Chapter 9

Question 1

summarize three important characteristics of our emotions, and name the type of conditioning involved in each

Answer 1

1. the reaction that one feels inside during the emotion (butterflies) - Respondent Conditioning
2. the way that one learns to outwardly express this emotion (nervous talking fast) - Operant Conditioning
3. how one becomes aware of and describes ones emotions (im a little nervous vs im really mad) - Operant Conditioning

Question 2

Describe several physiological reactions experienced in a moment of fear

Answer 2

1. breathe more rapidly to give more oxygen to your blood
2. blood vessels to your stomach and intestines which constrict and digestion is interrupted, which diverts more blood to your muscles
3. adrenal glands secrete adrenalin which gives you extra energy

Question 3

Describe unconditioned reflexes (i.e., the USs and the URs) that Watson observed that appear to characterize the emotions of fear, anger, and joy.

Answer 3

1. a sudden push elicits - sudden catching of breath, clutching or grasping response, and crying - FEAR
2. hampering an infants movements - crying, creaming, body stiffening - ANGER
3. tickling, rocking and patting - smiling, gurgling, cooing - JOY

Question 4

In the experiment with little Albert, what was the US? The UR? The CS? The CR?

Answer 4

1. US (Unconditioned Stimulus): The loud noise (the sound of a hammer striking a metal bar).
2. UR (Unconditioned Response): Fear or distress in response to the loud noise.
3. CS (Conditioned Stimulus): The white rat (which was initially neutral).
4. CR (Conditioned Response): Fear or distress in response to the white rat after conditioning.

Question 5

For each of the following emotions, identify a general cause, and illustrate each cause with an example from your own experience:
Happiness
Anger
Anxiety
Relief

Answer 5

1. Happiness - positive experiences or achievements - Birthday parties
2. Anger - injustice - being wrongly accused for stealing someone’s belongings
3. Anxiety - uncertainty or fear of negative outcomes - before a race
4. Relief - resolution of a stressful situation - handing in a paper

Question 6

Describe an example that illustrates how ““pride” might represent a combination of happiness and anger

Answer 6

the situation where if you lose against the other team then you will not get to wear the champions jersey - happiness from presentation of the rewards, and anger from the potential of losing the rewards

Question 7

Describe four effects of excessive nervousness and tension, and explain why each effect might interfere with athletic performance at competitions

Answer 7

1. causes physiological changes, one of which is attention narrowing which means the athlete is less attentive to outside cues - difficulty picking out receivers
2. it consumes energy in the process of all the physiological changes, run out of energy in endurance events
3. adrenaline can cause a rushed routine - or bad timing with a swing
4. adds additional stimuli to the competitive environment which were not there in practice - affects bringing a skill in from practice to competition

Question 8

Briefly describe two strategies for minimizing the causes of excessive nervousness and tension.

Answer 8

1. Recognize and change negative thinking - Cognitive Restructuring - restructure the thought, if i miss this shot i lose → ive made this shot 100s of times
2. structure the environment to tune out and prompt relaxing thoughts - taking their mind off the game - talking to friends, listening to music, anything that makes you relax and think of something else

Question 9

What is meant by cognitive restructuring?

Answer 9

1. restructuring the thoughts to make the statement less stressful and more positive
2. A tennis player who loses a match might think, “I’m always going to lose,” leading to a lack of confidence. Through cognitive restructuring, they challenge this thought by reminding themselves of past victories and their dedication to practice, replacing it with, “I can learn from this loss and improve for the next match,” helping them approach future games with a more positive mindset.

Question 10

List five guidelines that athletes should be encouraged to practice in order to eliminate negative thoughts that cause them to be tense just before performing

Answer 10

1. Use cognitive restructuring to view a situation as an opportunity for a realistic challenge;
2. Focus on what you can control, don’t think about what you can’t control;
3. Think about what you want to do, not what you don’t want to do;
4. Just before performing, mentally review past instances of successful performance;
5. Focus on the process of competing, not the possible outcomes

Question 11

describe four strategies for changing the body’s reactions to stressful events.

Answer 11

1. Controlled Breathing: Centering - breathwork routine
2. Maintain a sense of humor - strategy for dealing with stress and tension
3. progressive muscle relaxation - alternatively tensing then relaxing muscles while being aware of the different feelings
4. visualize a relaxing scene - quiet place and visualize

Question 12

Define or describe each of the following:
Deep center breathing
Progressive muscle relaxation

Answer 12

1. Deep center breathing - following the steps of the routine such as rolling the breaths, and spelling relax
2. Progressive muscle relaxation - alternatively tensing then relaxing muscles while being aware of the different feelings

Question 13

Describe an example to illustrate how you might use visualization to help you to relax.

Answer 13

imagine yourself on a beach, or in your room, to calm yourself down

Question 14

Define “choking” as the term is used in sports. Describe an example that was not in this chapter.

Answer 14

failure to perform to the level of one’s ability in high-pressure situations.

Question 15

Describe several strategies that might be used to minimize the likelihood of “choking” in sports.

Answer 15

1. the five guidelines for eliminating negative thoughts
2. good pre-game routine

Question 16

List the four steps that have characterized successful anger management programs used with athletes.

Answer 16

1. identify anger causing situations
2. teach substitute behaviors to compete with the anger
3. practice the substitute behavior using imagery and or simulation and or role playing
4. use the coping skills in competitive situations, with monitoring and or supportive contingencies

Question 17

List four different types of self-talk that might be taught to athletes to displace their anger.

Answer 17

1. General coping self talk to stay in control - no point in being angry → After a controversial call by the referee in a soccer match, a player might say to themselves, “No point in being angry. I need to focus on the next play,” reminding themselves to stay calm and collected before reacting to the situation.
2. specific cue words to elicit relaxed feelings - A basketball player feeling overwhelmed might silently repeat the word “breathe” to themselves during a timeout, allowing the cue to remind them to take deep breaths and promote a sense of calmness.
3. self talk to focus on specific sport skills - A gymnast who feels frustration after a fall might tell themselves, “Focus on your form and keep your legs straight on the next vault,” concentrating on the specific technical elements they need to execute in their next attempt.
4. self talk for acting rationally or assertively - A runner might think, “It’s okay to express my feelings, but I need to communicate respectfully,” when feeling anger toward a teammate during a relay race, guiding them to address the situation assertively without letting anger dictate their response.

Question 18

describe three ways that athletes can practice substitute behaviors to displace anger behaviors

Answer 18

1. Imagery - A tennis player who often gets angry after losing points can use imagery to visualize themselves in a match scenario where they remain calm after a missed shot.
2. Simulation - A soccer team might engage in simulated game situations during practice where they intentionally create high-pressure scenarios, such as practicing penalty kicks while the coach yells distractions.
3. Role playing sessions - A basketball player who tends to argue with referees might participate in role-playing sessions with teammates, where one plays the role of the referee making a bad call and the other practices how to respond appropriately.