Chapter 13: Arousal Regulation

why do we need to regulate arousal?

stress is part of our daily lives and pressure to perform has increased in sport

athletes who don’t effectively cope with stress may have decreases in performance as well as mental and physical distress

athletes need to be able to regulate arousal to stay focused and in control

why must an individual have self-awareness of their arousal?

this must happen before you can control your thoughts and feelings and therefore employ appropriate arousal regulation strategies (reduction, maintenance, induction)

how individuals cope with anxiety is more important than how much anxiety they experience

how do elite athletes typically view their anxiety?

as facilitative rather than debilitative

what are the three categories of anxiety-reducing techniques?

somatic anxiety reduction, cognitive anxiety reduction, and multimodal anxiety reduction packages

what principles are common to all methods of anxiety reduction?

lowering of muscle tension, focusing on the present moment and on body sensations, relaxing breathing

what is progressive relaxation?

learn to feel the tension in your muscles and then to let go of the tension

positive relationship between the use of this technique and sport performance

what is breath control?

when you are under pressure and tense, your breathing is short, shallow, and irregular

when you are calm, confident and in control, your breathing is smooth, deep, and rhythmic (focus on this)

what is biofeedback?

the process of increasing awareness and regulating physiological processes (ex: heart rate variability), often through technological means, to aid in arousal and attentional and emotional self-regulation

this helps you become more aware of your autonomic nervous system and learn to control your physiological and autonomic responses by receiving physiological feedback not normally available

what is neurofeedback?

provides feedback via brain waves

has become more popular for helping athletes understand their thought processes and increasing athletes’ self-awareness, which in turn increases their ability to self-regulate

what is the effect of biofeedback and neurofeedback training on brain waves and bodily reactions?

it is positive (ex: lowered heart rate)

what is the relaxation response?

it teaches individuals to quiet the mind, concentrate, and reduce muscle tension by applying the elements of meditation

what is autogenic training?

focuses on producing two physical sensations - warmth and heaviness - to produce a relaxed state

what is systematic desensitization?

it aims to reduce anxiety responses to stimuli by trying to have a response antagonistic to anxiety at the same time of the anxiety-provoking stimuli

what is cognitive-affective stress management training (SMT)?

it teaches a person specific integrated coping responses using relaxation and cognitive components to control emotional arousal

what are the five phases of cognitive-affective SMT?

1. pretreatment phase (assess skills and deficits)

2. treatment rationale phase

3. skill acquisition (training in muscular relaxation, cognitive restructuring, and self-instruction)

4. skill rehearsal

   1. post-training evaluation

what is stress inoculation training (SIT)?

an individual is exposed to and learns to cope with stress (via productive thoughts, mental images, and self-statements) in increasing amounts, thereby enhancing his or her immunity to stress

what are the steps of stress inoculation training (SIT)?

1. prepare for the stressor (“Its going to be rough; keep your cool”)

2. control and handle the stressor (“Keep your cool since he’s losing his cool”)

3. cope with feelings of being overwhelmed (“Keep focused; what do you have to do next?”)

   1. evaluate coping efforts (“You handled yourself well”)

what is pressure training?

specific strategies designed to create and expose athletes to pressure in practice so they are better able to cope with pressure in actual competition

demands of training

consequences of training

what are the three phases of pressure training?

phase 1: preparation & design

phase 2: delivery & implementation

phase 3: debrief & review

group debriefs may need to be supplemented with one-on-one meetings to account for individual differences

what approach to anxiety reduction appears to be the most effective in terms of performance enhancement?

the multimodal approach

what is the matching hypothesis?

it states that an anxiety management technique should be matched to a particular problem (some crossover effects occur)

what are the predictions of the matching hypothesis?

cognitive anxiety should be treated with mental relaxation

somatic anxiety should be treated with physical relaxation

if you are not sure what type of anxiety is most problematic, however, use a multimodal technique

what is the relationship between the matching hypothesis and social support?

to produce maximum anxiety reduction, the specific types of social support (ex: informational, emotional) should be matched to the specific anxiety problem (ex: competitive pressure, technical problems) experienced

what is coping?

the process of constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external or internal demands or conflicts appraised as taxing or exceeding one’s resources

athletes must learn a broad spectrum of coping strategies to use in difference situations and for different sources of stress

what are the two types of coping?

problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping

what is problem-focused coping?

efforts to alter or manage the problems that are causing stress (ex: time management, problem solving)

use this method when stressful situations can be changed

what is emotion-focused coping?

regulating the emotional responses to the problem that causes the stress (ex: through relaxation, meditation)

use this method when situations are not amenable to change

what are some coping techniques used by athletes?

thought control (ex: blocking distractions), task focus or narrowing, rational thinking and self-talk, positive focus and orientation, social support, precompetitive mental preparation and anxiety management, time management, training hard and smart

what are some coping findings from Olympic athletes?

more successful athletes were better prepared for unexpected events such as bad calls from officials

factors negatively influencing performance that must be coped with included departure from normal routine, coach, issues, injury and overtraining

psychological skills were developed to cope with various Olympic stressors (all athletes reported the importance of some aspect of mental preparation)

what are some coping strategies used by world-class coaches?

structuring and planning, psychological skills, support, distraction, experience and learning, maintaining positive coach-athlete relationships

what are “the yips”?

(most commonly associated with golf putting) a psychoneuromuscular condition that lies on a continuum anchored by focal dystonia (ex: involuntary tremors, freezing, or jerking of the hands) and choking (type II)

usually caused by anxiety, nerves, or choking in high-pressure situations

what are some strategies for coping with the yips?

relaxation training (either mental or physical)

positive thinking (tied to a multimodal relaxation procedure such as cognitive-affective stress management)

visualization

systematic desensitization (because fear and anxiety appear to be a central component of the yips)

why is resiliency important to study?

because participants need to effectively bounce back from adversity (ex: injury, poor performance, being cut from a team)

many individuals not only survive but gain positive attributes because of adversity

what has been found in resiliency research?

at the heart of the resilience process is the use of a variety of coping strategies

mental toughness and person resources are keys to successful coping

social support was seen as critical to successful coping; and although coping can at times be unpleasant, positive outcomes like gaining perspective can result

what are the benefits reaped from resilience training?

it improves not only personal resilience but can also enhance mental health and subjective well-being, reduce anxiety, and increase performance

what is the group structure of a resilient team?

positive group norms and values, clearly defining communication channels

what are the mastery approaches of a resilient team?

effective behavioral responses, effectively managing change

what is the social capital of a resilient team?

social support and a strong group identity

what is the collective efficacy of a resilient team?

group cohesion, positive communications after failure

what are some tips to develop resilience?

develop a core set of beliefs that nothing can shake

try to find meaning in whatever stressful event has happened

try to maintain a positive outlook

take cues from someone who is especially resilient

don’t run from things that scare you; face them

be quick to reach out for support

learn new things as often as you can

find an exercise regimen you can stick to

don’t beat yourself up or dwell on the past

what are some on-site relaxation tips?

smile when you feel tension coming on

have fun - enjoy the situation

set up stressful situations in practice

slow down; take your time

stay focused on the present

come prepared with a good game plan

what are some signs of underarousal?

moving slowly, not getting set

mind wandering, being easily distracted

lack of concern about how one will perform

lack of anticipation or enthusiasm

heavy feeling in the legs, no bounce

how should arousal be raised?

in a deliberate fashion with awareness of optimal arousal states

what are some arousal-inducing techniques?

increase breathing rate, act energized, use mood words and positive statements, yell or shout, listen to music, use energizing imagery, complete a precompetition workout

what are some guidelines for a successful pregame talk?

give the team a plan, make the team believe they can win, do not lie, be yourself, use humor