AROUSAL Arousal is the general term for the intensity dimension of behaviour. Definition “ the general state of activation or excitation that ranges on a continuum from deep sleep to extreme excitement” Somatic Cognitive
Types of arousal Physiological /Body / Somatic Psychological /Mind / Cognitive Make a list of examples for both types. Remember that a certain level of arousal is positive but over arousal can lead to a drop in performance so you must think of both positive and negative cognitive examples.
Cognitive effects of arousal Increased focus and concentration Heightened awareness of important cues in the environment. Narrowing of attention-ignoring irrelevant stimuli Decreased reaction time
Effects of over arousal Anxiety and apprehension. Cognitive and somatic. Tension Negative self talk Difficulty sleeping / relaxing Inability to concentrate – attention on irrelevant stimuli What are the effects of under arousal?
Theories of arousal Drive theory linked to….? (Hull 1943/Spence 1956) P=f (H x D) P=performance H=habit (learned responses/behaviours) D=drive (arousal) f=function As arousal increases, learned behaviour more likely to occur. Limitations??
Inverted U theory Yerkes and dodson (1908) original research Currently most accepted theory by sports psychologists. Suggests performance is optimal at moderate arousal levels. Arousal levels differ for different tasks/skills. (examples of levels/sports)
Attentional narrowing Performers attention/focus becomes narrowed as arousal increases. Does not mean more focus. Negative/positive effect. Give examples of this. Arousal and stages of learning.
Catastrophe theory Fazey and Hardy (1988) Catastrophic performance shift when arousal becomes too high. Due to high levels of cognitive/somatic anxiety. Give examples of this RAS