Comprehensive Guide to Arousal, Anxiety, and Performance in Sports

What is arousal?

Arousal is the activation of the body's organs controlled by the autonomic nervous system, often associated with stress.

What are the two types of stress?

Eustress (positive stress) and distress (negative stress).

How does arousal relate to motivation?

Arousal is the intensity dimension of motivation, which is the direction and intensity of effort.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a subjective feeling of apprehension accompanied by heightened physiological arousal.

What are the five factors associated with anxiety according to Endler (1978)?

1. Threat to self-esteem, 2. Threat to personal harm, 3. Fear of the unknown, 4. Fear of disruption of daily habits, 5. Fear of negative evaluation from others.

What is trait anxiety?

A relatively permanent personality disposition to perceive a wide variety of stimuli as threatening.

What is state anxiety?

An emotional state characterized by apprehension, fear, and tension, accompanied by physiological arousal.

What is cognitive state anxiety?

The mental component of state anxiety characterized by worry and apprehension.

What is somatic state anxiety?

The physiological component of state anxiety, associated with symptoms like increased heart rate and clammy hands.

How does anxiety develop according to McGrath (1970)?

An objective demand leads to a perception of threat, which is affected by trait anxiety, resulting in a state anxiety reaction.

What are some methods to measure anxiety in sports?

Observation, questionnaires (e.g., Sport Competition Anxiety Test), and asking the athlete.

What does Hull & Spence's Drive Theory state?

Performance equals arousal multiplied by skill level; increased arousal elicits the dominant response.

What is the Inverted-U hypothesis?

Arousal and performance follow an inverted U curve, where optimal arousal improves performance, but too much or too little arousal decreases it.

What is Hanin's Zone of Optimal Functioning?

The optimal level of arousal varies across athletes, and determining an athlete's pre-start optimal level can enhance performance.

What does Fazey and Hardy's Catastrophe model suggest?

Performance drops dramatically when arousal exceeds a certain level, requiring the athlete to lower physiological arousal to stabilize performance.

What are some relaxation strategies for managing anxiety?

Muscle to Mind Relaxation (e.g., breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation) and Mind to Muscle Relaxation (e.g., meditation, visualization).

What are energization strategies in sports?

Goal setting, pep talks, breathing exercises, imagery, verbal cues, physical warm-up, and cognitive restructuring.

What is attention?

possession of the mind, focusing on one out of several possible objects or thoughts, implying withdrawal from others.

What is concentration?

conscious, effortful focusing of attention.

What does the Memory Systems model suggest about attention?

Attention is limited; beginners use more space for physical skills, while experts use it for cognitive skills.

What does Kahneman's (1973) theory state about attention?

A person's ability to perform several tasks simultaneously is limited, indicating a finite amount of attention.

What is selective attention?

The ability to gate out or ignore information.

What does the term 'attenuate' refer to in the context of attention?

The ability to reduce the input of stimulation.

What is the cocktail party effect?

The ability to unconsciously filter stimuli, allowing one to focus on a single conversation in a noisy environment.

What is the bottleneck effect in attention?

The phenomenon where information is gated out or never analyzed due to limited processing capacity.

What are Nideffer's dimensions of attention?

Attention shifts as sport skills progress, influenced by individual differences in sports and playing positions.

What is the TAIS?

The Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style, a measure of attention skills dispositions.

What are problem-focused coping styles?

aim to address the source of stress directly.

What is the difference between approach and avoidance coping styles?

Approach coping involves association with the problem, while avoidance coping involves dissociation from it.

What are external strategies to keep concentration?

Techniques such as dress rehearsal, simulated competitions, and mental rehearsal.

What is the purpose of mental imagery in sports?

To create or recreate experiences in the mind using the senses, aiding in skill acquisition and performance.

What is the psycho neuromuscular theory of imagery?

The theory that muscles used in a skill are slightly innervated during imagery.

What are mediating variables in imagery?

Factors such as imagery ability, perspective, relaxation, and vividness that influence the effectiveness of imagery.

What is the definition of aggression in sports?

The intent to physically or psychologically harm another person.

What are the criteria for aggression?

Intent to harm, reasonable probability of harm being carried out, and the act directed against another person.

What is hostile aggression?

Aggression where the primary goal is to injure another person.

What is instrumental aggression?

Aggression where the intent to harm is present, but the goal is to achieve an external purpose.

What does the frustration-aggression theory state?

Frustration leads to an arousal of the aggressive drive, which results in aggressive behavior.

What is social learning theory in relation to aggression?

The theory that aggression is learned through observation and reinforcement of aggressive acts.

What is the revised frustration-aggression theory?

A combination of frustration-aggression theory and social learning theory, suggesting frustration leads to arousal and socially learned cues for aggression.

What factors increase the likelihood of aggression in sports?

High environmental temperature, perception of intent, low fear of retaliation, and game variables.

What is the concept of bracketed morality in sports?

The idea that normal moral standards can be suspended in the context of sports.

What are the four Ws of imagery in sports?

Where, when, why, and what is the content of the imagery used in training or competition.

What is the significance of attentional cues in sports?

They help athletes focus and refocus their attention during performance.

What is the role of mental practice in sports?

To enhance performance through techniques like visualization and self-talk.

What is the importance of developing performance protocols?

To create cues for concentration and prepare athletes mentally for competition.

What is the difference between imagery and visualization?

Imagery involves both seeing and feeling the experience, while visualization implies only seeing the skill.

What are some uses of imagery in sports?

Skill acquisition, maintenance, arousal regulation, and emotional rescripting.

What is social facilitation?

The enhancement of performance due to the presence of an audience or coactors.

Who first used the term social facilitation?

Allport in 1924.

What did Zajonc conclude about the presence of others?

It creates arousal, increasing the likelihood of the individual's dominant response.

What is the effect of increased arousal on performance for simple skills?

Performance improves as the dominant response is likely to be correct.

What happens to performance for complex skills under social facilitation?

Performance is impaired as the dominant response may be incorrect.

What is evaluation apprehension according to Cottrell?

The perception that others can observe and judge one's performance, which can sometimes calm rather than arouse.

What is social loafing?

A decrease in individual effort due to the presence of coworkers.

What is the Ringelmann Effect?

The decrease in average individual performance with increases in group size.

What are the two main causes of social loafing?

Losses in process and losses in motivation.

What is cohesion in a group context?

The total field of forces causing members to remain in the group.

What are the component forces of cohesion according to Carron?

Forces attracting members to the group and resistance to disruption.

What does the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) measure?

Attractions to the group task, attractions to the group social, group integration task, and group integration social.

What are some environmental factors that affect cohesion?

Normative considerations, organizational orientation, and group size.

What personal factors influence group cohesion?

Shared personal attributes, satisfaction, and shared perceptions.

What leadership factors can affect team cohesion?

Leader behavior, communication, and the coach-athlete relationship.

What are the consequences of team cohesion?

Improved performance, team stability, and increased self-deception.

What are the individual outcomes of team cohesion?

Increased satisfaction, role clarity, acceptance, and improved personal states.

What are the four stages needed for moral action?

Interpreting a situation morally, deciding what the right thing is, choosing to act, and carrying out the moral action.

What is hazing in sports?

Humiliating or dangerous initiation activity, more common in contact/team sports.

What strategies can enhance character development in sports?

Define good sporting behavior, reinforce good behavior, model appropriate behavior, and discuss moral dilemmas.

What are Hellison's Levels of Responsibility?

Levels ranging from irresponsibility to caring, indicating higher responsibility leads to higher social responsibility.

How can sport participation reduce delinquency?

Through differential association, social bonding, labeling hypothesis, and economic strain reduction.

What is the relationship between cohesion and performance?

There is a circular relationship; it is debated which comes first, cohesion or performance.

What is the impact of professionalization on character in sports?

Longer athlete involvement leads to a stronger emphasis on winning, which can lower moral reasoning.

How does task orientation affect morality in sports?

associated with higher morality, while ego orientation is linked to lower morality.

What is the role of coaches and educators in sports?

They influence moral and character growth and teach how sport values transfer to life.

Define resilience in the context of sports.

The ability to bounce back from hardship.

List three attributes of resilience.

Social competence, autonomy, optimism and hope.

How can resilience be built in athletes?

By focusing on strengths, supporting whole-child needs, respecting individuality and culture, giving athletes input and responsibility, setting clear values and expectations, providing safe environments, and maintaining small and consistent programs.

What is burnout in sports?

A physical, emotional, and social withdrawal from a formerly enjoyable sport activity characterized by exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishments, and sport devaluation.

What causes burnout in athletes?

Chronic stress and motivational orientations, leading to an imbalance between expectations and response capabilities.

What are the characteristics of burnout?

Exhaustion, depersonalization, devaluation, feelings of low personal accomplishment, low self-esteem, failure, and depression.

What is staleness in sports?

A physiological state of overtraining that manifests as deteriorated athletic readiness.

What is the difference between periodized training and overtraining?

planned high-volume and high-intensity training followed by rest vs excessive training loads near maximum capacity.

What percentage of Atlantic Coast Conference athletes experience overtraining?

Sixty-six percent experience some overtraining on average twice a year.

What is the Cognitive-Affective Stress Model of burnout?

It reflects how individuals respond differently to prolonged stress in sport and exercise settings.

What does the Negative-Training Stress Response Model focus on?

The physical training stresses athletes physically and psychologically, leading to both positive and negative adaptations.

What is the Unidimensional Identity Development and External Control Model?

It suggests that burnout is caused by faulty identity development and external control of young athletes.

What is the Commitment and Entrapment Theory in relation to burnout?

It explains burnout as occurring when athletes feel they must continue in the sport despite losing motivation.

What are the three basic psychological needs according to Self-Determination Theory?

Autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

What factors lead to burnout in young athletes?

Training at younger ages, year-round training, and lack of free time.

What are physical signs of burnout?

Sleep disturbance, appetite loss, decreased performance, and greater fatigue.

What psychosocial signs indicate burnout?

Emotional exhaustion, apathy, increased tension, greater dejection, and concentration loss.

How does overtraining affect mood states in athletes?

Athletes experience increased mood disturbance under heavy training workloads, while successful athletes show high vigor and low negative mood.

What is the significance of providing strong adult role models in sports?

It helps create safe environments and supports the development of resilience in athletes.

What is the impact of parental pressure on athlete burnout?

contribute to feelings of stress and burnout in athletes.

What is the relationship between social support and burnout?

the amount of stress athletes feel, and their coping mechanisms

How does the structure of sport affect young athletes' identity development?

It prevents them from spending enough time with peers outside of sport, leading to a sole focus on athletic success.

What are the consequences of overtraining symptoms?

They increase with higher training volumes and decrease when training volume is reduced.

What is the inverted iceberg profile in overtrained athletes?

It shows pronounced negative mood states and low levels of vigor.

What is the role of commitment in the context of athlete burnout?

Athletes may feel entrapped in their sport, leading to burnout despite losing motivation.

What is a common psychological concern leading to burnout?

Inappropriate expectations and feeling a lack of improvement.