arousal
a general physiological and psychological activation of the person that varies on a continuum from deep sleep to extreme excitement
what can arousal affect when performing?
. info processing
. speed of reactions
. quality of decisions
. can lead o exceptionally good or poor performances
how does arousal affect concentration
at high arousal levels we’re unable to detect many cues from the environment and so may not have enough cues to make an effective decision, those we do take in are often irrelevant
attentional narrowing
focusing and paying attention to less cues - could be correct or incorrect
cue utilisation
an ability to detect cues to know which is irrelevant and relevant
sporting example that requires high level of arousal and why?
rugby because you need to most amount of power and technique won’t affect the skill as much
sporting example that requires low level of arousal and why?
golf putt because it’s a fine skill and it needs to be accurate
drive theory
. linear relationship P = f (h x d)
. the greater the arousal the greater the probability that the performers learned behaviour will appear (dominant response)
. it either causes performance to increase or decrease depending on the stage of learning
. the more aroused we are, the more motivated we are
inverted U theory
. as arousal increases so does performance up to a point
. low arousal = low performance
. gradually improving performance as arousal increases up to a optimal point of arousal levels
what does optimum arousal depend on in the inverted U theory?
. personality of performer
. nature/complexity of the skill
. level of performer
reticular activation system
a natural level of activation in our body to be able to do everyday tasks
catastrophe theory
. as arousal increases so does performance and reaches a maximal point which will vary between people due to personality and experiences of play
. if the performer becomes more aroused their performance will deteriorate rapidly due to presence of high levels of somatic and cognitive anxiety
. the player can regain a lower level of play through the use of SMT if the cause was mild
factors affecting arousal levels
. confidence levels
. experience
. type of task
. personality
. anxiety/fatigue
. temperature
. injury/fitness level
ZOOF theory
ZOOF = zone of optimal functioning
. not just one point of arousal where exceptional performance happens but is just a general range
. some players find this at low, medium or high
. SMT are used to help performers reach ZOOF
peak flow
an extension of feeling and performance levels experienced in the zone - total focus without any effort, ultimate intrinsic experience
factors affecting peak flow
. poor mental prep and the failure to reach optimal levels
. environmental influences such as pressure from the crowd
. the effect of injury or fatigue during the game
