress
Hull’s drive theory?
as an individual’s arousal or state anxiety increases, so too does performance
definition of stage analysis?
the beginning stages of learning a skill; has to think about actions, e.g. a novice basketball player has to be conscious of the ball while dribbling
how should a coach approach tasks for skilled but unseasoned athletes?
lower arousal and decrease the decision-making responsibilities and focus on simple assignments to prevent attentional overload
task complexit?
a second factor that influences the appropriate level of arousal to achieve optimal performance
when is high arousal beneficial vs detrimental?
beneficial: simple or well-learned skills because fewer task-relevant cues; detrimental: when wide focus needs to be maintained, such as with a goalie
Yerkes and Dodson inverted-U theory?
arousal facilitates performance up to an optimal level, beyond which further increases in arousal are associated with reduced performance
individual zones of optimal functioning theory?
different people, in different types of performances, perform best with very different levels of arousal. differs from the inverted-U hypothesis in two ways: (1) ideal performance does not seem to always occur at the midpoint of the arousal continuum, and (2) rather than there being a single defined arousal point at which optimal performance occurs, best performance can occur within a small range, or bandwidth, of arousal level
hanin’s theory of positive and negative emotions?
there are positive and negative emotions (e.g., excited, nervous) that can generate enhanced performance, just as there are positive and negative emotions (e.g., comfortable, annoyed) that can debilitate performance. this proposal recognizes that any specific emotion can be positively perceived by one athlete but negatively perceived by another.
somatic arousal has a curvilinear, inverted-U relationship to athletic performance, whereas cognitive anxiety shows a steady negative relationship. practical implication?
arousal constructs need to be more clearly delineated as cognitive anxiety, physiological arousal, somatic anxiety, or some combination of these.
Kerr’s interpretation of reversal theory?
the way in which arousal and anxiety affect performance depends on the individual’s interpretation of that arousal. (one athlete might interpret high levels of arousal as excitement/readiness, another would interpret that feeling as reflective of a lack of confidence)
definition of motivation?
the intensity and direction of effort
definition of intrinsic motivation?
desire to be competent and self-determining
downside of authoritarian coaching style?
giving the athlete some latitude in decision making increases perceived self-determination; although authoritarian behavior is sometimes warranted in that clear directives are needed, a total lack of delegated responsibilities could result in a loss of initiative and drive in athletes
common extrinsic rewards in sport settings?
fear of punishment, awards, trophies, praise from coaches and teammates, social approval
achievement motivation refers to efforts to what?
(1) master a task, (2) achieve excellence, (3) overcome obstacles, (4) engage in competition or social comparison
when are MAF-dominated players comfortable?
very easy to achieve success or so extremely difficult that there would be no expectation of winning (in both, shame is avoided)
