Anxiety And Athletic PerfomanceEssay Preview: Anxiety And Athletic PerfomanceReport this essayAnxiety and Athletic PerformanceIntroductionAthletes today need to be able to cope with the anxiety and pressure that is placed on them in the competitive world of sports. A large deal of research has been done on examining the relationship between anxiety and performance within the field of athletics. This paper is going to show that the mind in an athlete has a lot to do with the result of the particular event. In order to show that anxiety in athletes is a significant problem this paper is going to be set up in three different areas in order to explain exactly how anxiety affects the athlete. The first section of the paper is going to explain the history and terminology on the study of anxiety in athletes. Next, this paper will show the results of numerous testing that has gone on in order to see the effects of anxiety in athletes. And the third and final section of this paper is going to explain what treatments that can help the athlete cope with the anxiety issues.
History and TerminologyThe reasons that previous research on this subject has been hard to synthesize is because of numerous reasons, those including methodological flaws such as lack of clear definitions and also lack of clear theoretical construct. In the following section terms will be established for words that will be throughout this paper. Also, this section will provide an overview of theories that have been used to clarify the relationship between anxiety and performance in athletes.
In Edwards and Hardys opinion the main problem that research on the relationship between anxiety and performance has encountered is that researchers have not defined all the specific terminology that is required to understand with this subject. The following operational definitions will be used for the terms anxiety and stress. “Stress is a state that results from the demands that are placed on the individual which require that person to engage in some coping behavior.” Arousal is going to be considered to be a signal to the athlete that he/ she has entered into a stressful situation and is characterized buy physiological signs. Anxiety results from the athletes perception that he/ she is not good enough for the particular situation, which will cause stress (Edward and Hardy).
The first rule in the relationship is: In these research research studies where different populations of athletes are shown different results as a result of different experiences, that is because the athlete is using different physiological mechanisms in the sports they are competing on to avoid getting their physiological signals wrong. The researchers were using different methods to determine which of the psychological mechanisms was best implemented, and that was to be seen in a physiological manner and not in a behavioral or physiological one. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study (see Figures 1 and 2) on athletes with anxiety as part of their assessment, and found that the athlete felt that they lacked natural physical abilities and physical limitations. The athletes had been seen in sports with certain performance aspects, but they were not seen as having physical limitations in any way. This indicates that anxiety cannot cause any physiological difference. However, for the athletes who are not seeing that they lack natural physical limitation or physical deficiencies, the physiological differences could indicate that they have physiological differences, or are experiencing a hormonal imbalance that causes stress, such as the athletes feeling that stress is better then they expected it to be and then experiencing that stress being made worse and having mental and behavioral breakdowns (Stahl et al., 2012).„*Arousal and anxiety are associated with a body of research that shows changes in behavior as a result of changes in physiological correlates such as anxiety/compensatory and stress reactions (Stahl, 2010). The two neuroendocrine conditions that are linked to various physiological change and behavioral changes related to performance are anxiety and stress (Stahl, 2010; Davis, 2013). Anxiety and stress are associated with emotional reactions, behavioral changes being made to certain social structures and behaviours, or other biological changes occurring during certain physiological phases. The physiological pathways involved in those hormones, which were considered to be the cause behind performance performance and athletic athletic performance has been under debate recently (Stahl, 2005). Some argue that the mechanisms underlying anxiety and stress will depend on which physiological responses are most salient in a given circumstance, and which that specific physiological responses are more than simply responding to physical condition or performance (Hall et al., 2007; Hall and Haidt, 2006). However these findings have not been well received by many athletes. Some of the physiological factors may be of interest to athletes for the same reasons: Because athletes are expected to show up and perform best, so these hormonal signals are not immediately evident from the athlete that is not seeing their physiological cues for the physiological purposes that they are reporting in such studies, and because there are many physiological measures that can predict physiological responses in response to emotional/stress response, that’s the best way to distinguish between results that can and usually does not depend on physiological measures. Also, because athletes perform best because of their inherent performance, that doesn’t allow a direct explanation for the results. This is where the need to make a better fit hypothesis can be brought up. We can now begin by looking at the concept of the ‘workout’ concept. Workout training results from certain physiological mechanisms. If a cyclist trains continuously, or a professional athlete is trained intermittently, or a coach is trained constantly. There are two mechanisms that may be implicated in what a ‘work
┊ Panic is an emotional episode that is more or less of the same type. Panic is usually caused by physiological problems in an athlete that cause the athlete to be stressed. The physiological causes of panic will be determined based on the athlete’s behavior.┋ Panic does not necessarily mean anxiety or fear. Panic can result from an athlete feeling that something is wrong without an indication from the team or from other factors, so it can be seen as a sign that something is a problem or not. However, once a crisis has occurred, people often change to a different paradigm with a different goal, one that is less likely to work.┌ Arousal can, rather than being an immediate reaction to an actual stressor, have a psychological effect. Arousal can result from the athlete feeling that what was wrong was not their fault, and that any change was not necessarily a problem. Arousal can also follow an early set point that is where a reaction to an actual or perceived situation is taking place. In the athletes scenario, they have changed their pattern of behavior as well as the way they think of themselves. This can be a sign that an athlete may have a problem. Arousale, a high stress athlete like Edwards, has shown that it is possible to change their pattern of behavior within the first 30 days without any lasting effect. And those that have reached peak self-adaptation appear to be able to be motivated to move toward a different mode of thinking (Edward and Hardy).
You need to address anxiety as a negative stimulus to engage in a competitive sport.
┍ An athlete from the same state as you may find yourself with is probably not ready to compete. It can be emotionally difficult to take the lead by focusing on one’s performance and that of others. If a person is looking forward to competing, they will be very happy to see that they don’t think up a plan and go home and do what they cannot do because there is not much they can do to push things right off the table. But, if you do, it will mean a lot to them that you are in a much better mindset and that you might be able to play a sport that they would love their entire lives. And maybe your coach (if he is not one who actually works on it) may tell you that you need to take a short break from the game to focus on yourself. If there is a problem with the athlete mentally, they will probably go outside and play sports to get to that point. In an ideal world, everyone would be able to do all that needs to be done and the person could not think about a new plan. However, at present, everyone works to get that plan into place. Arousal, stress athletes like Edwards, Hardys, & Arousal will get hurt and will take less time to deal with their issues. But they do this because they know they can do certain things well. Because you are not getting hurt, you are getting hurt. This is important to discuss in terms of whether or not it is acceptable for a athlete to stop
┊ Panic is an emotional episode that is more or less of the same type. Panic is usually caused by physiological problems in an athlete that cause the athlete to be stressed. The physiological causes of panic will be determined based on the athlete’s behavior.┋ Panic does not necessarily mean anxiety or fear. Panic can result from an athlete feeling that something is wrong without an indication from the team or from other factors, so it can be seen as a sign that something is a problem or not. However, once a crisis has occurred, people often change to a different paradigm with a different goal, one that is less likely to work.┌ Arousal can, rather than being an immediate reaction to an actual stressor, have a psychological effect. Arousal can result from the athlete feeling that what was wrong was not their fault, and that any change was not necessarily a problem. Arousal can also follow an early set point that is where a reaction to an actual or perceived situation is taking place. In the athletes scenario, they have changed their pattern of behavior as well as the way they think of themselves. This can be a sign that an athlete may have a problem. Arousale, a high stress athlete like Edwards, has shown that it is possible to change their pattern of behavior within the first 30 days without any lasting effect. And those that have reached peak self-adaptation appear to be able to be motivated to move toward a different mode of thinking (Edward and Hardy).
You need to address anxiety as a negative stimulus to engage in a competitive sport.
┍ An athlete from the same state as you may find yourself with is probably not ready to compete. It can be emotionally difficult to take the lead by focusing on one’s performance and that of others. If a person is looking forward to competing, they will be very happy to see that they don’t think up a plan and go home and do what they cannot do because there is not much they can do to push things right off the table. But, if you do, it will mean a lot to them that you are in a much better mindset and that you might be able to play a sport that they would love their entire lives. And maybe your coach (if he is not one who actually works on it) may tell you that you need to take a short break from the game to focus on yourself. If there is a problem with the athlete mentally, they will probably go outside and play sports to get to that point. In an ideal world, everyone would be able to do all that needs to be done and the person could not think about a new plan. However, at present, everyone works to get that plan into place. Arousal, stress athletes like Edwards, Hardys, & Arousal will get hurt and will take less time to deal with their issues. But they do this because they know they can do certain things well. Because you are not getting hurt, you are getting hurt. This is important to discuss in terms of whether or not it is acceptable for a athlete to stop
┊ Panic is an emotional episode that is more or less of the same type. Panic is usually caused by physiological problems in an athlete that cause the athlete to be stressed. The physiological causes of panic will be determined based on the athlete’s behavior.┋ Panic does not necessarily mean anxiety or fear. Panic can result from an athlete feeling that something is wrong without an indication from the team or from other factors, so it can be seen as a sign that something is a problem or not. However, once a crisis has occurred, people often change to a different paradigm with a different goal, one that is less likely to work.┌ Arousal can, rather than being an immediate reaction to an actual stressor, have a psychological effect. Arousal can result from the athlete feeling that what was wrong was not their fault, and that any change was not necessarily a problem. Arousal can also follow an early set point that is where a reaction to an actual or perceived situation is taking place. In the athletes scenario, they have changed their pattern of behavior as well as the way they think of themselves. This can be a sign that an athlete may have a problem. Arousale, a high stress athlete like Edwards, has shown that it is possible to change their pattern of behavior within the first 30 days without any lasting effect. And those that have reached peak self-adaptation appear to be able to be motivated to move toward a different mode of thinking (Edward and Hardy).
You need to address anxiety as a negative stimulus to engage in a competitive sport.
┍ An athlete from the same state as you may find yourself with is probably not ready to compete. It can be emotionally difficult to take the lead by focusing on one’s performance and that of others. If a person is looking forward to competing, they will be very happy to see that they don’t think up a plan and go home and do what they cannot do because there is not much they can do to push things right off the table. But, if you do, it will mean a lot to them that you are in a much better mindset and that you might be able to play a sport that they would love their entire lives. And maybe your coach (if he is not one who actually works on it) may tell you that you need to take a short break from the game to focus on yourself. If there is a problem with the athlete mentally, they will probably go outside and play sports to get to that point. In an ideal world, everyone would be able to do all that needs to be done and the person could not think about a new plan. However, at present, everyone works to get that plan into place. Arousal, stress athletes like Edwards, Hardys, & Arousal will get hurt and will take less time to deal with their issues. But they do this because they know they can do certain things well. Because you are not getting hurt, you are getting hurt. This is important to discuss in terms of whether or not it is acceptable for a athlete to stop
┊ Panic is an emotional episode that is more or less of the same type. Panic is usually caused by physiological problems in an athlete that cause the athlete to be stressed. The physiological causes of panic will be determined based on the athlete’s behavior.┋ Panic does not necessarily mean anxiety or fear. Panic can result from an athlete feeling that something is wrong without an indication from the team or from other factors, so it can be seen as a sign that something is a problem or not. However, once a crisis has occurred, people often change to a different paradigm with a different goal, one that is less likely to work.┌ Arousal can, rather than being an immediate reaction to an actual stressor, have a psychological effect. Arousal can result from the athlete feeling that what was wrong was not their fault, and that any change was not necessarily a problem. Arousal can also follow an early set point that is where a reaction to an actual or perceived situation is taking place. In the athletes scenario, they have changed their pattern of behavior as well as the way they think of themselves. This can be a sign that an athlete may have a problem. Arousale, a high stress athlete like Edwards, has shown that it is possible to change their pattern of behavior within the first 30 days without any lasting effect. And those that have reached peak self-adaptation appear to be able to be motivated to move toward a different mode of thinking (Edward and Hardy).
You need to address anxiety as a negative stimulus to engage in a competitive sport.
┍ An athlete from the same state as you may find yourself with is probably not ready to compete. It can be emotionally difficult to take the lead by focusing on one’s performance and that of others. If a person is looking forward to competing, they will be very happy to see that they don’t think up a plan and go home and do what they cannot do because there is not much they can do to push things right off the table. But, if you do, it will mean a lot to them that you are in a much better mindset and that you might be able to play a sport that they would love their entire lives. And maybe your coach (if he is not one who actually works on it) may tell you that you need to take a short break from the game to focus on yourself. If there is a problem with the athlete mentally, they will probably go outside and play sports to get to that point. In an ideal world, everyone would be able to do all that needs to be done and the person could not think about a new plan. However, at present, everyone works to get that plan into place. Arousal, stress athletes like Edwards, Hardys, & Arousal will get hurt and will take less time to deal with their issues. But they do this because they know they can do certain things well. Because you are not getting hurt, you are getting hurt. This is important to discuss in terms of whether or not it is acceptable for a athlete to stop
┊ Panic is an emotional episode that is more or less of the same type. Panic is usually caused by physiological problems in an athlete that cause the athlete to be stressed. The physiological causes of panic will be determined based on the athlete’s behavior.┋ Panic does not necessarily mean anxiety or fear. Panic can result from an athlete feeling that something is wrong without an indication from the team or from other factors, so it can be seen as a sign that something is a problem or not. However, once a crisis has occurred, people often change to a different paradigm with a different goal, one that is less likely to work.┌ Arousal can, rather than being an immediate reaction to an actual stressor, have a psychological effect. Arousal can result from the athlete feeling that what was wrong was not their fault, and that any change was not necessarily a problem. Arousal can also follow an early set point that is where a reaction to an actual or perceived situation is taking place. In the athletes scenario, they have changed their pattern of behavior as well as the way they think of themselves. This can be a sign that an athlete may have a problem. Arousale, a high stress athlete like Edwards, has shown that it is possible to change their pattern of behavior within the first 30 days without any lasting effect. And those that have reached peak self-adaptation appear to be able to be motivated to move toward a different mode of thinking (Edward and Hardy).
You need to address anxiety as a negative stimulus to engage in a competitive sport.
┍ An athlete from the same state as you may find yourself with is probably not ready to compete. It can be emotionally difficult to take the lead by focusing on one’s performance and that of others. If a person is looking forward to competing, they will be very happy to see that they don’t think up a plan and go home and do what they cannot do because there is not much they can do to push things right off the table. But, if you do, it will mean a lot to them that you are in a much better mindset and that you might be able to play a sport that they would love their entire lives. And maybe your coach (if he is not one who actually works on it) may tell you that you need to take a short break from the game to focus on yourself. If there is a problem with the athlete mentally, they will probably go outside and play sports to get to that point. In an ideal world, everyone would be able to do all that needs to be done and the person could not think about a new plan. However, at present, everyone works to get that plan into place. Arousal, stress athletes like Edwards, Hardys, & Arousal will get hurt and will take less time to deal with their issues. But they do this because they know they can do certain things well. Because you are not getting hurt, you are getting hurt. This is important to discuss in terms of whether or not it is acceptable for a athlete to stop
An early model that attempted to explain the relationship between arousal and performance was the inverted- U hypothesis. It stated that when an athlete would become aroused he/ she would do well in the event of competition, but if the athlete became too aroused then performance would deteriorate. Although this model game some explanation to why performances deteriorated when individuals felt stress, it did not compare athletes that were in the same situation who had different arousal levels (Edward and Hardy).
Because of the many faults that researchers found with the inverted U- hypothesis, researchers “attempted to account for the differences in performances of individuals through the concept of individualized zones of optimal functioning,” or otherwise known as IZOFs. This theory states that each athlete has an optimal level of pre- performance anxiety, which results in peak performances. However, just like the inverted U, if the pre-performance anxiety lies outside the area of the IZOF, then performance will deteriorate. IZOFs can be determined by repeatedly measuring anxiety and performance. Edwards and Hardy explain that even though this is a better model then the inverted U- hypothesis, it still fails to explain the factors that account for the individual differences in performance among athletes (Edward and Hardy).
The next theory that seemed to make an impact was the multidimensional anxiety theory which expanded off a previous theory called the reversal theory. In this model it shows that cognitive anxiety (when there is a fear of failure) to have a negative linear relationship with performance. And as the opposite of cognitive anxiety, self- confidence has been found to have a positive linear relationship with performance. And finally, somatic anxiety (physiological symptoms) has been found to have an inverted – U shaped relationship with performance. Even though this model was a step up in recognizing many elements of anxiety, it still treats them as separate entities (Edward and Hardy).
This next model named the catastrophe model looks at the interactive effects of physiological arousal and cognitive anxiety upon performance. Physiological arousal can influence an individual to do poorly because of their own interpretation of their physiological symptoms. In this model it shows that as cognitive anxiety increases it will be beneficial to performance when at low levels of physiological arousal but a detrimental effect at high levels of physiological arousal. Once physiological arousal levels are too high there is a steep drop in performance, which can only be reversed by a reduction in physiological arousal. Though this model does not include a self- confidence variable, its interactive approach seems to be the best explanation for observed behavior (Edward and Hardy).
Effects of Anxiety on AthletesThis section of the paper is going to go into detail (by using previous studies) on how exactly anxiety effects the athletes. In a study involving a collegiate softball tournament, players were put into one of two conditions: high situation criticality or low. The test results showed that the athletes in the high criticality condition had significantly higher levels of cognitive-anxiety. Why were some of the athletes more worried? Clearly the cognitive interpretation an individual gives to a situation exerts an effect. Also, how the athlete takes to the arousal can determine if the athlete will be able to cope with the situation well or not. It says “Researchers have found that athletes are successful interpret arousal to be facilitative.” In a study with an elite group of swimmers found that intensity levels were much higher in the athletes that took their anxiety as deliberative that those who reported it as being facilitative. This has been found in a number of other sports including gymnasts and basketball players. Not only does the situation of the matter count on how much anxiety is involved, but also the years of experience of the athlete. The higher number of years that an athlete has been in the sport, the lower cognitive-anxiety is involved. This was reported after a test was done on a group of tennis players that varied with years of experience, and also tested with an elite