1. Arousal and Anxiety – How
coaches can manage their
athletes
William Morrison

2. Context
 Arousal and Anxiety – Overview
 Inverted U-Principle
 Arousal Levels for Different Sports
 Symptoms of Arousal and Anxiety
 Reversal Theory
 Under/Over Aroused
 Cue-Utilisation Hypothesis
 Managing Arousal Levels
 Over Confidence
 Pep Talk
 Concluding Statement
 References

3. Arousal and Anxiety - Overview
 Performance Situations
 Arousal refers to excitement
 Anxiety is how you feel about that situation
 A change in anxiety will change arousal levels

4. Inverted U-Principle
 Arousal and performance have linear relationship
 Arousal Peak leads to better performance
 Pep talks to “fire-up”

5. Arousal levels for different sports
 Low arousal – fine motor control
 Low arousal – decision making
 High arousal – large muscle actions
 High arousal – simple decisions

6. Symptoms of Arousal and Anxiety
 Cold clammy hands
 Frequent need to urinate
 Sweating
 Negative self talk
 Muscle tension
 Butterflies
 Headache

7. Reversal Theory
 Kerr – 1985, 1997
 Using symptoms to enhance performance
 How an Athlete Interprets arousal and anxiety

8. Under/Over Aroused
 Inverted U-Principle
 Right state of arousal
 Using warm up exercises to increase or decrease
arousal levels

9. Cue-Utilisation Hypothesis
 Low arousal – perceptual field is wide
 High arousal – narrowed field
 Higher arousal – too narrow field & begin to miss
important cues

10. Managing Arousal Levels
 Williams & Harris (2006)
 Muscle to Mind
 Breathing
 Muscle contraction

11. Managing Arousal Levels
 Mind to muscle
 Meditation
 Visualisation

12. Over Confidence
 High ranking versus low ranking
 Optimal arousal state = best performance
 Coaches role in maintaining arousal levels

13. Pep Talk –Good or Bad?
 Positive or negative effect?
 Inverted U-principle
 Only given to individuals not whole teams
 When is the best time to give pep talks?
 Should pep talks be given?

14. Concluding Statement
 Monitor
 Optimal Level of arousal
 Managing arousal
 Pep talks?

15. References
 R. S. Weinberg, D. Gould; Human Kinetics; 2011;
Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology
 R. A. Schmidt, C. A. Wrisberg; Human Kinetics; 2008; Motor
Learning and Performance
 G. Jones; British Journal of Psychology; 1995; 86: 449-478;
More than just a game: Research developments and issues
in competitive anxiety in sport
 L. L. Craft, T. M. Magyar, B. J. Becker, D. L. Feltz; Journal of
Sport & Exercise Psychology; 2003; 25, 44-65; The
Relationship Between the Competitive State Anxiety
Inventory-2 and Sport Performance: A Meta-Analysis