Optimal arousal is required for athletes to perform their best . Arousal is different to anxiety as it is a physiological response similar to getting excited before an event. Arousal is about getting ready for action and often causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure as well as heightened neural activity.
What is meant by optimal level of arousal in sport?
At medium arousal levels, sporting performance peaks . This can be described as optimal arousal and might be experienced when a boxer gets themselves in the right ‘zone’ to perform at their best. At high arousal levels, performance quality deteriorates.
What is meant by optimal arousal?
Optimal arousal is a psychological construct referring to a level of mental stimulation at which physical performance, learning, or temporary feelings of wellbeing are maximized (Smith 1990). ... On the other hand, a poor performance may be due to a low level of arousal and a depressed level of motivation.
How does optimal arousal affect performance?
As arousal increases so does the level of performance, but only until a certain point which is usually around moderate arousal levels. Once past a moderate arousal level performance decreases. This is due to participants in sport becoming anxious if they are over aroused and there performance suffers as a consequence.
What does optimal arousal depend on?
Researchers Robert Yerkes (pronounced “Yerk-EES”) and John Dodson discovered that the optimal arousal level depends on the complexity and difficulty of the task to be performed (Figure 4).
How do I calm my arousal?
- Engage in physical activity.
- Socialize with friends.
- Try something new and exciting.
- Watch an action-packed movie.
What is arousal state?
Affect arousal describes the state of feeling awake, activated, and highly reactive to stimuli . There are both psychological and physiological components to the state of arousal. Psychologically, the state of arousal is associated with the subjective experience of feelings including high energy and tension.
What causes over arousal in sport?
An increase in physical activity can change hormone levels, blood flow , etc and create arousal. All athletes react and cope differently with both arousal and anxiety. Arousal may be caused by either positive or negative emotions (e.g. excitement or fear).
How do you increase arousal levels in sport?
Head up, shoulders back, and walking quickly are some actions that can increase arousal. Listening to fast, upbeat music or a favorite tune can sometimes help athletes become activated, enthusiastic, and ready for competition.
What arousal level is needed for optimal performance?
Optimal Levels of Arousal (i.e. Stress)
Research shows that moderate arousal is generally best; when arousal (stress) is very high or very low, performance tends to suffer.
What is arousal and anxiety?
It is helpful to remember that anxiety is psychological , that is, comes from the mind of the athlete. On the other hand arousal is physiological resulting from bodily responses to a stimulus.
What is emotional arousal?
Emotional Arousal is a state of heightened physiological activity . This includes having strong emotions like anger and fear and we go to the emotional arousal state in response to our daily experiences. For example the fight, flight or freeze response is a state of emotional arousal.
What is the catastrophe theory arousal?
CATASTROPHE THEORY. Physiological arousal is related to performance in an inverted ‘U’ fashion when the athlete is not worried or has low cognitive anxiety state anxiety. If cognitive anxiety is high, the increases in arousal pass a point of optimal arousal and a rapid decline in performance occurs (the catastrophe).
What does over arousal mean?
: excessive arousal Anger-prone individuals are readily aroused and reactive , suggesting overarousal of the autonomic nervous system.—
What is Yerkes-Dodson Law of arousal?
According to what is known as “The Yerkes-Dodson law,” performance increases with physiological or mental arousal (stress) but only up to a point . When the level of stress becomes too high, performance decreases. There’s more: The shape of the curve varies based on the complexity and familiarity of the task.
Which theory explains that performance is best with a moderate not too high and not too low level of arousal?
The Yerkes-Dodson law is a model of the relationship between stress and task performance. It proposes that you reach your peak level of performance with an intermediate level of stress, or arousal. Too little or too much arousal results in poorer performance. This is also known as the inverted-U model of arousal.
