Arousal and Anxiety | Edexcel A-Level Physical Education (9PE0)
Arousal and Anxiety
- 61 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Component 2: psychological and social principles of physical education
- Component 2
Arousal and Anxiety is examined in Component 2, Psychological and social principles of physical education.
It covers arousal and the optimal level for performance, drive, inverted-U and catastrophe theories, anxiety, stress and stressors and cognitive and somatic stress management strategies.
Sample questions from Arousal and Anxiety
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Arousal and the optimal level for performance
What is the optimal level of arousal?
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The optimal level is the arousal at which a performer performs best. The level differs for each performer, task and situation. -
Arousal and the optimal level for performance
Name one activity that needs high arousal and one that needs low arousal.
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A weightlifter needs high arousal to generate maximal force. An archer needs low arousal for a steady aim. -
Drive, inverted-U and catastrophe theories
What is the main criticism of drive theory?
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Drive theory cannot explain why experts sometimes perform badly when highly aroused. Even well-learned skills can break down under extreme pressure. -
Drive, inverted-U and catastrophe theories
Give two criticisms of the inverted-U hypothesis.
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The inverted-U suggests a gradual decline after the peak, but performance often drops suddenly. The hypothesis also treats arousal as one dimension and ignores cognitive anxiety. -
Anxiety, stress and stressors
What is state anxiety?
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State anxiety is temporary anxiety felt in a particular situation. State anxiety changes from moment to moment, rising just before a penalty. -
Anxiety, stress and stressors
What is stress?
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Stress is the response to a situation where demands seem to exceed the ability to cope. Positive stress, called eustress, can improve performance. -
Cognitive and somatic stress management strategies
What is the difference between internal and external imagery?
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Internal imagery sees the action through the performer's own eyes. External imagery watches the performance from outside, as if on video. -
Cognitive and somatic stress management strategies
Why is progressive muscle relaxation classed as a somatic strategy?
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Progressive muscle relaxation lowers physiological arousal directly by reducing muscle tension. Heart rate and breathing rate also fall.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Arousal and the optimal level for performance | Arousal and its positive effects, under- and over-arousal, the optimal level for gross, fine, simple and complex skills, stage of learning and personality, situational factors, the novice gymnast in competition and raising a team's arousal. | 14 |
| Drive, inverted-U and catastrophe theories | Hull's drive theory and its formula, the dominant response, experts and novices, the inverted-U from Yerkes and Dodson and its criticisms, skill type and the expert extrovert, and catastrophe theory with a golfer's collapse. | 15 |
| Anxiety, stress and stressors | Cognitive, somatic and behavioural anxiety, trait and state anxiety, arousal and anxiety, over-arousal, choking and why it happens, stress and stressors, and the physiological, psychological and behavioural symptoms of stress. | 16 |
| Cognitive and somatic stress management strategies | Mental rehearsal, visualisation and internal and external imagery, self-talk, thought stopping, pre-game routines, progressive muscle relaxation, centring and breathing control, the sprinter with somatic anxiety and the gymnast. | 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
Edexcel A-Level Physical Education Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,108 questions with their answers.