Module 4 Flashcards
What is the definition of arousal in sport and exercise?
Physiological and psychological activation of an individual’s autonomic nervous system, varying from deep sleep to peak activation (Gould et al., 2002).
What is anxiety
An emotional response characterised by feelings of worry, nervousness, or unease, often in relation to an upcoming event or uncertain outcomes.
What are the two dimensions of anxiety?
Cognitive Anxiety and Somatic Anxiety
What is cognitive anxiety?
⚬ Mental dimension
■ Encompasses feelings of worry, concern, apprehension, and
self-focus.
■ Leads to a reduced ability to concentrate on task.
Over analyzing task
What is somatic anxiety?
⚬ Physiological dimension
■ Perceptions of the automatic response of the body: increased
sweating, racing heart, muscle tension, and trembling.
More to do with the body
Trait and State Anxiety example
Trait: Perceiving a situation as a threat, such as a tennis player who gets extremely nervous before a match and experiences the same anxiety during training, with this mindset leading to performance-related anxiety.
State: A more temporary feeling of anxiety, only experienced during the tennis match itself.
What is trait anxiety?
Trait anxiety is a personality characteristic that remains relatively stable over time, a person high in trait anxiety will be frequently anxious almost irrespective of the situation.
What is State anxiety?
temporary feelings that can change from one moment to the next, or in different situations.
The dimensions of anxiety Response
Intensity, Frequency, Directional interpretation
The intensity of the anxiety symptoms
How much is the heart racing, how much are we thinking about the worries
The number (or frequency) of anxiety-related thoughts and physical symptoms
Measure in a percentage of time, what percentage of time are you thinking, can I do this or this
The directional interpretations (positive or negative) of anxiety symptoms
How do they perceive what is happening
Can be a great motivator, or terrible.
SOURCES OF ANXIETY - PERSONAL (Gender: sport vs Exercise)
Sport: Research findings are inconsistent.
Exercise: Women consistently report higher levels of social physique anxiety than men (Kowalski et al., 2006; O’Hara et al., 2014).
Social physique anxiety more pripominant in women
SOURCES OF ANXIETY - PERSONAL (Skill: Sport vs Exercise)
Sport: More skilled athletes view anxiety as facilitative, less skilled athletes see it as debilitative (Hanton & Jones, 1997).
Exercise: Experience has not been widely studied.
SOURCES OF ANXIETY - PERSONAL (trait: Sport vs Exercise)
Sport: Highly trait anxious athletes feel more intense anxiety but interpret it similarly to low trait anxious athletes.
Exercise: Those with high trait social physique anxiety avoid public exercise but may still work out privately.
SOURCES OF ANXIETY - PERSONAL (Confidence: Sport vs Exercise)
Sport: Higher self-confidence reduces pre-competitive anxiety and helps athletes view it as facilitative (Bray et al., 2000; Hanton et al., 2008).
Exercise: Low perceived ability raises anxiety, while confidence in appearing fit reduces social physique anxiety (Gammage et al., 2004).
SOURCES OF ANXIETY - PERSONAL (Coping: Sport vs Exercise)
Sport: Coping skills help manage anxiety before and during competition (Orlick & Partington, 1988; Haney, 2004).
Exercise: Adolescents use exercise to cope with social physique anxiety (Kowalski et al., 2006), but those with strong exercise identity and high anxiety may be at risk for exercise dependence (Cook et al., 2015).
SOURCES OF ANXIETY - ENVIRONMENTAL (Sport: Temporal Patterning of Anxiety)
• Somatic anxiety rises sharply just before
competition and decreasing during and after.
• Cognitive anxiety remains high and stable until
competition starts, then steadily decreases.
SOURCES OF ANXIETY - ENVIRONMENTAL (Exercise: Temporal Patterning of Anxiety)
New environments, mirrors, clothing choices, and exercising with others can increase social anxiety, especially in those with low confidence or high social physique anxiety. (Dasinger & Solmon, 2021; Focht & Hausenblas, 2004; Gammage et al., 2004).
How does cognitive anxiety change before and during competition?
Cognitive anxiety remains high until competition starts, and then it slowly decreases.
Underlining factors of Arousal
• High arousal results in physiological and psychological symptoms
• Neither pleasant nor unpleasant
• No ideal level of arousal for athletic performance
Underlining factors of Anxiety
• Elicited after an appraisal (an assessment)
• Universal across people from all cultures
• Distinct physiology
• Discrete facial expression
• Associated with “action tendencies”
Anxiety (Approach vs Avoidance)
Approach: You are appeasing that anxiety, seeing it has a challenge or a motivator, self talking self to believe it s a poster feeling
Avoidance: Mentally checking out, do not want to face it
Can Anxiety can heighten arousal?(explain)
• yes, the Feelings of worry, doubt, and nervousness can increase physiological arousal.
Arousal can lead to Anxiety (explain)
• When arousal levels become too high, an athlete may start feeling overwhelmed, perceiving their physiological arousal as excessive worry or doubt.
3 Specific types anxiety experienced by individuals in varying situations
Social anxiety
Competitive anxiety
Social physique anxiety
Social anxiety
occurs when people experience (or think they will experience) negative evaluations from others
Competitive anxiety
a feeling of nervousness or uneasiness that individuals can sometimes experience before or during an event.
Athletes can experience competition anxiety due to various reasons, such as: Pressure to win or perform well. Unrealistic expectations set by athletes themselves, coaches, parents or peers
Social physique Anxiety
feelings of distress or apprehension about others potentially evaluating one’s physical appearance in a negative manner
