ch8 - psychology of athletic preparation and performance

Question 1

ideal performance state?

Answer 1

(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

Question 2

can worry, anger, frustration, or anxiety have physiological effects?

Answer 2

athletes who experience this have less physical energy to perform

Question 3

definition of emotion?

Answer 3

temporary feeling states that occur in response to events and that have both physiological and psychological components

Question 4

definition of arousal and how to measure?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

definition of anxiety?

Answer 5

negatively perceived emotional state characterized by nervousness, worry, apprehension, or fear

Question 6

symptoms of somatic anxiety?

Answer 6

tense muscles, tachycardia, and upset stomach

Question 7

symptoms of state anxiety?

Answer 7

elevated autonomic and voluntary neural outflow and increased endocrine activity

Question 8

effects of state anxiety on performance?

Answer 8

positive, negative, or indifferent, depending on various factors like athlete’s skill, personality, and task performed

Question 9

definition of psychological efficiency?

Answer 9

knowing the appropriate zone for optimal performance and managing it accordingly

Question 10

factors of pyschological inefficiency?

Answer 10

(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)

Question 11

definition of stress?

Answer 11

a substantial imbalance between demand (physical, psychological, or both) and response capability, under conditions in which failure to meet that demand has important consequences

Question 12

definition of stressor?

Answer 12

an environmental or cognitive event that precipitates stress

Question 13

what is negative stress?

Answer 13

distress

Question 14

what is positive stress?

Answer 14

eustress

Question 15

Hull’s drive theory?

Answer 15

as an individual’s arousal or state anxiety increases, so too does performance

Question 16

definition of stage analysis?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

how should a coach approach tasks for skilled but unseasoned athletes?

Answer 17

lower arousal and decrease the decision-making responsibilities and focus on simple assignments to prevent attentional overload

Question 18

task complexit?

Answer 18

a second factor that influences the appropriate level of arousal to achieve optimal performance

Question 19

when is high arousal beneficial vs detrimental?

Answer 19

beneficial: simple or well-learned skills because fewer task-relevant cues; detrimental: when wide focus needs to be maintained, such as with a goalie

Question 20

Yerkes and Dodson inverted-U theory?

Answer 20

arousal facilitates performance up to an optimal level, beyond which further increases in arousal are associated with reduced performance

Question 21

individual zones of optimal functioning theory?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

hanin’s theory of positive and negative emotions?

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

somatic arousal has a curvilinear, inverted-U relationship to athletic performance, whereas cognitive anxiety shows a steady negative relationship. practical implication?

Answer 23

arousal constructs need to be more clearly delineated as cognitive anxiety, physiological arousal, somatic anxiety, or some combination of these.

Question 24

Kerr’s interpretation of reversal theory?

Answer 24

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)

Question 25

definition of motivation?

Answer 25

the intensity and direction of effort

Question 26

definition of intrinsic motivation?

Answer 26

desire to be competent and self-determining

Question 27

downside of authoritarian coaching style?

Answer 27

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

Question 28

common extrinsic rewards in sport settings?

Answer 28

fear of punishment, awards, trophies, praise from coaches and teammates, social approval

Question 29

achievement motivation refers to efforts to what?

Answer 29

(1) master a task, (2) achieve excellence, (3) overcome obstacles, (4) engage in competition or social comparison

Question 30

when are MAF-dominated players comfortable?

Answer 30

very easy to achieve success or so extremely difficult that there would be no expectation of winning (in both, shame is avoided)