Anxiety and Sport - 3155 Words

The relationship between anxiety and sports Introduction. Anxiety is a reaction that is measured using various scales through the observation of cognitive and physiological symptoms that become evident in reaction to a stimulus. In relation to sports, anxiety is often associated with an upcoming performance. Anxiety could also be enhanced by the intense competition offered by sports. Anxiety in connection with sports is a good topic for research since could affect a persons athletic performance either positively or negatively (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). Many researchers on different levels have studied the relationship between sports activities and various health benefits. In particular, sports activities are known to†¦show more content†¦In their article, Flett and Hewitt (2005) analyzed the effect of perfectionism to people, particularly focusing on deciding whether perfectionism leads to either adaptiveness or maladaptiveness. This goal is aimed through an analysis of research findings on perfectionism and its relationsh ip with exercise and sports (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Flett and Hewitt (2005) believe that while perfectionism may be important for the attainment of success in some sports, particularly those where â€Å"an error-free performance† is mandatory, perfectionism nevertheless leads to â€Å"self-defeating outcomes and unhealthy patterns of behavior† among athletes. This is the result of the extreme personality of people who strive too hard for perfection in their sports performance (Flett Hewitt, 2005). From the 1990s, there have already been studies that address questions involving the relationship of perfectionism and sports. Frost and Henderson (1991) conducted a study among women in varsity teams that assessed self-confidence, reactions, and competition anxiety of the participants. This study led to the conclusion that perfectionism causes athletes to be overly concerned about their mistakes, which in turn cause negative and adverse outcomes on sports performance and att itudes. These include â€Å"anxiety, low confidence, a failure orientation, and negative reactions to mistakes during competition† (Flett Show MoreRelatedEssay Anxiety in Sports938 Words   |  4 Pagesand state anxiety, and cognitive and somatic anxiety. Anxiety symptoms are numerous and unique to every athlete. Hoar suggests that athletes might report cognitive symptoms (eg. Inability to focus), somatic symptoms (eg. Sweaty palms), or both. The author discusses a variety of sources of anxiety and argues that it can have both positive and negative effects on performance. Anxiety has a significant affect on athletes and garners numerous research studies pertaining to performance. Anxiety, like motivationRead MoreCompetitive Anxiety in Sports Performance722 Words   |  3 PagesCompetitive 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 achieveRead MoreCompetitive Anxiety Theory Analysis1724 Words   |  7 Pagesaffect 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 t rait dimensions both of which can show themselves as cognitive and somatic symptoms. Over the years many distinguished sports psychologists have developed various theories and testsRead MoreThe Effects Of Psychological Emotional On Sport Performance1582 Words   |  7 Pagesaffects of psychological emotional 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 measureRead 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 MoreSports Psychology And What Goes On The Brain Of An Athlete1194 Words   |  5 Pages Sports Psychology and What Goes On in the Brain of an Athlete Gabriel Cerna Community College of Aurora What Goes on in the Brain of an Athlete Every athlete that needs to compete has to be not only be physically ready, but they also need to be psychologically ready. Thousands of things go through the head of an athlete before the event even happens. They also have to think about what they are going to do while they are in the game. It is hard to react and perform at your best when a person’sRead MoreThe Effects Of Optimal Arousal And Performance1686 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 on the basisRead 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 MoreChildhood Depression : A Serious Disease That Affects People Of All Genders And Ages1589 Words   |  7 Pagesgenders and ages, but there are many ways to cope with depression. Evert and McGillivray (2014) studied the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on the presence of depression symptoms, anxiety, and stress in males and females with autism. People with autism tend to experience greater levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than those without autism. Cognitive behavioral therapy includes several sessions addressing issues such as identifying stressors, emotions, relationships with one’s feelingsRead MoreExamining Discrepancies Between Self And Other Predictions Of Future Performance1212 Words   |  5 Pagesmay have an effect on the study’s results. JXH1022 Research in SSHES Laboratory Assignment Form Research area: Pressure/Anxiety Member of SHES: Gavin Lawrence; Research in the Institute for the Psychology of Elite Performance (IPEP) 3 papers that Gavin Lawrence has published: 1. Lawrence, G. P., Kingston, K. (2007). Skill acquisition for coaches. An introduction to sports coaching: from science and theory to practice. 2. Lawrence, G. P., Gottwald, V. M., Khan, M. A., Kramer, R. S. (2012). The