Arousal Theories. Arousal is defined as a perception of anticipation and alertness that performers my encounter before a match

Another theory for arousal is inverted U-theory.  An increase in arousal causes improvement in performance up to an optimal point (moderate arousal level). After this point, increased arousal leads to deteriorated performance. Level of expertise is important because as a beginner needs only very low levels of arousal to perform well. Because control of the skill is not yet automatic, i.e. a novice may lose concentration or become anxious, therefore low levels result in optimum performance. In contrast, such low levels of arousal will have no effect on the elite performer, who needs much higher levels to produce optimum performance. Personality types who enjoy high levels of excitement & are generally more extrovert can cope in a high-arousal situation. People who are more introverted are general more likely to perform well under low-arousal conditions.

Catastrophe theory (Hardy,1988 & ‘96) is another theory of arousal. Sports psychologists have noted that performance does not always gradually decrease as arousal increases, as shown in the inverted ‘U’ theory. Instead many top sports people ‘go to pieces’ in the big event. Catastrophe theory shows a much more dramatic decline in performance. The theory takes into account that anxiety (negative reaction of performer to stress) can be of two types:

• Somatic anxiety – physiological, e.g. sweating
• Cognitive anxiety – psychological, e.g. worry about failing. (NB – cognitive most crucial in determining performers reaction to high levels of stress).

One final theory of arousal is attentional narrowing. There is a limited amount of attentional capacity available at any one time.

The attention capacity that we have at any one time is related to our level of arousal. When we are lethargic our capacity is low, but it increases as arousal increases. This partly explains the value of arousal to effective performance.

However, if arousal continues to increase it begins to have a damaging effect & research within sport psychology has contributed to our understanding of what’s happening. Too much arousal may undermine athlete’s ability to narrow his attentional focus. Arousal increases immediately before performance of fine motor task causes additional attentional narrowing which seems to damage performance. Attentional narrowing causes player to scan attentional field less often or use his dominant attentional style, rather than several attentional styles as the occasion demands.