Sports Psychology - Arousal Flashcards
What is arousal?
- Represents the intensity of motivation.
- can be positive or negative
- increased arousal can cause a state of readiness
What can happen if arousal is too high?
Loss of concentration and overaroused, e.g. stressed out.
What is Hull’s drive theory?
– There is a linear relationship between arousal and performance.
– A very high level of arousal = high performance level
– If the dominant response is correct, performance will be enhanced if incorrect it will decrease.
What is the equation for drive theory?
P = f(H xD)
P = performance
F = function
H = habit
D = drive
What is drive reduction?
An individual may be motivated to complete a task. When that drive is perceived as being fulfilled, then the drive is reduced.
What is reactive inhibition?
When a performer thinks they’ve done their best and reached their goals so they stopped trying as hard and this inhibits effort = leading to decreased performance.
What is Yerkes and Dodson’s Inverted U theory?
- As arousal level increases so does performance BUT only only up to an optimum point.
- once past the optimum performance decreases.
How can the inverted U theory be applied to types of activities?
– If the activity involves fine controlled movement around needs to be low for optimum performance.
– If the activity is more gross arousal needs to be high.
How can school levels be applied to the inverted U theory?
– Highly skilled: actions need little conscious attention so they can cope with higher arousal levels.
– Low skilled: need to attend to many details so low levels of arousal is needed for optimum performance.
How can personality be applied to the inverted U theory?
– Extroverts can cope with higher arousal levels introverts vice versa.
– This is backed up by the link between the RAS and personality.
What is catastrophe theory?
– As arousal increases there is a sudden and dramatic job in performance.
– many top sports people go to pieces in the big event
– Somatic and cognitive anxiety interact with each other for determining their reaction in high levels of stress
– when somatic anxiety is low and cognitive anxiety is high it will improve performance.
What will happen if there is an increasing cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety?
Performance will decline
What is the peak flow experience?
– A feeling when almost nothing can go wrong
– Top athletes relate to being in the zone where all that matters is performance
– Peak flow can be explained by the arousal theories
– All the theories related to arousal show that performance is related to the amount of inner drive and self motivation.
– There are mental strategies which can help performers achieve this experience to motivate them to want to repeat it
What is the reticular activating system?
– Located in the central core of the brain stem and maintains our levels of arousal.
– it can enhance or inhibit incoming sensory stimuli.
– According to the theories linked to the biological basis of personality Extrovert tend to inhibit the intensity of the stimuli & introverts tend to increase the intensity.
What did Eysenck say about the reticular activating system?
– Introverts dislike high arousal conditions because there RAS is already stimulated.
– Extrovert seek high arousal levels because their RAS lacks stimulation.
