A. What are arousal, stress, and anxiety?
Arousal is a blend of physiological and psychological activity, and
intensity that can vary from low to high
Anxiety refers to a negative emotional state and has a cognitive component (worry and negative thoughts) and somatic [bodily] component (changes in certain physiological processes of the CNS)
There is state anxiety-refers
to changing mood depending on situations
There is trait anxiety-refers to a disposition or personality
trait to be anxious (predisposed to anxiety) across varied situations
The physiological and behavioral symptoms of anxiety make up the “fight-or flight response”
The physiological changes result from activation of two neuroendocrine systems controlled by the hypothalamus: the sympathetic nervous system causing changes in glands and smooth muscles; and the adrenal-cortical system that causes the pituitary gland to secret the stress hormone ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). Stress hormones are carried via the blood stream to relevant organs and muscles
Typically, anxiety
and arousal are measured by self-report although there are physiological
measures of CNS functioning
Discussion: Complete the anxiety scales found on page 83. What have you learned about yourself? How do the scores on one relate to the other?
Stress occurs when there
are demands placed on a person that cannot be easily met. There is an environmental demand, the
person’s subjective interpretation of that demand, the person’s stress response
(worries, increased activation), and finally actually behavior to meet that
demand.
Question: List five sources of stress and five sources of anxiety for you. How do the lists differ? How can the sources be classified?
Common sources of
situational stress:
Event Importance
Uncertainty of outcome (related to
controllability)
B. How does arousal (drives) affect performance?
The inverted-U
hypothesis
Arousal increases performance to a point
C. There are great individual differences in individuals’
optimum arousal levels (IZOF model)
D.
Cognitive and physiological anxiety may have different effects on
performance
E.
High levels of worry usually enhance performance compared to low worry
up to a certain point. If worry is
excessive, performance drops greatly (catastrophe model) and it may be
difficult to then regain that level of performance
F.
Anxiety may greatly enhance performance if it is viewed as facilitative
to performance rather than debilitative
G. How exactly does arousal influence
performance?
1. Stress causes muscle tension, poor coordination, and
other negative physiological states. Stress may also cause illness, loss of sleep, and other personal
problems that interfere with performance
2. Stress affects attention, concentration, and focus on irrelevant cues
3. Stress affects
self-image and confidence
Question: Taking what you know about the effects of arousal on performance, is there a particular individual sport where arousal effects might be most pronounced?