Arousal and Anxiety | AQA A-Level Physical Education (7582)
Arousal and Anxiety
- 63 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Paper 2: Factors affecting optimal performance in physical activity and sport
- Paper 2
Arousal and Anxiety is examined in Paper 2, Factors affecting optimal performance in physical activity and sport.
It covers drive theory and the inverted-U, catastrophe theory, the zone of optimal functioning and peak flow, somatic, cognitive, trait and state anxiety and measuring anxiety.
Sample questions from Arousal and Anxiety
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Drive theory and the inverted-U
Why does drive theory suit gross, simple skills better than fine, complex ones?
Show the answer
Gross, simple skills such as scrummaging need power rather than precision, so extra arousal helps. Fine, complex skills are disrupted by the tension and poor control that high arousal brings. -
Drive theory and the inverted-U
How do experience and personality affect a performer's optimum level of arousal?
Show the answer
Experts and extroverts reach their optimum at a higher level of arousal. Novices and introverts perform best at a lower level. -
Catastrophe theory, the zone of optimal functioning and peak flow
Why is catastrophe theory seen as more realistic than the inverted-U theory?
Show the answer
Catastrophe theory recognises that performance often collapses suddenly under pressure rather than fading gradually. The theory also separates cognitive anxiety from physical arousal. -
Catastrophe theory, the zone of optimal functioning and peak flow
How does the zone of optimal functioning differ from the inverted-U theory?
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The inverted-U shows one optimal point at moderate arousal for everyone. The zone of optimal functioning shows a band of optimal arousal that varies between individuals. -
Somatic, cognitive, trait and state anxiety
What is competitive trait anxiety?
Show the answer
Competitive trait anxiety is an enduring tendency to see competitive situations as threatening. A highly trait-anxious performer feels nervous in most competitions. -
Somatic, cognitive, trait and state anxiety
A tennis player keeps thinking about losing and cannot focus on the ball. Which type of anxiety is this?
Show the answer
The player is experiencing cognitive state anxiety. The worry about losing is disrupting concentration and decision making. -
Measuring anxiety
Name two questionnaires used to measure anxiety in sport, and what each measures.
Show the answer
The Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) measures competitive trait anxiety. The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) measures cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confidence. -
Measuring anxiety
How can hormone levels be used to measure anxiety?
Show the answer
Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline can be measured in samples of blood, urine or saliva. Raised levels indicate high anxiety.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Drive theory and the inverted-U | Arousal, drive theory and the dominant response, the inverted-U theory of Yerkes and Dodson, skill type, experience and personality, and under- and over-arousal. | 16 |
| Catastrophe theory, the zone of optimal functioning and peak flow | Catastrophe theory from Hardy and Fazey, recovery after a catastrophe, Hanin's zone of optimal functioning, and peak flow experience. | 16 |
| Somatic, cognitive, trait and state anxiety | Somatic and cognitive anxiety and how they change before and during competition, Martens's competitive trait and state anxiety, and how anxiety can harm or help performance. | 15 |
| Measuring anxiety | Observation, questionnaires such as SCAT and CSAI-2, and physiological measures including galvanic skin response and hormones, with their advantages and disadvantages. | 16 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Physical Education Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,084 questions with their answers.