Sports Psychology- Chapter 12

Analysis of blood levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol

biochemical measures of arousal

A specific to sports, multidimensional measure of state anxiety

CSAI-2

How is Catastrophe Theory different from Multidimensional Anxiety Theory? What is the implications for Susan's cognitive and somatic anxiety, and race performance, given Catastrophe Theory?

Catastrophe Theory criticizes Multidimensional Theory for not taking into account the interaction between cognitive and somatic anxiety. Catastrophe Theory attempts to address this interaction effect. What effect does somatic anxiety have on performance?" The answer is, it depends. It depends upon what is happening with cognitive anxiety. What effect does cognitive anxiety have on performance? The answer is, it depends. It depends upon what is happening with somatic anxiety. This is the way in which results are described when there is an interaction effect. According to Catastrophe Theory, what effect does somatic anxiety have on performance? It depends upon the level of cognitive anxiety: -Low cognitive anxiety = gentle inverted-U relationship between somatic anxiety and performance. -High cognitive anxiety = performance improvement as arousal increases to an optimal threshold, but increases past that point result in a catastrophic drop in performance. The implication for Susan is that as long as she is just somewhat worried, she should try to maintain a moderate level of somatic anxiety in order to run her best11 race. If she goes over this moderate level of arousal, she would simply see a progressive decline in performance. If she noticed this, she would likely be able to adjust her level of arousal, and improve her performance. However, if she is extremely worried, she should carefully modulate her somatic anxiety, so that it does not go above a moderate range. For example, if she is experiencing extreme cognitive anxiety at the start of the race, and she also feels an extreme burst of somatic anxiety, she is prone to a catastrophic decline in performance. She might stumble and fall, or go into a state of panic and leave the race. According to Catastrophe Theory, what effect does cognitive anxiety have on performance? It depends upon the level of somatic anxiety. -Low to optimal somatic anxiety = positive correlation between cognitive anxiety and performance. -High somatic anxiety = negative correlation between cognitive anxiety and performance. The implication for Susan is that as long as her somatic anxiety is in the low to moderate range, there will be a positive relationship between her cognitive anxiety and her performance. At these levels of arousal, worrying can actually help her performance. This might be called the work of worrying. The more cognitive anxiety Susan experiences, the more she prepares, the harder she works, and the better she performance- as long as her somatic anxiety is in the low to moderate range. However, if her somatic anxiety is in the high range, worrying will have the opposite effect. The more she worries the poorer she will perform. Apply this to your own experience studying for exams. If you are a little to moderately tense, worrying can actually motivate you to study. But if you are in a panic, too much worrying will only make things worse, and interfere with you ability to prepare for the exam.

First explain drive theory. Then address the following case example in terms of drive theory.: Jon just started playing basketball. A basketball free throw shooting competition has been planned for his school. Students will be shooting free throws in front of the entire school during assembly. Assuming that performing in front of an audience will increase his arousal, from the perspective of drive theory, what effect would this increase in arousal have on his free throw shooting during the competition?

Drive theory predicts a positive linear relationship between arousal and performance. ( This is depicted in a graph on page 228 of the text.) The more energy, the more behavior. An example of this is spinning class. Most spinning classes play music, and sometimes instructors even yell at participates, in order to increase arousal, and the speed of spinning on the bike. There is some support for drive theory for simple, well -learned, gross motor tasks (sprinting, cycling, weight lifting), but even under these circumstances drive theory falls apart at extremely high levels of arousal. I know someone who fell off his spinning bike because he got so excited! A more typical example, would be a weight lifter dropping a weight at high levels of excitement. Drive theory predicts that increases in arousal enhance the probability of making the dominant response. This would produce a positive linear relationship for welldeveloped skill where the dominant response is the correct response. However, if the dominant response is an error, the error or the miss is the behavior that will be enhanced by arousal. Since Jon is just learning to play, when he attemps10 free throw, he typically makes 3 and misses 7. Misses are the dominant response, and according to drive theory, would be energized or enhanced by arousal. If we were to plot the relationship between Jon's level of arousal and his performance on free throws, we would find a positive linear relationship between arousal and misses (the dominant response), but a negative linear relationship between arousal and makes8 (the desired response). So if an audience increases Jon's arousal, he is likely to perform more poorly in front of an audience.

Susan is feeling worried and tense about participating in an upcoming marathon. What would Multidimensional Anxiety Theory predict in terms of her cognitive anxiety, her somatic anxiety, and her performance?

Multidimensional Anxiety Theory tries to improved upon the Inverted-U Hypothesis by differentiating between cognitive and somatic anxiety. According to this theory, cognitive and somatic anxiety each effect performance differently.9 Cognitive anxiety is the thought component of fear and includes worrying and concentration problems. It increases when individuals worry about things like failing and being evaluated negatively by others. Cognitive anxiety is thought to stay relatively constant prior to competition, and then vary with the participant's expectations of success or failure during competitions. Somatic anxiety is the perception of bodily sensations associated with arousal such as increases in heart rate and muscle tension. Somatic anxiety functions much like a stimulus-response reaction. It will build or increase with nearness to a feared stimulus, but will then habituate or dissipate with continued exposure. As the moment of competition approaches, somatic anxiety builds, but then decreases once the competition begins. According to Multidimensional Theory, Susan's cognitive anxiety would stay constant as the race approaches. She might be worried about embarrassing herself by performing poorly in front of friends and family, or about practical issues such as the right clothing to wear, or where and when to use the rest rooms. This level of cognitive anxiety would remain constant for days, or even weeks, leading up to the race. However, once she begins racing, her cognitive anxiety will vary. If she believes that she is handling the race well, she will worry less, if she believes that she is handling the race poorly, she will worry more. Susan's somatic anxiety would increase as she gets closer to the starting line. She might even begin to feel butterflies the morning of the race, or even the night before, but her somatic anxiety will peak at the starting line when the gun signals the start of the race. As she runs, her somatic anxiety should decrease. As mentioned above, Multidimensional Theory posits that cognitive and somatic anxiety effect performance in different ways: Cognitive anxiety is hypothesized to have a negative linear relationship with performance. The more she worries the poorer she will perform. For example, during the race she might begin to worry if she will be able to finish the race. The more she worries about this, the more difficult it will be for her to perform well. Somatic anxiety is hypothesized to have a curvilinear relationship with performance, that would look like the inverted-U. If Susan can keep her somatic10 anxiety at a moderate level she will likely perform well. But if she feel sluggish or overly tense, she will not perform at her best in the race. You will find a slide in the power point outline that depicts the negative linear relationship associated with cognitive anxiety, and the curvilinear relationship associated with somatic anxiety, as predicted by Multidimensional Anxiety Theory.

A specific to sports, multidimensional measure of trait anxiety

SAS

According to the Inverted-U Hypothesis, what is the optimal level of arousal for maximal performance? How and why would this optimal level be modified for the skill of putting in golf?

The Inverted-U Hypothesis predicts that maximal performance will occur at moderate levels of arousal, and that performance will be poor at low and at high levels of arousal. According to the Inverted-U Hypothesis, performance improves progressively from low (under-arousal) to moderate arousal, and then performance declines progressively from moderate to high arousal (over-arousal). If we were to plot this relationship between performance and arousal it would be shaped like an inverted-U, a curvilinear relationship, as depicted in the figure on page 229 of the text. Most individuals have experienced the effects of under and over-arousal. If you were half asleep or overly excited when taking an exam, you would likely not perform at your best. This inverted-U must be modified to account for both individual factors, for example high trait anxiety versus low trait anxiety, and task factors, for example fine motor skills versus gross motor skills. Putting in golf is a fine motor skill, that requires complex perceptions and decision making, for example, reading the greens. In Table 12-4, golf is given a complexity score rating of 32+ and is associated with an optimal level of arousal of 1 (slight arousal). So, given the nature of the putting task, the inverted-U must be modified for this task, and the optimal level of arousal for maximal performance would be lowered. This is depicted in the figure on page 232 of the text.

Weight lifting

a task that would require higher level of optimal arousal and modifying the inverted-u

A negative emotional state

anxiety

A nondirective, generalized bodily reaction-activation

arousal

One problem with direct physiological measure of arousal is that different athletes react in different ways physiologically when aroused. For example, one athlete might react with an elevated heart rate, and another athlete might react with an increase in blood pressure. This is called the principle of __.

autonomic response stereotype

Addresses the interaction between cognitive and somatic anxiety on performance, such that when cognitive anxiety is high, increases in somatic anxiety beyond an optimal threshold, can have a catastrophic effect on performance

catastrophe theory

Multidimensional measures of anxiety measure both __ and __ anxiety.

cognitive and somatic

Thought component of anxiety, includes worry and concentration problems

cognitive anxiety

"Multidimensional anxiety posits that anxiety has two different components: a __ component associated with fear (worry) about the consequences of failure, and a __ component reflecting perception of physiological responses (such as heart rate).

cognitive; somatic

As complexity score ratings go up, the optimal levels of arousals for performance go __.

down

Increases in arousal enhance the probability of making the dominant response

drive theory

Predicts a linear relationship between arousal and performance

drive theory

Using stress in a constructive manner that benefits performance

eustress

According to Jones' control model of competition anxiety, symptoms of anxiety may be interpreted as __ or __, depending upon the athletes' perception of __.

facilitative, debilitative; control

The complexity score for this skill is high, 32+, and the optimal level of arousal is low, 1 (slight arousal)

golf

Low-skilled, introverted and high trait anxiety

individual differences or factors that would indicate a lower level of optimal arousal, modifying the inverted-u (page 233)

Experienced, low trait anxiety, extroverted

individual factors

Maximum performance is associated with moderate levels of arousal

inverted-u theory

Predicts that cognitive anxiety will have a negative linear relationship with performance, while somatic anxiety will have an inverted-u shaped relationship with performance

multidimensional theory

EEG, heart rate, and blood pressure

physiological measures of arousal

Optimal arousal for this skill is a 5(extremely excited)

running 200-400m

An individual's anxiety at a particular moment

state anxiety

A nonspecific response of the body to any demand placed upon it- pleasant or unpleasant

stress

Two factors that must be taken into account when determining the optimal level of arousal for performance are __ and __.

task and individual