Arousal and Anxiety

• Drive Theory

  Task performance is affected by:

  • Complexity of the task
  • Physiological arousal
  • Dominant response

  The more aroused we become the more likely we are to produce our dominant response.
• The Inverted U Hypothesis

  There is an optimum level of arousal for every task we perform. Performance initially increases with increased arousal but then performance gradually tails off if the arousal continues to increase. If a performer has gone over the top all that’s required to reinstate peak performance is a slight reduction in arousal.
• Trait anxiety - a stable part of a persons personality.

  State anxiety - the anxiety felt before and during a sporting competition.
• Somatic anxiety - physical anxiety, such as increased heart rate and butterflies in the stomach.

  Cognitive anxiety - Doubting your own ability and worrying about failure.
• Measuring Anxiety

  • Self report
  • Physiological measures
• FAZEY & HARDY

  There are at least three issues with the inverted U hypothesis:

  • The terms stress, arousal and anxiety were used interchangeably
  • No previous research has considered the influence of the different anxiety systems on the stress response
  • it assumes performance will gradually tail off once stress exceeds the optimum level of arousal
• FAZEY & HARDY

  The Catastrophe Model

  if an athletes arousal is too high, their performance will fall off a cliff and performance has to start increasing again from scratch. The arousal can’t be slightly reduced to peak performance like in the inverted U model. Self-confidence and task difficulty can move the tipping point left or right.
• APPLICATION - Biofeedback

  • get wired up to a bio feedback monitor
  • engage in a relaxation exercise and watch the screen
  • if the heart rate/muscle tension decreases, you know the relaxation technique is working (positive reinforcement)
  • practice this
  • apply it when under pressure in sport
• APPLICATION - Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)

  REBT aims to bring about the reduction of the rational beliefs and the promotion of positive ones.

  Turner & Barker - young cricketers, who attended REBT sessions and found that irrational beliefs and cognitive anxiety remained reduced over a 4-8 week period.
• APPLICATION - Improve confidence of the athlete

  • practicing skills
  • make it a more dominant response
  • be aware of strengths
  • be aware of opposition weakness