Arousal and performance

Arousal and performance

• 1.
  P E UN I T 4 A O S 2 Control: Arousal and Performance
• 2.
  Arousal  The amountof readiness or activation a person experiences when faced with a task  The inverted-U graph shows the relationship between arousal and performance and also the area of optimum performance.
• 4.
  Optimum Arousal  Individualto the athlete in question, the ‘inverted U’ and ‘optimum zone’ will chance shape and area depending on the athlete in question.  Athletes need to take responsibility in controlling their arousal levels to ensure they maintain the optimum level of arousal to maintain a high level of performance.
• 5.
  Drive Theory  Accordingto drive theory, if an athlete is appropriately skilled then it will help them to perform well if their drive to compete is aroused (i.e. they are ‘psyched-up’).
• 6.
  Arousal Reduction Techniques Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)  Breath Control  Biofeedback  Stress-inoculation training
• 7.
  Essendon VS St.Kilda,Rd 20, 2009  Last 5 minutes  Nick Riewoldt
• 8.
  Progressive Muscle Relaxation(PMR)  Popular muscle relaxation technique among athletes  Progressively tensing and relaxing major muscle groups  Method example on p.315.  Lets try it  You will need to be in savasna (lying on your back on the floor with your eyes closed)
• 9.
  Breath Control  Helpsan athlete relax and refocus while preparing for the next action or part of the match  It helps athletes ‘block out’ distractions, providing a mental break for the activity
• 10.
  Biofeedback  Physically basedtechnique used to modify physiological or autonomous body functions during training (which can be carried over into competition)  Electronic instruments are used to measure (and provide feedback on) heart rate, skin/body temperature, muscle tension, blood pressure  These measuring devises give direct readings or provide a sound relative to the intensity of the stimulus.
• 11.
  Biofeedback  Baseball pitcher Rifle shooter
• 12.
  Stress-inoculation training (SIT) Like when you are inoculated against the measles, stress-inoculation exposed the athlete small levels to help them adapt  Coping to the stresses comes in the form of developing  Positive thoughts  Mental Images  Self-confidence statements
• 13.
  Arousal Promotion Techniques Elevated Breathing  Act Energetic  Positive talk and sounds (“talk it up”)  Energising imagery  Pre-competition workout
• 14.
  Elevated breathing  Similarlyto breathing as an arousal reduction technique (slow deep breathing), short sharp breaths can activate the CNS to increase a state of awareness  Eg: Tennis players after losing a few games in a row
• 15.
  Act energetic  Atthe beginning or during a game, an athlete may feel lethargic or tired.  Physically pumping, slapping or hitting each other can help pump each other up; therefore increasing arousal levels
• 16.
  Positive self talk Emotive words like ‘tough, aggressive, hard hitting, aggressive, dependable etc’ increase arousal levels.  Coaches will tend to use these words when addressing the team  Players can use these words to pump themselves up.  Music can also play a large role in increasing/maintaining arousal levels  EG: Pole-vaulters / high jumpers
• 17.
  Energising imagery  Involvesvisualising something that is uplifting to the athlete  EG: Swimmers moving sleekly through the water like a dolphin  EG: Baseballer’s literally hitting the skin off the ball and hitting it for a home run
• 18.
  Pre-competition Workout  Generallytakes place about 2-hours before the match  Allows the athlete/team to become accustom to the field/environment  They then do their warm- up and practice any psychological skills in front of the crowd