Anxiety

• Anxiety

  A state of nervousness and worry, a negative response to a threatening sporting situation
• Anxiety in sport

  Often arises as a result of the players perception of the situation
• Types of anxiety

  • Competitive Trait Anxiety
  • Competitive State Anxiety
• Competitive Trait Anxiety

  General disposition to suffer from nervousness in most sporting situations
• Competitive State Anxiety

  A nervous response to specific sporting situations
• Somatic symptoms of anxiety

  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Sweating
  • Muscle tension
  • Dry mouth
• Cognitive symptoms of anxiety

  • Attentional wastage
  • Poor decision making
  • Pressure
  • Learned helplessness
• Cognitive anxiety

  Has a negative linear relationship with performance
• Somatic anxiety

  Has an inverted U theory relationship with performance
• Cognitive anxiety is present much earlier than somatic anxiety
• Somatic anxiety

  Physiological responses/symptoms of anxiety
• Cognitive anxiety

  Mental/Psychological responses/symptoms of anxiety
• Competitive trait anxiety

  The performer has a natural tendency to become anxious in all sporting situations. They have a genetic predisposition (TRAIT)!
• Competitive state anxiety

  The performer is only anxious in specific sporting situations and often in high-pressure moments. Can be caused by negative past experiences.
• Methods of measuring anxiety

  • Self-report questionnaires
  • Observation
  • Physiological testing
• Self-report questionnaires

  Require the performer to answer a series of questions regarding how they feel in sporting situations as honestly as possible
• Observation

  The coach/psychologist simply watches the athlete during competitive situations
• Physiological testing

  Measures the athlete's physiological responses such as heart rate and blood pressure
• Advantages of self-report questionnaires

  • Quick
  • Cheap
  • Efficient - large number of players can do this
• Disadvantages of self-report questionnaires

  • Players may not understand the questions
  • Answers may depend on mood state
  • Questions may be inappropriate or leading
  • Responses can be influenced by time taken to complete
• Advantages of observation

  • True to life
• Disadvantages of observation

  • Subjective
  • Time consuming
  • Performer may change behaviour if aware of being observed
• Advantages of physiological testing

  • Factual data
  • Can be taken during performance
• Disadvantages of physiological testing

  • Equipment can be restrictive
  • Equipment can be expensive
  • Performer may become aware of being monitored
• Cognitive strategies for overcoming anxiety

  • Mental imagery/rehearsal
  • Attentional control
  • Positive self-talk
  • Thought stopping
• Somatic strategies for overcoming anxiety

  • Mental imagery
  • Muscle relaxation
  • Biofeedback
  • Breathing control
• Other strategies for overcoming anxiety

  • Goal setting
  • Centring
• Physiological measures of anxiety

  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased sweating
  • Increased respiration rate
  • Increased hormone secretion
• Physiological measures are factual and can be measured in training or competition
• Physiological measures can be restrictive, expensive, and the performer may become aware of being monitored