Applied Sports Psychology: Anxiety and Performance

Applied Sports Psychology: Anxiety and Performance

• Competitive sports involve high pressure, tension, and arousal.
• Athletic performance is significantly influenced by mental state, particularly managing psychological factors.
• Competition is a highly anxiety-inducing situation.
• Anxiety is a psychological trait impacting performance significantly.
• Research has explored the impact of anxiety on individual, team, and coach performance.

Defining Anxiety

• Anxiety is characterised by feelings of tension, worry, apprehension, often accompanied by physical symptoms (increased heart rate, muscle tension, sweating).
• Occasional anxiety is normal, but chronic or excessive anxiety can signal an anxiety disorder, hindering effective functioning.

Measuring Anxiety

• Anxiety assessment uses diverse methods, combining self-report questionnaires, clinical interviews, and physiological measures for a comprehensive evaluation.

Self-Report Questionnaires

• Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT): Measures anxiety levels in competition or performance situations.
• Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2): 27-item test, assessing cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence.
• Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS): 20-item tool for identifying anxiety symptoms (psychological and somatic).

Clinical Interviews

• Structured or semi-structured clinical interviews, conducted by trained professionals, diagnose anxiety disorders and assess severity.

Physiological Measurements

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV): Measures variations in heartbeat intervals, potentially indicating anxiety.
• Galvanic Skin Response (GSR): Measures electrical conductance of the skin, responding to emotional arousal.

Theoretical Model: The Inverted-U Hypothesis

• The Inverted-U hypothesis (Yerkes & Dodson, 1908) describes a relationship between anxiety and performance.
• Performance improves with increasing arousal up to a point.
• High arousal leads to decreased performance.
• The optimal performance level occurs at a moderate arousal level (60-70% of maximum arousal).

Implications for Sport Performance

• Individualized Arousal Management: Tailoring strategies to each athlete's specific needs.
• Task-Specific Preparation: Managing anxiety levels optimally for specific tasks.
• Performance Monitoring: Using the Inverted-U model to monitor performance in relation to perceived anxiety, identifying personal optimal zones.

Limitations of the Inverted-U Model

• The model ignores individual differences in arousal tolerance.
• Some athletes perform better with higher anxiety levels, while others don't.

Conclusion

• The Inverted-U theory provides a valuable framework, but recent research highlights the significance of cognitive aspects of anxiety.
• A multidimensional model encompassing physiological arousal and cognitive factors provides a more comprehensive understanding of the influence of anxiety on athletic performance.