Attention + Arousal/anxiety

Attention

active awareness of what is observed

3 types of attention

1, concentration

2, selective attention

3, divided attention

concentration

ability to perform with clear and present focus

focus

central point of attention

selective attention

focus on relevant info to inform decision making

situational awareness

ability to understand what is going on around them

attentional flexibility

• having skills to place focus on what it needs to be, at the right moment

• can be broad or narrow

internal distractors

• self talk

• loss of focus

• fatigue

• emotion

external distractors

• crowd

• photographs

• other players if aplicable

5 principles of effective concentration

1, decide to concentrate

2, focus on one thing at a time

3, mind is focused when doing exactly what is thought

4, lose concentration when you focus on things unable to control

5, focus inward when nervous, not inward when doubting

controlled distractions

allowing yourself to become aware of external distractors

attention techniques

• deliberate decisions

• trigger words

• mental practice

• routines

• performance goals

broad attentional focus

• perception of mulitple stimuli at same time

• EX: footballer managing ball with player movement at same time

associative focus

paying attention to bodily sensations

dissociative focus

blocking out physical effort sensations

External focus - Dart Example

proximal - focus on dart

distal - focus on board

autonomic arousal

fight or flight response

indicator of arousal

• increased heart rate

• increased stress levels

somatic anxiety

awareness of physiological changes that provide a signal to individuals that are anxious

constructs

intangible concepts (anxiety/fatigue) that need to be measured through many indicators

Eustress

• little to no stress

• state of calmness

distress

• too much stress

• state of distress