Competitive Anxiety Theory Analysis
Competition can cause athletes to react both physically and mentally in a manner that 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 symptoms.
Over the years many distinguished sports psychologists have developed various theories and tests in order to correctly identify competitive anxiety in athletes. These theories and tests have been used in conjunction to understand and measure this particular condition. This paper will present the different theories used by sports psychologists, and will discuss how each new theory has built on the previous one.
The different theories and hypothesis that have had the best ability identifying competitive anxiety in athletes are the following: Drive theory, Inverted U- hypothesis,
Individual zones of optimal functioning, Multi-dimensional Anxiety Theory, Catastrophe Model, and The Reversal Theory. Each of the subsequent theories has built upon the previous one based upon new data and studies performed.
The first competitive anxiety theory that Sports psychologists used to diagnose athletes and their symptoms was developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s. This theory developed for properly diagnosing competitive anxiety was the Drive theory. The Drive theory was thought to have identified a direct linear relationship between arousal and performance. According to the Drive Theory if an athlete is appropriately skilled then this will help them to perform well if their drive to compete is aroused. It was believed that the more “psyched up” an athlete becomes the better that individual will perform, and the opposite effect will be true if the athlete is “psyched
Over the years many distinguished sports psychologists have developed various theories and tests in order to correctly identify competitive anxiety in athletes. These theories and tests have been used in conjunction to understand and measure this particular condition. This paper will present the different theories used by sports psychologists, and will discuss how each new theory has built on the previous one.
The different theories and hypothesis that have had the best ability identifying competitive anxiety in athletes are the following: Drive theory, Inverted U- hypothesis,
Individual zones of optimal functioning, Multi-dimensional Anxiety Theory, Catastrophe Model, and The Reversal Theory. Each of the subsequent theories has built upon the previous one based upon new data and studies performed.
The first competitive anxiety theory that Sports psychologists used to diagnose athletes and their symptoms was developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s. This theory developed for properly diagnosing competitive anxiety was the Drive theory. The Drive theory was thought to have identified a direct linear relationship between arousal and performance. According to the Drive Theory if an athlete is appropriately skilled then this will help them to perform well if their drive to compete is aroused. It was believed that the more “psyched up” an athlete becomes the better that individual will perform, and the opposite effect will be true if the athlete is “psyched
References: Weinberg, S., & Gould, D. (2007). Foundations of sport and exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. McNally, M. I. (2002), Contrasting Concepts of Competitive State-Anxiety in Sport: Multidimensional anxiety and catastrophe theories. The Online Journal of Sport Psychology, 4(2), 10-22. Lavallee, L., & Flint, F. (1996). The Relationship of stress, competitive anxiety, mood state, and social support to athletic injury. Journal of Athletic Training, 31, 296-299. Martens, R., Vealey, R. & Burton, D. (1990) . Competitive anxiety in sport. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Sports psychology: how to prevent competition anxiety and nerves from getting the better of you. [Online].http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/sports-psychology-how-to-prevent-competition-anxiety-and-nerves-from-getting-the-better-of-you-31994. [2010, May, 14]