Core 2 - Anxiety and Arousal

Question 1

What are the differences between State and Trait anxiety? (include definitions for both)

Answer 1

Trait:
Is the genetic predisposition an athlete has towards increased anxiousness and nervousness
- Athletes with higher levels of trait anxiety can face an even greater mental obstacle to success with the increased pressure of elite competition

State:
Feelings of anxiety related to a specific game or event = temporary

Question 2

What are some of the signs of anxiety?

Answer 2

• ‘Stomach butterflies’, vomiting
• Feelings of tension and being unable to relax
• Pacing
• Muscle tension
• Negative thoughts

Question 3

What are some of the sources of stress?

Answer 3

Internal sources: relates to a person’s personality, some people stress more than others e.g. stressed about how they will perform at an upcoming event, feel threatened will be dropped from a team

External sources: threats from coaches, expectations of others

Social stressors: Meeting expectations of society

Competition stressors: pressure to perform, fear of injury etc.

Question 4

What is arousal?

Answer 4

The physical and mental activation or intensity exhibited at a specific point in time

Question 5

why do different sports have different optimum arousal levels?

Answer 5

• Different tasks require different levels of arousal for optimal performance e.g. intellectually demanding tasks (archery), may require lower levels of arousal for optimal performance whilst tasks demanding stamina/persistence are performed better with greater levels of arousal (AFL)