Arousal and Anxiety in Sport
Arousal
Definition: Level of activation of the central nervous system, a blend of physiological and psychological activity.
Nature: Non-directive; can be facilitative or debilitative.
Optimality: Optimal level varies based on task demands.
Signs: Increased heart rate, flushed face, sweaty palms, rapid breathing, disrupted movement, internalised/narrowed attention.
Effect on Attention:
Increases lead to attentional narrowing, focusing on task-relevant stimuli.
Excessive arousal causes missed cues and disrupted performance.
Attentional Field: Optimal (moderate arousal), too broad (low arousal), too narrow (high arousal).
Anxiety
Definition: Negative emotional state concerning uncertainties or threats, characterised by nervousness, worry, apprehension, and bodily tension.
Interpretation: Effectively negatively interpreted arousal (Kremer et al., 2012).
Components:
Cognitive Anxiety: Worry and apprehension.
Somatic Anxiety: Degree of physiological activation.
Sources: Perceived importance of competition, predisposition, attributions, lack of confidence.
Impact: Does not necessarily impact performance negatively; can be unpleasant but potentially essential.
Dimensions of Anxiety
Trait Anxiety: An acquired behavioural tendency or stable predisposition to feel anxiety across situations (a personality trait).
State Anxiety: Situation-specific anxiety response at a given point in time, changing moment-to-moment.
High trait anxiety often results in heightened state anxiety.
Sub-components:
Cognitive State Anxiety: Moment-to-moment changes in worries and negative thoughts.
Somatic State Anxiety: Moment-to-moment changes in perceived physiological arousal.
Perceived Control State Anxiety: Degree to which one has resources and ability to meet challenges.
Factors Contributing to Anxiety (Endler & Kocovski, 2001)
Threat to a person’s ego.
Threat of personal harm.
Ambiguity.
Disruption of routine.
Threat of a negative social evaluation.
Pre-Competition Anxiety Dynamics
Somatic state anxiety typically increases sharply closer to the event.
Cognitive state anxiety can start high earlier and remain high or fluctuate before competition ().