Exam Three Sports Psychology Arousal Regulation

Why Regulate Arousal?

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

athletes need to be able to stay focused and in control

Self-Awareness of Arousal

the first step

once you are aware of optimal arousal, you can employ arousal regulation (reduction, maintenance, induction) strategies

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

elite athletes see thier anxiety as facilitative rather than debilitative

Anxiety Can Produce

excess muscle tension

negative thoughts

Interpretation of Anxiety (Thomas et al., 2007)

post performance

1 or 2 days prior to competition

day of competition

Somatic Anxiety Reduction

physiological

Cognitive Anxiety Reduction

mental

Multimodal Anxiety Reduction Packages

physical and mental

implement during competition

Somatic Anxiety Reduction- Progressive Relaxation (Edmund Jacobson, 1938)

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

possible to learn difference between tension and relaxation

tension and relaxation are mutually exclusive

relaxation of the muscles will relax the mind

Somatic Anxiety Reduction- Breath Control

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

when you are calm, confident, and in control, your breathing is smooth, deep, and rhythmic

use during competition (during time out, stoppage of play)

breath 1:2 count

Somatic Anxiety Reduction- Biofeedback

electronic monitoring of muscle activity, skin temperature, brain waves, heart rate, etc.

awareness of your autonomic nervous system and learning to control your physiological and autonomic responses by receiving physiological feedback not normally availible

sound and/or visual feedback

classical and operant conditioning

Cognitive Anxiety Reduction- Relaxation Response (Benson & Proctor, 1984)

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

20 minutes a day: quiet place, be comfortable (but not enough to sleep), focus on mental device (word or thought), be passive (let images enter and leave at will) and refocus on word

lower lactate levels, less self-reported tension, and enhanced performance

Cognitive Anxiety Reduction- Autogenic Training/Hypnosis

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

form of self-hypnosis

10-40 minutes daily: heaviness in extremities (““my right arm is heavy”), warmth in extremities (“my arm is warm and relaxed”), regulation of cardiac activity, regulation of breathing, abdominal warmth, cooling of the forehead

Multimodal Anxiety Reduction Packages- Cognitive-Affective Stress Management Training (SMT)

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

accounts for situation, cognitions, and somatic repsonses

combines physical and mental relaxation strategies into an integrated response

4 stages: pretreatment assessment, treatment rationale, skill acquisition, skill rehearsal

Multimodal Anxiety Reduction Packages- 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

build confidence

systemic desensitization

4 steps: prepare for the stressor (“it’s going to be rough, keep your cool”), control and handle the stressor (“keep your cool since he’s losing his cool”), cope with feelings of being overwhelmed (“keep focused: what do you have to do next?”), evaluate coping efforts (“you handled yourself well”)

Hypnosis

an altered state of consciousness that can be induced by a procedure in which a person is in an unusually relaxed state and responds to suggestions designed to alter perceptions, feelings, thoughts, and actions

the more open individuals are to receiving suggestions, the more likely they are to benefit from suggestions given under hypnosis

the deeper the trance, the more likely that suggestions given under hypnosis will be effective

general arousal techniques are more useful than hypnotic suggestions in enhancing muscular strength and endurance

positive suggestions are effective in facilitating performance, regardless of whether the athlete is hypnotized

negative suggestions almost always cause a decrement in performance

hypnotic responsiveness depeds more on the efforts and abilities of the individual being hypnotized than on the skill of the therapist

the ability to experience hypnotic phenomena does not indicate gullibility or personality weakness

Stages of Hypnotic Intervention- Induction Phase

establish trust of hypnotist

focus on relaxation of thoughts and feelings

use imagery or attentional focus

Stages of Hypnotic Intervention- Hypnotic Phase

give suggestions to client

Stages of Hypnotic Intervention- Waking Phase

suggestion of waking (“wake on 3”)

Stages of Hypnotic Intervention- Posthypnotic Phase

Experience change when encountering the situation

The Matching Hypothesis

an anxiety management technique should be matched to a particular problem

some crossover effects occur

follow predictions of matching hypothesis

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

Cognitive anxiety should be treated with…

mental relaxation

Somatic anxiety should be treated with…

physical relaxation

Coping

a process of constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands or conflicts appraised as taxing or exceeding one’s resources (Lazarus & Fokman, 1984)

Problem-Focused Coping

manage problem causing stress

Emotion Focused Coping

manage response to stress

Major Problem-Focused Coping Categories

information gathering

pre-competition and competition plans

goal setting

time management skills

problem solving

increasing effort

self-talk

adhering to injury rehabilitation program

Major Emotion-Focused Coping Categories

meditation

relaxation

wishful thinking

reappraisal

self-blame, mental and behavioral withdrawal

cognitive efforts to change the meaning (but no the actual problem or environment) of the situation

Coping Strategies Frequently Used by Athletes

task focus

rational thinking and self-talk

positive focus and orientation

social support

mental preparation and anxiety management

time management

training hard and smart

Active (problem-focused) and avoidance (withdrawal coping) were effective in…

reducing the immediate stress of competition

When looking at long-term variables (satisfaction, continued participation)…

active coping produced a positive relationship, whereas a negative relationship was found with avoidance coping

Coping in Sport

gender, age and pubertal status can influence both the type of coping strategy employed and its perceived effectiveness

coping appears to be situation specific

there are great individual differences in coping strategies and each athlete has to find what works best for him or her in specific situations

Coping With Emotions

self-statement modification

imagery

socratic dialogue

corrective experiences

vicarious learning

self-analysis

storytelling, metaphors, and poetry

reframing

Keys to Generalizing Coping Strategies

recognition of stimulus generality

broad application of coping skills

personal significance of coping application

internal locus of control of coping skill

learned resourcefulness

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

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 legs, no bounce

Background of Arousal-Inducing Techniques

goal: to get athletes at an optimal level of arousal

often things such as pep talks and motivational speeches can over arouse athletes

if arousal is to be raised, it should be done in a deliberate fashion with awareness of optimal arousal states

Arousal-Inducing Techniques

increase breathing rate

act energized

use mood words and positive statements

listen to music

use energizing imagery

complete a pre-competition workout

Guidelines for a Coach’s Successful Pregame Talk

give them a plan

make them believe they can win

do not lie

be yourself

use humor