Competitive Anxiety in Sports Performance - 722 Words

Competitive Anxiety is one of the most widely researched topics in sport psychology (Woodman Hardy, 2001), focusing on the symptoms and consequences of Competitive Anxiety. The reason why Competitive Anxiety has been selected is because it is able to look at the effects of Anxiety on Sport Performance. I believe this is important as it distinguishes the difference between those who are able to calm competitive anxiety (such as Self Talk), which may suggest a reason as to why certain athletes achieve more in their sport than others. McGowan’s concept of Competitive anxiety (C.A) focuses on self-presentation, looking at the relationship between athletes and self-perceived presentation, trying to create desired impressions or avoid undesired ones (Wilson and Eklund, 1998), whereas Conroy (2003) concentrates on patterns of Self-Talk and its different forms associated with Competitive Anxiety, looking at the effects of negative and positive self-talk on anxiety. The research articl e by McGowan was chosen as it closely looks at competitive anxiety in athletes, both male and female, which explores the relationship between self-presentational concerns and C.A, giving knowledge into how athletes deal with C.A and if a relationship exists between the two. The research by Conroy was selected as it examines the effect of Self-Talk in relation to Competitive Anxiety, looking at how different negative types of Self-Talk (such as self-blame) are positively linked to anxiety, asShow MoreRelatedCompetitive Anxiety Theory Analysis1724 Words   |  7 Pagesthat may negatively affect their performance abilities. Stress, arousal, and anxiety are terms used to describe this condition. Competitive state-anxiety usually follows a pattern of subjective feelings such as tension and inadequacy, combined with heightened arousal of the autonomic nervous system. This anxiety type includes state and trait dimensions both of which can show themselves as cognitive and somatic sympto ms. Over the years many distinguished sports psychologists have developed variousRead MoreThe Effects Of Psychological Emotional On Sport Performance1582 Words   |  7 Pagesemotional states on sport performance Literature Review In Martin and Gill’s experiment done in 1991, the relationship among trait and state psychological variables and performance in male high school distance runners were measured. 73 male middle and long distance runners ranging from 14 to 18 years of age were used to examine trait and state psychological variables and performance. A Competitive Orientation Inventory and Sport Orientation Questionnaire were used to measure competitive orientation measuresRead MoreAn Outline of Performance Anxiety in Female Athletes871 Words   |  4 PagesAn Outline of Performance Anxiety in Female Athletes Gena Petrick 102160287 University of the Fraser Valley Roger Friesen February 21, 2012 Introduction Have you ever felt an overwhelming feeling of fear or nervousness, prior to competing in an important event? Did it affect your ability to perform? If so, you may be familiar with performance anxiety. An athlete suffering from performance anxiety often will perceive competitive situations as threatening, which can resultRead MoreThe Physiological Demands Of Women s Competitive Gymnastics Routines999 Words   |  4 PagesGymnastics is one of the most demanding and dangerous collegiate sports. Marina and Rodriguez (2014) investigated the physiological demands of women’s competitive gymnastics routines. Post-exercise heart rate, oxygen uptake, and peak blood lactate concentration were studied from eight elite female gymnasts. The gymnasts reached their highest heart rates (183-199 beats/minute), their highest oxygen uptake (33-44 mL/kg), and their highest blood lactate levels (7-9 mmol) following the floor and theRead MoreThe Effects Of Optimal Arousal And Performance16 86 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The effects of optimal arousal and performance has been studied extensively in psychology. Throughout sports psychology it is known that there is an optimal arousal level at which athletes perform their best. In previous studies surrounding the relationship between emotional states and performance, have been examined using the individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF). IZOF is a sport-specific framework that describes the relationship between emotional experiences and success onRead MoreEssay Anxiety in Sports938 Words   |  4 Pagestheir stomach or a sudden rush of adrenaline before an important game. This feeling can either translate into legendary performances or monumental failures. According to Sharon D. Hoar (2007), to fully comprehend anxiety’s effect on performance, one must understand the discrimination between two unique sets of sources: trait and state anxiety, and cognitive and somatic anxiety. Anxiety symptoms are numerous and unique to every athlete. Hoar s uggests that athletes might report cognitive symptoms (eg.Read MoreHelping Athletes to Perform Better under Pressure1541 Words   |  6 PagesWith it being known that pressure on an athlete to not let their team down increases anxiety, Otten and Barrett (2013) decided to look at which aspect of baseball (pitching or batting) would be most prone to choking. They looked over archives from the Baseball Reference website which includes statistics from the last 109 years. Hitting, pitching, and team-level statistics were all operationally defined and then examined. They found that pitching statistics were significantly correlated from regularRead More Applying Psychological Thinking To Sports Essays1687 Words   |  7 Pages quot;Sports is by far one of the fastest growing pass times in the United Statesquot; (Rainer 1987). Even if people dont take it to the professional level, sporting events are happening in our backyards, and at all of our local schools around the country. With the growing popularity and the increasing competitiveness of the sports, it will take more than just a physical advantage to compete at the highest level. This is where the psychology of sports comes into play. In my research I willRead MoreDifferent Types Of Anxiety And Anxiety800 Words   |  4 Pagesdescribed anxiety as ‘an unpleasant emotion, which is characterised by vague but persistent feelings of apprehension and dread’ (Cashmoore, 2002). There are many different types of anxiety including state, trait, somatic and cognitive (Moran, 2004, pp. 72-75). State anxiety has been defined as ‘subjective, consciously perceived feelings of tension and apprehension’ (Spielberger, 1966, p. 17), whereas trait anxiety is an acquired behavioral tendency (Spielberger, 1966). Somatic anxiety relates toRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Medications In Sports1602 Words   |  7 Pagesassisted off the field, diagnosed, treated and sent to physical therapy; often to return miraculously in a week or two. Yet when that same athlete has a mental disorder, there is no armada of medical personnel, but rather an athlete often left abandoned. Spor ts, too often, are concealed to hide deeply rooted mental health issues. The better the athlete, the more desperate they are to reach the next level; the less likely they will reach out for help. The abiding irony is that athletes--our indestructible