SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

Sport Performance
AROUSAL

What is arousal?
Mind
Faster processing of
information, heightened
alertness, may lead to
confused thinking
Body
Increased heart rate and skin
conductance (sweaty palms)
Behaviour
Pacing, fidgeting, etc.

What are effects of arousal?

People with a high level of arousal often
respond to stimuli with a strong reaction
Fight-or-flight response (Walter
Cannon, 1927)
Arousal is too low not take appropriate
action in time
Arousal is too high behave
inappropriately
Arousal is neutral (neither a good thing
nor a bad thing)

Measuring Arousal 1
Physiological measures
are best
Electroencephalogram
(EEG)
brain-wave activity
Electrocardiogram
(ECG)
heart rate
Elecromyogram (EMG)
muscular tension

Measuring Arousal 2
Galvanic skin response
minute perspiration on
fingertips
Sudorimeter
heat stress through
sweating
Also, measuring chemical
traces of arousal
Eg. adrenalin in urine
samples

Arousal & Performance

DRIVE THEORY
(Clarke Hull, 1951)
Increased arousal
improved
performance
Positive correlation
between arousal &
performance
only for WELLLEARNED skills

Criticising Drive Theory

DEFINITION: just
what exactly counts
as a well-learned
skill?
What about top
athletes who
choke?
Need a more
sophisticated idea

Inverted-u Theory 1
The YerkesDodson Law
Arousal
improves
performance
up to a point
[OPTIMAL
LEVEL]
then
performance
drops off

The Dancing Mice study

Dancing
Mice!
How cute!
Studied by
Robert
Yerkes &
John
Dodson
Less cute

The Dancing Mice study - 2

Lab experiment
40 lab mice
Learning a simple maze
Either a black tunnel or a
white tunnel
Black tunnel electric
shock
Mice tested 10 times every
morning
Over a few days they
learned to pick the white
tunnel

The Dancing Mice study - 3

Shock was mild (7-9
volts), medium (15 volts)
or strong (20+ volts)
Mild/Strong shock slow
to learn
av. 175 tests to learn
white route
Medium shock learned
the route the fastest
av. 80 tests
OPTIMAL POINT produces
the best performance.

The Dancing Mice study - 4

Original a study into
LEARNING
(Behaviourist)
Findings have drifted
Yerkes-Dodson Law
applied to all sorts of
performance
Especially sport
Low/high arousal = bad
Optimum arousal = best

Links to Personality
Arousal is controlled by
the Autonomic Nervous
System
Responsible for
Stability/Neuroticism
Hans Eysenck (1965)
Stable personalities
handle arousal well
Neurotics have low
optimal levels easily
over aroused

Several types of arousal?

Autonomic response
- created by the nerves automatically,
purely biological
Cognitive response
- emotional reaction to the way the
body is behaving
Personality trait
- (DISPOSITIONAL) eg Eysencks
neurotics

Response Patterning 1
Husband-and-wife team
John & Bea Lacey
Studied how stress affects
the brain looking for
stress-based personality
types
Measuring heart rate
(ECG), palm sweat (GSR)
and brain voltage (EEG)
Some evidence that
autonomic response is an
individual trait but

Response Patterning 2
also depends on the
type of stimulus
(SITUATION)
Eg psychological
challenges (puzzles) vs
physical challenges
(exercise)
INTERACTIONIST
No such thing as general
arousal

Response Patterning 3
Everyone has a unique response to
stress, based on biology & situation
Lacey calls this RESPONSE PATTERNING
1. AUTONOMIC AROUSAL goes on in the
body (hormones, heart rate,
perspiration)
2. ELECTROCORTICAL AROUSAL goes on
in the brain (EEG)
3. BEHAVIOURAL AROUSAL can be
observed (performance, fidgeting,
trembling)

Inverted-u Theory 2
Not all sports
have same
link between
arousal &
performance
EG golf
involves fine
motor skills
best if arousal
is low
Oxendine
(1970)

Low arousal best in

unpredictable
environments
Beginners have lower
optimal level than elite
players

Oxendines Scale
5 (extreme arousal)
Rugby scrum, 400m sprint, weight-lifting
4 Long jump, middle distance running,
swimming, judo
3 Basketball, boxing, soccer, gymnastics
2 Baseball, fencing, tennis, golf driving
1 (slight arousal)
Archery, bowling, golf putting