stress and anxiety 2012

Stress and Anxiety

Learning Outcomes

• State the different types of anxiety• Describe the link between anxiety, arousal

and performance• State ways in which anxiety is measured and

analyse the pros and cons of different measures

• Explain how different techniques are used to control anxiety

Effects of arousal and anxiety

• Arousal is measured in the Reticular activating system in the brain stem

• Responsible for Organising behaviour• Arousal effects behaviour• Effects of arousal not always negative

Negative v positive

Negative effects Distress (or commonly stress)

Cognitive effectsCognitive effects

Somatic effectsConfusionConfusion

Lack of concentrationLack of concentration Irrational

thoughtIrrational thought Increased

heart rateIncreased heart rate

Increased blood pressure

Increased blood pressure

sweatingsweating

Definitions of Stress

• Used to describe negative feelings a person experiences in a potentially threatening situation.

Seyle (1956)“ The non-specific response of the body to any

demand made on it.”If we are placed in a situation in which we feel pressurised, unable to meet the task or worried about the consequences, we may experience stress.

Examples of

stressors

• Stress can be initiated by stressors (perceived demands), are stressor could be any demands placed on the performer that initiate stress:Threatens our self-esteem e.g. audience

Causes us personal harm e.g. fear of injury

Develops fear of the unknown e.g. performance of the opposition

Causes frustration e.g. mistakes being made

Increases pressure e.g. pressure from parents, crowd and/or coach

StressorStressor

Stress experienceStress experience

Frustration, Foul, conflictCompetition Demands

Climate, Fatigue, Playing badly, Injury worry

Alarm, Resist, exhaust. Cognitive

or somatic

Eustress or distress!

McGrath (1970) suggest that when placed in a stressful situation, a performer would respond by progressing through four stages:

Environment Demands

Perception of the environmental demands

Stress response (physical & psychological)

Actual behaviour

Athlete perception

is so important!

Athlete perception

is so important!

Eustress or DistressEnhanced or

impaired performance

Situation

Threat or challenge

The Effects of Stress on Performance

Anxiety

• Anxiety is a negative aspect of stress and includes irrational thoughts and fear of failure

Anxiety“ When an athlete’s performance suffers in an

important event, it is often because of too much worry about the outcome……being solely concerned with winning causes an increase in anxiety.”

T. Orlick, Psyching for SportMental training for athletes,

1986Causes = expectations, audience teammates

evaluation (evaluation apprehension)

Two components of Anxiety

Cognitive anxiety = “Thoughts” “Psychological”Thoughts, nervousness, apprehension or worry that

a performer has about their lack of ability to complete a task.

Somatic Anxiety = “physiological”Physiological responses to a situation where the

performer feels they may not cope – increased hr, sweaty palms, muscle tension.

Cognitive responses to anxiety Somatic responses to anxiety• Loss of concentration• Feelings on apprehension• inability to cope• Attentional narrowing• Fear of failure

These are PYSCHOLOGICAL responses

• Sweating• Increased muscle tension•Feelings of nausea• Increased heart rate• Increased breathing rate

These are PHYSIOLOGICAL responses

Symptoms of Anxiety

Cognitive State Anxiety = worry, negativity, nervousness

Somatic State Anxiety = perception of physiological changes

THREE FURTHER TYPESResearchers have distinguished

State Anxiety (A-state) = anxiety felt in a particular situation.

• A temporary emotional reaction of someone in a situation that they experience as threatening.

E.G.A basketball player’s level of state anxiety would change

during the match.

Prior to tip off – elevated level (nerves)During match – lower levelFinal seconds faced with 3 free throws

– extremely high level.

Trait anxiety (A-trait) = an enduring personality trait, giving a tendency to view all situations as threatening.

Anxiety as a personality trait is a tendency to react to situations in an anxious way.

E.G.Two rugby players with equal skill are put under pressure to kick a last minute goal.

They have different state anxiety reactions to the situation because of their personalities – their level of trait anxiety.

1)Laid back (low trait anxiety), doesn’t perceive kick as overally threatening, doesn’t experience any more state anxiety than expected.

2) High trait anxiety, finds all situations threatening.

Competitive Anxiety

• Form of anxiety is specific to sport• Threats include:– Not playing well– Letting team down– Meeting training demands before the event– Personal relationships– Injury

• Marten’s – the tendency to see competitive situations as threatening

• There is a direct relationship between a person’s level of trait and state anxiety.

• Those who score high on measures of trait anxiety experience more state anxiety in highly competitive and evaluative situations.

• Through experience, an athlete with high trait anxiety can learn to cope with a particular situation and lower their state anxiety.

• Knowledge of a person’s level of trait anxiety will enable a prediction to be made about how they will react to competitions, being assessed and in threatening conditions.

Measuring Anxiety

MEASUREMENT OF STRESSQUESTIONNAIRES• Marten’s Sport Competitive Anxiety Test (SCAT - 1977)• measures emotional and physiological responses to

stress in the competitive situation• Speilberger’s State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI - 1970)• measures emotional and physiological responses to

stress in general and specific situations• Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI – 1990)

Pro’s and Con’s

• Quick • Easy• Cheap• Lots of info

• Socially acceptable answers

• Misunderstanding question

More measures

BEHAVIOURAL MEASURES• the performance of sports players is observed• a subjective method

PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES• require laboratory testing equipment, objective methods• examples :– galvanic skin response– Electrocardiogram (ECG)– Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Problems

• Observations involves looking for symptoms of anxiety

• Can take place in artificial environments which lead to extra anxiety

• Physiological methods put performers in artificial circumstances

• Wired up• Can increase anxiety

Controlling StressThe coach and performer can control stress through

approaching the problem in two ways:

1) Controlling & redirecting the performer’s thoughts &

attention - reducing cognitive anxiety.

2) Reducing & controlling the physiological components of anxiety – reducing somatic anxiety.

Cognitive techniques for controlling anxiety and stress

• Imagery – by method of relaxing by creating mental images to escape the immediate effects of stress. The principle is to recreate an environment that is very relaxing.

• Visualisation – the process of creating a mental image of what you want to happen or feel, locking into the ‘perfect performance’. This diverts attention away from the cause of anxiety.

Mental Rehearsal

Internal/external

• Attention control – maintaining concentration on appropriate cues. This aims to improve the performer’s ability to focus on appropriate cues then the number of errors caused by other distractions is reduced.

• Self-talk – developing positive thoughts about one’s actions. Is vital that self talk remains positive and focus on self-instructing motivational content.

Somatic techniques for controlling anxiety and stress

• Biofeedback – information about the changes in physiological variables; the performer watches a monitor displaying changes in readings. E.G. heart rate, using a pulsometer or heart rate monitor.

• Breathing control – using diaphragmatic breathing (breathing deeply) as a means of focusing on relaxation. Encourages full oxygen exchange, reduces the heart rate and lowers/stabilises blood pressure.

• Centering – using deep breathing as a way of refocusing your concentration. Requires the performer to focus particularly on the rate of breathing and maintaining a slow, steady pace.

• Progressive muscular relaxation (PMR) – learning to be aware of the tension present in muscles and removing it by relaxing. This is done by alternating extreme tension that is held for a few seconds the releasing the tension to relax.

Goal SettingA technique used to control anxiety by directing

attention away from stress and towards an achievable target.

• Outcome goals – achievement of a particular result e.g. qualifying for the next round. Achievement will increase motivation but the performer cannot control the factors influencing the outcome e.g. officials, opposition and weather. Can lead to increase in anxiety if result is not achieved.

• Performance goals – the performer’s attempts are judged against others or even with themselves. E.G. achieving a certain time in a competition. Motivation will be maintained if not increased.

• Process goal – concentrate on the performer’s techniques and tactics, process goals often influence performance goals. E.g. to perform a slower backswing during a bunker shot may well improve efficiency of the stroke.

Learning Outcomes

• State the different types of anxiety• Describe the link between anxiety, arousal

and performance• State ways in which anxiety is measured and

analyse the pros and cons of different measures

• Explain how different techniques are used to control anxiety