Anxiety and Sport Performance – Measurement and Regulation.
Selye, (1983) (Cited in Cox, 2007, p.198) describes anxiety as a multidimensional emotion that is triggered by either eustress or distress. It has a trait component, which reflects personality dispositions, and a state component, which is situation specific. Both trait and state anxiety display cognitive (mental) and somatic (physical) symptoms (Kais, 2005). He describes how anxiety can have positive, facilitating or negative, debilitating effects upon performance. Therefore, it is important that professional sport psychologists, coaches and athletes are aware of the effects anxiety has upon performance. It is also important to remember that each athlete will interpret anxiety differently, …show more content…
This is because it can affect their self-esteem. They define anxiety as an emotional state that inflicts feelings of apprehension upon the individual, along with other psychosomatic symptoms such as fear, nausea and increased arousal, accompanied by heightened autonomic system activity. Arousal can be defined as a ‘’level of physiological and behavioural responsiveness, which tends to vary between sleep and full alertness” (Weinberg & Gould, 2011). These feelings characterise state anxiety, which is brought on by a lack of confidence. Campbell and Willis, (1992), describe state anxiety as transitory because the feelings tend to pass and remain for a just brief period of time. The effect state anxiety has upon arousal can be demonstrated by Yerkes and Dodson’s (1908) inverted-U theory. The theory states that arousal facilitates optimum performance up to certain level (the peak of the curvilinear bell-shape), but debilitates it after this. Therefore, an increase in anxiety improves performance when it is lower but debilitates it when it is too high (Raugh and Giulio, 2010). Trait anxiety, on the other hand, is relatively stable. Campbell and Willis, (1992), suggest that individuals who exhibit high trait anxiety tend to respond with greater levels of state anxiety and are more sensitive to any circumstance they perceive will threaten their self-esteem. They explain that high levels of trait …show more content…
This is a method that can be immediately applied. If the performer visualises themselves performing the task well then this could increase motivation and in turn self-confidence, thus, reducing the debilitative effects of anxiety (Cox, 2007, p.269).
Each performer will experience different levels of trait anxiety, specifically the cognitive component and they would also evaluate and perceive threats differently. This could influence which coping style would be most beneficial. Therefore, it is important to match anxiety manifestations with the appropriate coping mechanisms.
Self – efficacy theory describes the ways in which an athlete and sport psychologist can help control anxiety by increasing self-efficacy. The psychologist could remind the athlete of previous success, they could watch others of similar ability perform the task successfully (vicarious experiences). They could also control arousal by recognising somatic symptoms, such as increased HR, BP and respiration as readiness for activity rather than nerves and also convince them they have the ability to perform the skill well - this would be an example positive self-talk if the athlete were to engage in
Selye, (1983) (Cited in Cox, 2007, p.198) describes anxiety as a multidimensional emotion that is triggered by either eustress or distress. It has a trait component, which reflects personality dispositions, and a state component, which is situation specific. Both trait and state anxiety display cognitive (mental) and somatic (physical) symptoms (Kais, 2005). He describes how anxiety can have positive, facilitating or negative, debilitating effects upon performance. Therefore, it is important that professional sport psychologists, coaches and athletes are aware of the effects anxiety has upon performance. It is also important to remember that each athlete will interpret anxiety differently, …show more content…
This is because it can affect their self-esteem. They define anxiety as an emotional state that inflicts feelings of apprehension upon the individual, along with other psychosomatic symptoms such as fear, nausea and increased arousal, accompanied by heightened autonomic system activity. Arousal can be defined as a ‘’level of physiological and behavioural responsiveness, which tends to vary between sleep and full alertness” (Weinberg & Gould, 2011). These feelings characterise state anxiety, which is brought on by a lack of confidence. Campbell and Willis, (1992), describe state anxiety as transitory because the feelings tend to pass and remain for a just brief period of time. The effect state anxiety has upon arousal can be demonstrated by Yerkes and Dodson’s (1908) inverted-U theory. The theory states that arousal facilitates optimum performance up to certain level (the peak of the curvilinear bell-shape), but debilitates it after this. Therefore, an increase in anxiety improves performance when it is lower but debilitates it when it is too high (Raugh and Giulio, 2010). Trait anxiety, on the other hand, is relatively stable. Campbell and Willis, (1992), suggest that individuals who exhibit high trait anxiety tend to respond with greater levels of state anxiety and are more sensitive to any circumstance they perceive will threaten their self-esteem. They explain that high levels of trait …show more content…
This is a method that can be immediately applied. If the performer visualises themselves performing the task well then this could increase motivation and in turn self-confidence, thus, reducing the debilitative effects of anxiety (Cox, 2007, p.269).
Each performer will experience different levels of trait anxiety, specifically the cognitive component and they would also evaluate and perceive threats differently. This could influence which coping style would be most beneficial. Therefore, it is important to match anxiety manifestations with the appropriate coping mechanisms.
Self – efficacy theory describes the ways in which an athlete and sport psychologist can help control anxiety by increasing self-efficacy. The psychologist could remind the athlete of previous success, they could watch others of similar ability perform the task successfully (vicarious experiences). They could also control arousal by recognising somatic symptoms, such as increased HR, BP and respiration as readiness for activity rather than nerves and also convince them they have the ability to perform the skill well - this would be an example positive self-talk if the athlete were to engage in