Emotional Control and IZOF.

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Emotional Control and IZOF.

• Mr P. Leighton
• Mental Preparation for Physical Activities.
• Sports Psychology

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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?

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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Hanins Model of the IZOF
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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.

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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.

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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

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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)

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Work for you

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

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Thats 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.