H/W 23rd January 2011
Psychological factors
Arousal is general physical and psychological activity. It is the readiness and excitation to perform. If a player’s excitement is too high then they tend to make abnormal decisions during the game and their performance will drop completely. On the other hand if their excitement is not high enough, they will fail to be productive. This is referred to as the inverted U hypothesis. Some effects of arousal on sports performance include muscular tension, decision-making speed, concentration and focus, rhythm and coordination. Arousal increases muscular tension by stimulating blood flow. People with low arousal levels exhibit less tension than people with heightened arousal levels. Rhythm and coordination is necessary for performance during sports and athletic activities to complete precise and efficient muscular movements.
Anxiety is a negative emotional state with feelings of worry, nervousness and apprehension that is associated with the activation of the body. The heavy breathing, chest pains, tension and sudden lack of confidence in routine athletic performance represent symptoms of anxiety in many athletes when playing sport. There are two types of anxiety, the first kind refers to the cognitive aspect. It deals with the mental state affecting performances such as worry and concern. The second type of anxiety addresses the emotional component. It manifests itself through feelings such as nervousness and tension. Cognitive anxiety affects the mind of an athlete and consumes his/her thoughts, thus affecting his ability to perform simple tasks such as serving the ball in tennis. Somatic anxiety affects athlete’s physical ability to perform by altering his physical state such as increased heart rate or butterflies in the stomach.
Personality is the quality or condition of an individual. Personality can have a profound effect on the positive or negative experience of sports for those involved. Such effects can either help or hinder the athlete, depending on the emotion that the athlete chooses to express and the situation in which he or she choose to express that emotion. Personalities are often described by how introverted or extroverted the individual is. Introverted people tend to be quiet and thoughtful as extroverted people are more loud and excitable. Introverts tend to like sports which require concentration and individual performances. Extroverts prefer team sports which are exciting and fast paced.
