Extreme Pressure- of the Psych Kind PDF

Extreme Humans- Pressure… of the Psychological Kind At the end of this session you should be able to: Define psychological stress & potential mechanisms Understand psychological effects of acute and chronic stress exposure on human performance Describe what is meant by ‘clutch’ and ‘chokin...

Extreme Humans- Pressure… of the Psychological Kind At the end of this session you should be able to: Define psychological stress & potential mechanisms Understand psychological effects of acute and chronic stress exposure on human performance Describe what is meant by ‘clutch’ and ‘choking’ performances Define Fear of Failure Understand management of psychological pressure Psychological resilience / Psychological flexibility  What comes to mind when you hear phrase ‘psychological pressure’?  Define psychological pressure APA definition of PP / PS: “excessive or stressful demands, imagined or real, made on an individual to think, feel, or act in particular ways. The experience of pressure is often the source of cognitive and affective discomfort or disorder, as well as of maladaptive coping strategies, the correction of which may be a mediate or end goal in psychotherapy. “ Stress (response) Stressor (place/event/situation causes the response)  Anxiety / Stress / Arousal - Need to differentiate, terms not interchangeable  Clarification of terminology Arousal: “…general physiological & Anxiety: “an unpleasant psychological activation of an psychological state in reaction to organism which varies on a continuum perceived stress concerning the from deep sleep to intense performance of a task under excitement.” (Gould et al 2002). pressure” (Cheng et al 2004) Stress: - Cognitive / Somatic Non-specific response of the body to any demand placed upon it (Selye, 1976*). - State / Trait - Directionality (good stress?- eustress) *The Stress of Life  The Stress Process Perceived imbalance between what is being asked of the person and the person’s ability to cope with those demands, and where failure has severe consequences. Perceived ability to cope Perceived demands of Task  The Stress Process Perceived imbalance between what is being asked of the person and the person’s ability to cope with those demands, and where failure has severe consequences. Improved ability to cope Perceived demands of Task  The Stress Process Perceived imbalance between what is being asked of the person and the person’s ability to cope with those demands, and where failure has severe consequences. The interpretation of threat Perceived Perceived sufficient demands of ability to Task cope Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome Alarm- fight or flight activation - Causes stress resistance - Inc. ability to cope with stress Resistance - Body start to react to stress Exhaustion - resources are depleted, stress resistance starts to decrease - maladaptive response  The perception of events as stressors involves diverse & different networks depending whether it is a physical or psychological stressor. SNS (fast)- triggers arousal in response to stressor via release of adrenaline from adrenal glands. HPA axis (Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) (slow) Hypothalamus releases corticotrophin- releasing factor In moments of stress, process temporarily boosts immune function and decreases pain sensitivity Godoy, L.D. et al (2018) A comprehensive overview on stress neurobiology: basic concepts and clinical implications. Front.  The Stress Process SAM pathway leads to short- Hypothalam lasting responses, e.g. alertness, us Corticotrophic vigilance, situation appraisal, Releasing Hormone enabling a strategic decision to Pituitary face the challenge in the initial gland Adrenocorticotrop phase of a stressful event hic Hormone Adrenal HPA pathway is slower acting glands Cortisol Cortisol ‘stress hormone’- promotes blood sugar availability, regulate metabolism, reduce inflammation  Maladaptive Effects of Stress cognitions & emotions Dilated Acute/Chronic pupils Elevated Darwinian approach?- effects of resp (even stress to enable survival Elevated at rest) HR (even at Stress response is adaptive- GI & increased rest) prepares body for challenge on it. problems blood pressure Repeated acute bouts, chronic perspirati Redirection stress or perceived as intense on muscle of blood leads to maladaptive responses tensio flow to (biological / behavourial / large n muscles psychological) *Disturbed sleep, poor mental  Effect of chronic stress Neurotoxicity Hypothesis (Lupien et al, 2007) High levels of GC for long periods has harmful effects on HPA-axis regulation, that impacts hippocampus and memory. Lupin, S. et al. The effects of chronic stress on the human brain: From neurotoxicity, to vulnerability, to opportunity. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology 49 (2018) 91–10592.  Effect of chronic stress Neurotoxic effects of glucocorticoids on brain Chronically high cortisol levels can lead to cognitive impairments: in attention, memory & emotion processing Vulnerability to mental health disorders Lupin, S. et al. The effects of chronic stress on the human brain: From neurotoxicity, to vulnerability, to opportunity. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology 49 (2018) 91–10592.  Antecedents of psychological stress What are the potential sources of stress? Traumatic Events Situational Factors e.g. military combat, traffic collision, Competition victim of crime, bereavement Inadequate kit / facilities / poor weather …… Life Changes Intrapersonal Factors e.g. moving house, graduating Goals/demands/expectations retiring Perceptions of readiness Hassles …. e.g. Finding parking/traffic, burst Interpersonal factors pipe to be fixed Teammates / coaches / spectators Placing demand/expectations on athletes Other stressors /conflicts e.g. Job burnout / uncertainty, …. exams  Endler’s 5 Facets of Anxiety Interpersonal ego-threat Physical danger Ambiguity (fear of unknown) Disruption in daily routine Social evaluation  4-stage process of how stress can influence performance 1. Facing objective demands 2. Interpretation the objective demands (perceived as threatening or non- threatening) 3. Response to perceived imbalance ….if perceived threat & the outcome really matters Raised somatic anxiety- muscle tension, altered movement patterns. Raised cognitive anxiety – disrupted concentration, attentional control & can end up worrying about their thoughts of worry 4. Behavioural consequences as result of stage 3.  ‘Try to survive’ or ‘able to thrive’ under pressure?  Choking or Clutch Performance? Clutch: Improved performance under heightened pressure underpinning characteristics Fully absorbed on task Focus Effort High confidence Heightened self- Sense of control awareness Enjoyment High arousal levels Enhanced motivation to succeed Absence of -ve thoughts of consequences if Strategies to achieve clutch don’t win Deliberate focus Optimal arousal levels Confidence in ability Swann C., et al (2017) Performing under pressure: Exploring the psychological state underlying clutch performance in sport, JSS, 35:23,  Choking or Clutch Performance? Choking: Sudden & significant decrement in normal expert levels of performance under conditions of perceived pressure Performance paradox Mechanism is unclear attentional theories - self-focus - distraction (PET) Pre-performance routines useful to prevent choking in Aus. footballer (Mesagno & Mullane-Grant (2010)). Gröpel, P. & Mesagno, C. (2019) Choking interventions in sports: A systematic review, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12:1, 176-201, DOI: 10.1080/1750984X.2017.1408134  FoF- motivation to avoid failure ”…disposition to avoid failure and/or a capacity for experiencing shame or humiliation as a consequence of failure” (Atkinson, 1966) FoF- motivation to avoid failure Predisposition to perceive threat in challenges & thus experience anxiety Associated with anticipatory shame Consequences of failure are perceived as hugely (-vely) impactful Lower self-estimate (e.g. I’m no good, lack of control) Non-ego punishment (e.g. waste of time to not reach goals, uncertain future, a tangible loss) Reduced social value (e.g. others will think less of me if I fail) +ve relationship with coaching style (controlling =hFoF, autnomoy supportive = lowerFoF) Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI) (Conroy et al 2001)  Psychological Resilience “the role of mental processes and behaviour in promoting personal assets and protecting an individual from the potential negative effect of stressors” (Fletcher & Sarkar, 2012) Sarkar, M. (2017). Psychological Resilience: Definitional Advancement and Research Developments in Elite Sport. International Journal of Stress Prevention and Wellbeing, 1, 3, 1-4. Managing psychological pressure Develop strategies / learn techniques to reduce perceived demand or increase ability to cope (or both) Forms of ‘therapy’ e.g. CBT, ACT Release breathing Imagery (Bourasa et al ) Social support (Hooker et al, 2018 )  Being Present Using ACT to develop Psychological Flexibility Being Doing What Open Matters White R., et al. (2021). Summary Differentiate arousal / anxiety / stress Understand stress process & response and its potential influence on performance Clutch performance & choking Conceptualise Fear of Failure CBT stress management techniques, Psychological resilience, psychological flexibility (P.O.D.) Any questions? Further questions to be posted on Extreme Humans Moodle forum. #UofGWorldChangers @UofGlasgow  Further resources: Ted Talk: Thriving Under Pressure. https://www.ted.com/talks/andrea_dinardo_thriving_under_pressure?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium= referral&utm_source=tedcomshare Young, E. (2019). How to cope under pressure. The British Psychological Society Reader’s Digest. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2019/09/17/how-to-cope-under-pressure-according-to-psychology/ Accessed: 20/10/2021 Hill D.M., Hanton S., Matthews N.& Fleming, S. (2010) Choking in sport: a review, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3:1, 24-39, DOI: 10.1080/17509840903301199 Schweickle, M.J., Cet al (2020) Clutch performance in sport and exercise: a systematic review, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, DOI: 10.1080/1750984X.2020.1771747 Moreno-Murcia, J.A.; Huéscar Hernández, E.; Conte Marín, L.; Nuñez, J.L.(2019). Coaches’ Motivational Style and Athletes’ Fear of Failure. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 16, 1563. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16091563