Arousal is the state of readiness. Arousal is our level of alertness or readiness to perform our activity.
if arousal is too high = lose concentration and get stressed out
if arousal is too low = best performance is not reached
Theories of arousal:
drive theory
inverted U-theory
catastrophe experience
peak flow experience
Drive theory:
proposes a linear relationship between arousal and performance
as arousal increases, performance increases
performance increases proportional to arousal
Positives of drive theory:
demonstrated by elite athletes - as arousal increases, peformance increases. At high arousal previously learnt skills are referred to and these are correct
True for gross and simple skills as they require higher arousal for optimal performance e.g long jump
Negatives of drive theory:
doesn't apply to beginner. By increasing arousal performers often resort to previously learned skills because they are dominant but may be incorrect.
Even highly skilled players choke in highly charged situations
not true for fine and complex skills as they require lower arousal for optimal performance e.g darts
Inverted U-theory
as arousal increases so will performance, but only up to an optimal level of arousal
if arousal increases beyond optimal level performance will then decrease
Analysis of inverted U theory:
types of activity - complex tasks involve fine motor skills which require a low level of arousal for optimal performance and simple tasks involving gross motor skills which require a high level of arousal for optimal performance
skill level - advanced athletes rely on automatic motor programmes to perform skills, therefore can operates at high levels of arousal. Novice athletes need lower levels of arousal for optimal performance as they require more focus
Analysis of inverted U-theory:
personality - extroverts that enjoy excitement can cope with high level of arousal whereas introverts will generally perform better under low levels of arousal
Negatives of inverted U-theory:
all of points could be thought of as a weakness for the model (personality, skills, activity)
after optimal arousal is passed we often see a more rapid drop in performance. Not a steady decline
Positives of inverted U-theory
it accurately explains why we often see more mistakes a t higher level of arousal
the fact we can modify the optimal level of arousal depending on the skill type, skill level and personality can be thought of a positive.
catastrophe theory
as arousal increases so does performance but only up to optimal level
once athletes arousal is optimal there is a massive decline in performance
this drop is caused by an increase in both cognitive anxiety and a continuous increase in somatic anxiety.
after sudden drop if arousal decreases then performance can increase but not back to optimal level
Positive of catastrophe theory:
explains why we often see a sudden drop in performance rather than a steady decline
explains how performance can increase again if arousal is controlled
Negatives of catastrophe theory:
not all performers can have a sudden drop in performance, sometime is more gradual
some very high level athletes may be able to regain optimal performance even after showing the rapid decline in performance
Peak flow experience:
achieving optimum arousal levels which results in optimum performance
Automatic response
in the zone, only performance matters
Drive reduction
an individual may be motivated to complete a task which can be seen as a drive. When that drive is perceived as being fulfilled, then the drive is reduced.