1. Stress, Anxiety and Sport Performance
SUMMARY
Dr. Balogh László

2. Stressor: stimulus, physiology or psychology demands
Theories that focus on the specific relationship between external demands (stressors) and bodily processes (stress) can be grouped in two different categories: approaches to `systemic stress' based in physiology and psychobiology (among others, Selye 1936) and approaches to`psychological stress' developed within the field of cognitive psychology (Lazarus 1966, 1991, Lazarus and Folkman 1984, McGrath 1982).
"Stress is a pattern of negative physiological states and psychological response occurring in situations where people perceive threats to their well- being, which they may be unable to meet."Lazarus and Folkman 1984
Selye ( 1976) defines this stress as `a state manifested by a syndrome which consists of all the nonspecifically induced changes in a biologic system.'
Theoretical background: C. Bernard „Millieu Enteriuer”, Cannon: „homeostasis theory”
Depends on: general conditions of human organization, psychological toughness, state of immune system..
Stressor: stimulus, physiology or psychology demands
Answer to Stress (Selye János, General Adaptation Syndrome, 1964):
The alarm reaction (Cannon, 1915)
The organism enters the stage of resistance
The stage of exhaustion. Or illness, die.
AROUSAL? ‘
a general physiological and psychological activation, varying on a continuum to from deep sleep to excitement’ (Weinberg, Gould, 2011)
Dr. Balogh László 2

3. Causes of and Reactions to Stress
Four steps model on sports (McGrath, 1970, Weinberg, Gould, 2011)
Causes of Stress (Lazarus, Folkman, 1984):
Internal (psychological, illness, self criticism, bad daily habits)
External (enviromental, daily life stress (i.e. traffic jam), social relationships)
Occupational (job satisfaction, organizational justice or injustice, salary, benefits, unemployment)
Personal (family, friends, partners, colleagues, team mates)
Eustress (positive cognitive response)
Distress (anxiety, unpleasent feelings)
Dr. Balogh László

4. Stress - Anxiety Most frequent reaction to Stress and higher Arousal
An emotional reaction to a stimulus perceived as dangerous (Spielberger, 1972)
'Anxiety is a negative emotional state in which feelings of nervousness, worry, and apprehension are associated with activation or arousal of the body‚ (Weinberg,Gould,2011)
Trait or State Anxiety
Cognitve or/and Somatic State Anxiety
Performance Facilitate or Performance Debilitant
Weinberg, Robert S & Gould, Daniel (2011). Foundation of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 5th ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Dr. Balogh László

5. Stress from to Complete a Task (Competitive Anxiety, Nagykáldi, 1998)
More important sport event - more higher stress and anxiety (Lowe, 1977)
Doubtfulness – more undetermined factors, more stress and anxiety (Martens, 1987)
Personality (trait or state anxiety, self confident and self esteem)
Dr. Balogh László

6. Stress , Anxiety and Sport Performance
Arousal
Hull drive theory
textbook/motivation-12/theories-of-motivation-65/drive-reduction-theory-of- motivation /
Direct and linear relationship to arousal and performance. Arousal increases, the athletes performance get better. Mediator through the attention and focusing.
Dr. Balogh László

7. Hebb (1955) – optimum arousal theory
Yerkes-Dodson (1908)
Hebb (1955) – optimum arousal theory
Gill, A. (2014) Anxiety/Arousal/ Stress Relationship. Chesterfield College. Lecture Notes
Dr. Balogh László

8. Fazey, Hardy (1988, 1990): Catastrophe Theory
There were some researchers who were dissatisfied
with the inverted-u theory as a description of anxiety.
They proposed three criticisms:
1. Somatic (physical) anxiety is not separate from cognitive anxiety – the one affects the other
2. When someone passes the optimal point and their performance drops, it doesn’t always tail off gradually but often plummets suddenly
3. Even if you “tweak” a player’s anxiety back to the optimal level, performance doesn’t usually recover from a collapse like this (
„When cognitive anxiety is low, performance rises to
an optimal point with arousal then dips back down
again – a classic inverted-u. But when cognitive
anxiety is high, performance
falls off a cliff after the optimal point and even arousal
drops slightly.”
Fazey, Hardy (1988, 1990): Catastrophe Theory
Dr. Balogh László

9. Csíkszentmihályi: Flow (1975)
In the process of activity:
To be in the zone
Fully immersed mental state
Full involvement
Full enjoyment
Hyperfocus
Balance between the ability and challenge!
Dr. Balogh László

10. Yuri Hanin (1990, 2000): Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning
Yuri Hanin (1990, 2000): Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning
Dr. Balogh László

11. Multidimensional Theory of Sport Anxiety (Martens, 1990)
Cognitive Anxiety:
Had a negative linear relationship with performance
Somatic Anxiety:
Had an Inverted-U shaped relationship with performance
Dr. Balogh László

12. Reversal Theory (Apter, 1984, Kerr, 1999)
Arousal only affects performance dependent on how the performer perceives this arousal.
Performers with low arousal may perceive this with either negative or positive feelings: boredom or relaxation,
Similarly performers with high levels arousal may also perceive this either positively or negatively: excitement or anxiety.
Dr. Balogh László

13. STRESS MEASUREMENT METHODS
Stress reactivity and personality in extreme sport athletes: The psychobiology of BASE jumpers
Physiology & Behavior, Volume 167, Issue null, Pages
Erik Monasterio, et al.2016.
Dr. Balogh László

14. EGIG Examination time (min)20 40
1. period
2. period
N: 18 (sportolók)
Éhgyomorra
Fekvő helyzetben
Stress EGIG – Experimetria/MDE
Pilot study CPM átlagértékek
Dr. Balogh László
Pilot study CPM átlagértékek bélszakaszonként

15. Dr. Balogh László

16. Consequences of Stress and Anxiety
Wide or narrow attention level (lack of focusing)
Muscle Tension
Out of Zone
Angular Movement
Inaccurate technical elements
To short motion
Fear and Worry ……
Dr. Balogh László

17. Stress and Anxiety Management (Nagykáldi, 1998)
Somatic Threatment (Psychoregulation Training)
Relaxing
Joga breathing
Reeducations training
Progressive relaxation
Autogen Training
Biofeedback Training
Cognitive Threatment
Social support (from coach, parents)
Inner Talks (both emotionally and sport specific)
Neuorlinguistic Programme (block of negative thinking)
Mental Training (Imaginative Training)
Dr. Balogh László

18. Summary What did we learn?: Definition of Stress Physiology Background
Causes and Consequences
Definition of Anxiety
Realationships between Stress, Anxiety and Sport Performance
Stress – don’t worry, no fear
Performance inhibition – use it, conscious!
Dr. Balogh László