Stress and anxiety powerpoint

Stress & Performance

WHAT IS STRESS?

WHAT IS ANXIETY?

Stress Definitions

““Stress is a pattern of negative physiological Stress is a pattern of negative physiological states and psychological responses occurring states and psychological responses occurring in situations where people perceive threats to in situations where people perceive threats to their well being which they may be unable to their well being which they may be unable to meet” – meet” –

Lazarus and Folkman 1984Lazarus and Folkman 1984

Definition

““Stress is the process whereby an individual Stress is the process whereby an individual perceives a threat and responds with a series perceives a threat and responds with a series of psychological and physiological changes of psychological and physiological changes including increased arousal and the including increased arousal and the experience of anxiety” experience of anxiety”

Jarvis 1999Jarvis 1999

STRESSA Process

Which begins with a demand

Includes our experience of thinking about that demand

Ends with a Stress Response

Psychological (e.g., anxiety) Behavioural

2 DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRESS

Eustress 'A positive reaction of a performer to stress, 'A positive reaction of a performer to stress,

leading to optimal arousal' leading to optimal arousal' When stress is actively sought When stress is actively sought by the performerby the performer Bungee / ClimbingBungee / Climbing View situations as potentially dangerous or View situations as potentially dangerous or

embarrassingembarrassing Eustress can enhance performanceEustress can enhance performance

ACTIVITYMUSICAL CHAIRS

Physiological symptoms of stress

Increased heart rateIncreased heart rate Increased breathing rateIncreased breathing rate Increased blood Increased blood

pressurepressure Increased adrenaline Increased adrenaline

releaserelease Perspiration increasesPerspiration increases Blood sugar increasesBlood sugar increases

Psychological symptoms

Worry or apprehensionWorry or apprehension IrritabilityIrritability Inability to concentrateInability to concentrate Difficulty in making decisionsDifficulty in making decisions AggressionAggression Increased rate ofIncreased rate of speechspeech

ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS (STRESSORS)

Physical/Psychological

PERCEPTION OF DEMANDS (COGNITIONS)

Amount of Physical/Psychological threat perceived

STRESS RESPONSE (E.G., STRAIN)

Physical (Muscle Tension) and Emotional (Anxiety)

BEHAVIOURAL CONSEQUENCES

Performance / Outcome

Performing a skill in front of a class or parents pressurizing a young athletes to win a race.

ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS (STRESSORS)

Physical or Psychological

PERCEPTION OF DEMANDS (COGNITIONS)

Amount of Physical/Psychological threat perceived

Performing in front of class – 1 person may enjoy the attention, whereas another may feel threatened.

1 perceives an imbalance between the demands placed on them (demonstrating) and their ability to meet those needs. Another perceives no such imbalance or perceives it only

to a non threatening degree.

- Arousal- State anxiety (cognitive & state)- All things discussed last lesson

The actual behaviour of the individual under stress.Increase performance?Decrease performance?

STRESS RESPONSE

Physical (Muscle Tension) and Emotional (Anxiety)

BEHAVIOURAL CONSEQUENCES

Performance / Outcome

FIND DEFINITIONS

AND MEANINGS FOR THESE

Causes of Stress and Anxiety

We know that the stress process can end with We know that the stress process can end with us experiencing anxietyus experiencing anxiety

Which can be bad for performance!Which can be bad for performance!

We know that an individual’s recognition of We know that an individual’s recognition of demands can start this whole processdemands can start this whole process

Sources of stress

What causes stress?What causes stress?

Task

What were the causes of stress What were the causes of stress for you in your last performancefor you in your last performance

Known as stressors

CompetitionCompetition – threat to ego – being – threat to ego – being judgedjudged

Who judges?Who judges? FrustrationFrustration – caused by mistakes, – caused by mistakes,

officials, injury, not having own wayofficials, injury, not having own way ConflictConflict – with opposition, other players, – with opposition, other players,

coaches or crowdcoaches or crowd EnvironmentEnvironment – climate or pitch – climate or pitch

It means a lot to New Zealanders, the game of rugby, so I think It means a lot to New Zealanders, the game of rugby, so I think that puts a lot of pressure on their team. The players know and that puts a lot of pressure on their team. The players know and understand the expectation that sits on their shoulders to win a understand the expectation that sits on their shoulders to win a World Cup. You only have to walk the streets, it's everywhere World Cup. You only have to walk the streets, it's everywhere around you at the moment. The pressure is mounting, the around you at the moment. The pressure is mounting, the expectation is there, it's been a long time and people want to win it. expectation is there, it's been a long time and people want to win it. It's going to be interesting how they deal with that. It's a massive It's going to be interesting how they deal with that. It's a massive game and how players deal with pressure during the game will game and how players deal with pressure during the game will dictate what the outcome will be. So if there is scoreboard pressure dictate what the outcome will be. So if there is scoreboard pressure on the New Zealanders, then that will make it interesting to see on the New Zealanders, then that will make it interesting to see how they hold it together.how they hold it together.

David Nucifora,

Australian Assistant Coach

Pre 2011 SemI-final

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DDYMe9oJno&feature=related

Usain BoltBest and undefeated

Osafa PowellLabel of being a ‘choker’ in major championships

England’s disallowed goal against Germany in World Cup

Anxiety The negative aspect of stressThe negative aspect of stress

'A negative reaction of a performer to stress, often 'A negative reaction of a performer to stress, often leading to over arousal'leading to over arousal'

'An emotional state, similar to fear, associated with 'An emotional state, similar to fear, associated with arousal and accompanied by feelings of nervousness arousal and accompanied by feelings of nervousness and apprehension'and apprehension'

Trait and State anxietyTrait anxiety – (A trait)Trait anxiety – (A trait)This is a personality trait that is enduring in the This is a personality trait that is enduring in the individual. individual. A performer with high trait anxiety has the A performer with high trait anxiety has the predisposition or the potential to react to situations predisposition or the potential to react to situations with apprehension. with apprehension.

State anxiety – (A state)State anxiety – (A state)This is the anxiety in specific situation. The athletes This is the anxiety in specific situation. The athletes emotional state at any given time - variable from emotional state at any given time - variable from situation to situationsituation to situationSomatic – body (pulse rate)Somatic – body (pulse rate)Cognitive – mind (worry)Cognitive – mind (worry)

Athletes who have a high trait anxiety view Athletes who have a high trait anxiety view more situations as more threatening than more situations as more threatening than those with lower trait anxiety and so those with lower trait anxiety and so respond with a higher state anxiety. respond with a higher state anxiety.

This is known as This is known as competitive trait anxietycompetitive trait anxiety..

Competitive trait anxiety

““A tendency to perceive competitive A tendency to perceive competitive situations as threatening and to situations as threatening and to respond to these situations with feelings respond to these situations with feelings of apprehension or tension”of apprehension or tension”

Martens 1977Martens 1977

SCAT(Sport Competition Anxiety Test) Martens 1990Martens 1990 To try to identify performers who will To try to identify performers who will

suffer from anxiety during sportsuffer from anxiety during sport Self report questionnaireSelf report questionnaire http://www.brianmac.co.uk/documents/shttp://www.brianmac.co.uk/documents/s

catform.pdfcatform.pdf

Task 2

• In specific situations, how does

anxiety affect performance?

Anxiety and Performance

Drive TheoryDrive Theory

The Inverted-U hypothesisThe Inverted-U hypothesis

Individual Zones of Optimal FunctioningIndividual Zones of Optimal Functioning

Multidimensional anxiety theoryMultidimensional anxiety theory

Catastrophe models.Catastrophe models.

Drive theoryPerformance = arousal x skill Performance = arousal x skill

Linear relationship: as Linear relationship: as arousal increases, so does arousal increases, so does performance. performance.

The more ‘learned’ a skill is, The more ‘learned’ a skill is, the more likely it is that high the more likely it is that high level of arousal will result in level of arousal will result in better performance. better performance.

Performance only benefited Performance only benefited by arousal up to a certain by arousal up to a certain point. When too aroused, point. When too aroused, performance decreases. performance decreases.

Inverted U hypothesis Inverted U relationship Inverted U relationship

between arousal and between arousal and performance.performance.

Arousal will only affect Arousal will only affect performance positively up performance positively up to an optimal point. After to an optimal point. After this, get a steady this, get a steady decrease in performance.decrease in performance.

Arousal levels that are too Arousal levels that are too high or too low result in high or too low result in lower levels of lower levels of performance.performance.

More widely accepted than More widely accepted than drive theory.drive theory.

Catastrophe theory

Similar to Inverted U theory, but Similar to Inverted U theory, but suggests performance will not suggests performance will not decrease steadily.decrease steadily.

After optimal point, with high After optimal point, with high levels of cognitive anxiety = levels of cognitive anxiety = catastrophic drop.catastrophic drop.

cognitive anxiety + hyper-elevated arousal = decreased performance

Individual zone of optimal functioning

Low arousal levels or high arousal Low arousal levels or high arousal levels = lower performancelevels = lower performance

Optimal arousal = best Optimal arousal = best performanceperformance

Optimal arousal is bandwidth Optimal arousal is bandwidth rather than pointrather than point

Optimal arousal varies from Optimal arousal varies from athlete to athleteathlete to athlete

Steady decline in performance Steady decline in performance after optimal pointafter optimal point

Multidimensional Anxiety

• Cognitive• ‘anxious’• ‘worried• ‘apprehensive• ‘scared’• ‘tense’

• Somatic

• ‘sick’• ‘weak’• ‘lethargic’• ‘butterflies’

Martens et al. (1990)

Multidimensional Anxiety Theory P

erfo

rma n

ce

Anxiety or Confidence level

Cognitive Somatic

Attentional Narrowing (Landers et al., 1985)

Task 4

If anxiety can affect a performerIf anxiety can affect a performer’’s s

focus / behaviour, what could we do to focus / behaviour, what could we do to

help the performer?help the performer?

Helping Athletes

1.1. Pre-performance routinesPre-performance routines1)1) Keeping consistent routines… think of cooking, if Keeping consistent routines… think of cooking, if

you like one meal and keep cooking it the same you like one meal and keep cooking it the same way with the same ingredients then it will continue way with the same ingredients then it will continue to taste nice – if you change an ingredient or to taste nice – if you change an ingredient or change the way you cook it, then it may not taste change the way you cook it, then it may not taste as nice… as nice…

2)2) If you have cue words then these could If you have cue words then these could potentially help you focus back onto what you potentially help you focus back onto what you need to focus onneed to focus on..

“The responsibility as England’s kicker does scare me. I worry all the time about it, but the important thing is that I know I can worry about it. It's not a bad thing, or a detrimental thing, to worry. As long as when I go to take the kick, my routine is there, and my visualization, I can be as fearful as I like and think: ‘I’m really, really concerned about this’. But as long as everything is in place, the ball will go where you want it to.”

(Wilkinson, 2003)

Helping Athletes

1.1. Pre-performance routinesPre-performance routines

2.2. Self-talkSelf-talk Address the situation and feelingsAddress the situation and feelings

RationalizeRationalize

Change of focusChange of focus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBL2SbRj5CAv=LBL2SbRj5CA

Helping Athletes

1.1. Pre-performance routinesPre-performance routines

2.2. Self-talkSelf-talk

3.3. ImageryImagery InternalInternal ExternalExternal VividnessVividness ControllabilityControllability

Types of imagery

External imagery – picture yourself outside your body – like watching yourself on film

Internal imagery – you are doing the activity and experiencing the feelings and views from your own eyes

For imagery to be effective -

Relax in a comfortable warm setting To improve skill – practice in real

situations Short but frequent sessions Concentrate on one element per session –

eg hand position on release of ball Timetable your sessions as part of training Evaluate your sessions

DARTS PRACTICAL

Helping Athletes

1.1. Pre-performance routinesPre-performance routines

2.2. Self-talkSelf-talk

3.3. ImageryImagery

4.4. RelaxationRelaxation

Helping Athletes

1.1. Pre-performance routinesPre-performance routines

2.2. Self-talkSelf-talk

3.3. ImageryImagery

4.4. RelaxationRelaxation

5.5. Body languageBody language