Lecture 7- Arousal, stress and anxiety Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is arousal?
A level of physiological and psychological activation.
What are the two components of arousal?
Physiological component: Increases or decreases in HR, breathing, muscle tension.
Psychological component: Feelings like excitement/confidence or fear/sadness/discomfort.
Is arousal the same as anxiety?
No – anxiety involves high arousal states that produce discomfort and concern.
Define anxiety in a sport context.
A perceived threat that produces feelings of apprehension and tension in response to competitive situations.
What is stress?
A perceived imbalance between environmental demands and an athlete’s capabilities.
What is McGrath’s (1970) definition of stress?
A substantial imbalance between environmental demand and response capability, under conditions where failure to meet the demand has important consequences.
What can stress lead to?
State anxiety – depending on perception, it can be helpful or harmful.
What are two key aspects of stress?
Perceived imbalance between demand and capability
Conditions where failure to meet the demand has important consequences
What are common perception/appraisal factors?
Novelty, predictability, uncertainty, imminence, duration, timing, ambiguity
What is the transactional model of stress (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984)?
A cognitive appraisal model that includes:
Situation (Demands + Motivational Climate)
Appraisal (Demand, motivation, resources, consequences)
Response (Arousal, anxiety, emotions, behaviour)
What individual differences affect appraisal?
Trait anxiety, type of motivation, confidence, coping style
How does motivational climate affect stress?
Can reduce or intensify stress depending on how supportive or ego-involving the environment is.
Are sources of stress in sport general or sport-specific?
They are sport-specific.
What are the two major categories of stressors in sport?
Competitive stressors
Organisational stressors
What are examples of competitive stressors?
Mental & physical errors, opponents, referees, weather, equipment
What are examples of organisational stressors?
Environmental issues (e.g. team selection, finances)
Personal issues (e.g. injury, expectations)
Leadership issues (e.g. motivational climate)
Team issues (e.g. roles, communication, social support)
Which type of stressor is more common in sport?
Organisational stressors – they occur four times more frequently than competitive ones.
What is coping?
Cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage specific demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person
What are the two main coping strategies?
Problem-focused coping (Approach style)
Emotion-focused coping (Avoidance style)
What is problem-focused coping? When is it effective?
Taking steps to reduce or eliminate the stressor (e.g. planning, practicing).
Effective in controllable situations.
What is emotion-focused coping? When is it effective?
Adjusting the emotional response to the stressor (e.g. reappraisal, distraction).
Effective in uncontrollable situations.
