Anxiety and performance

The inverted U, cognitive and somatic anxiety, the catastrophe model and individual zones of optimal functioning.

The outline, topic by topic

Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.

Arousal: what is it?
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The general level of physiological and psychological alertness.
It is neither good nor bad in itself.
A very worried golfer misses everything after a first bad shot and never recovers. Which model?
- The catastrophe model
- The simple inverted U
- Drive theory (Hull)
- The individual zone of optimal functioning
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The catastrophe model
The fall is sudden and recovery hard: only the catastrophe model predicts this break.
Inverted U: what is it?
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Performance rises with arousal up to an optimum, then falls.
It derives from the Yerkes-Dodson law (1908).
Why does a weightlifter need more arousal than an archer?
- Precision tasks tolerate more arousal than strength tasks
- Strength tasks tolerate more arousal than precision tasks
- More arousal always improves performance
- The weightlifter is more anxious by nature
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Strength tasks tolerate more arousal than precision tasks
The optimum also depends on the task: precision and fine motor skill break down sooner as arousal rises.
Cognitive anxiety: what is it?
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Worries and negative thoughts about performance.
According to multidimensional theory (Martens et al., 1990), the higher it gets, the lower performance falls.