Emotional Control and IZOF.

1. Emotional Control and IZOF. Mr P. Leighton Mental Preparation for Physical Activities. Sports Psychology

2. Arousal… • What is Arousal then? • Arousal is a combination of PHYSIOLOGICAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL excitement or ACTIVATION. • The intensity of arousal determines the responsiveness or direction of the behaviour i.e. dominant responses. • It is also associated with the CUE UTILISATION and INVERTED U THEORY- How?

3. What Influences Arousal? • Arousal is never the same for any 2 individuals. 3 Variables intervene and cause variations to optimal performance. • Personality. • Complexity of Task. • Level of Ability.

4. Personality… • Extroverts perform best at _____ optimal arousal level. An introverted personality type, in contrast, performs better at _____ optimal arousal point. • Introverts have a very sensitive RAS. • Conclusion?

5. Complexity of Task… • Simple tasks such as shot putt tend to be gross, habitual and have a wide margin for error. • Tasks are best performed when the performer has a high optimal threshold of arousal- further to go. • Complex tasks are often more perceptual, manipulative and have less room for error i.e. spin bowling.

6. Level of Ability… • An expert athlete (autonomous) would find a high level of arousal beneficial to performance. • Those at novice (cognitive or associative) who need to concentrate on basic movements, would require a low level of arousal if they are to continue to learn.

7. Performance and Arousal… • The unbroken line represents low optimal arousal required for one, all or a combination of the following variables… • High complexity • Low ability • Introversion • The broken line represents high optimal arousal required for one, all or a combination of the following variables… • Low complexity • High ability • Extroversion

8. Anxiety and Performance… • The relationship between anxiety and sport performance is extremely important. • What is Anxiety then? • ANXIETY is a NEGATIVE emotional state associated with WORRY associated with ACTIVATION or AROUSAL. • What is the difference between ANXIETY and AROUSAL?

9. 2 forms of ANXIETY… • COGNITIVE ANXIETY: the thought component of anxiety. It is associated with worry, apprehension and fear of negative evaluation of performance. • SOMATIC ANXIETY: the physical component and is associated with increased HR and BP. Somatic anxiety is triggered by cognitive anxiety.

10. Question… • How can we link CATASTROPHE THEORY into levels of AROUSAL? (3) • High cognitive arousal coincides with a somatic arousal level past optimal level, the performance of the individual drops sharply.

11. STATE and TRAIT anxiety… • This relates to the stability of anxiety… • STATE ANXIETY: a persons immediate condition of anxiety in ANY ONE SITUATION. • TRAIT ANXIETY: is a general disposition to perceive situations as threatening. Trait anxiety is part of personality and is RELETIVELY STABLE. • Trait anxiety determines the degree of state anxiety that is experienced.

12. STRESS… • Stress is the trigger that stimulates and increases both ANXIETY and AROUSAL. • This is when a performer reaches a challenge they feel they cannot cope with. i.e. a penalty in football. • The penalty is deemed the “stressor” in that situation. • There is also conflict, competition and frustration which are examples of stressors in sport.

13. STRESS and HEALTHY BALANCED LIFESTYLES… • Long term stress can impede healthy balanced lifestyles. • Short term stress and the subsequent onset of anxiety and arousal can, when controlled, be beneficial in sport. • This is explained through the INDIVIDUAL ZONE OF OPTIMAL FUNCTIONING (IZOF).

14. IZOF… • Hanin (1986) researched specifically the effect of anxiety on performance. • Hanin proposed that people respond differently to anxiety. • Hanin concluded that there is not a general relationship between ANXIETY and PERFORMANCE, though athletes have there own preferred level of anxiety.

15. Hanin’s Model of the IZOF…

16. IZOF vs. INVERTED U vs. CATASTROPHE THEORY… • As the facilitator of best performance, the preferred level of anxiety is not shown as a point or a threshold on either of the other theories- in IZOF it is presented as a band width.

17. Further Developments… • Randle and Weinberg (1997) proposed that players in team sports have a preference for a lower IZOF than athletes competing in individual events.

18. PEAK FLOW… • Csikszentmihalyi (1990) proposed that completion of skill is at optimum level when the performer is controlled and focused. • This creates intrinsic reward, self-fulfilment and happiness. • This is a rarely experienced, holistic sensation known as “PEAK FLOW”

19. Continued… • Martens (1992) PEAK FLOW is most likely to occur when HIGH SOMATIC AROUSAL coincides with LOW COGNITIVE ANXIETY. • Other factors include… • Anxiety • Concentration • Attention Style • Confidence • Goal Setting • Environmental Conditions • Leadership • Group Cohesion (This is on pg 261- table)

20. Work for you… • Complete the ANXIETY MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES on pg 260 and the two tables on 261-262 relating to SOMATIC and COGNITIVE ANXIETY.

21. That’s it!!! • Next weeks lesson will take an exam tutorial basis- I will have 3 questions prepared to get you used to writing at length for 10, 20 or 30 mins. • Well done for completing what is a difficult area of the course.