1. Defining Arousal, Stress, and Anxiety
States
Trait

2. Stage 1
The Stress Process
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4

3. Sources of Stress and Anxiety
Event importance
Situational sources
Uncertainty
Trait anxiety
Personal sources
Self-esteem
Social physique anxiety

4. Drive Theory

5. Inverted–U Hypothesis

7. Individualized Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF) Theory

9. Catastrophe Model

10. Catastrophe Model

11. Reversal Theory
How arousal affects performance depends on an individual’s interpretation of his or her arousal level.
Arousal can be interpreted as pleasant/excitement or as unpleasant/anxiety.
Arousal interpreted as pleasant facilitates performance, and arousal interpreted as unpleasant hurts performance.

12. Anxiety Direction and Intensity
An individual’s interpretation of anxiety symptoms is important for understanding the anxiety-performance relationship.
To understand the anxiety-performance relationship, both the intensity (how much anxiety one feels) and direction (a person’s interpretation of anxiety as being facilitating or debilitating to performance) must be considered.
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13. Anxiety Direction and Intensity
Viewing anxiety as facilitative leads to superior performance.
Some support has been found for this view.

14. Significance of All the Arousal–Performance Views
Significance of All the Arousal–Performance Views **Arousal is multifaceted**
Arousal and state anxiety do not always have a negative effect on performance— they can be facilitative or debilitative depending on the interpretation.
Some optimal level of arousal leads to peak performance, but the optimal levels of physiological activation and arousal-related thoughts (worry) are not the same.
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15. Significance of All the Arousal–Performance Views
Combination of a.) physiological arousal and b.) arousal interpretation are more important than actual levels of each.
It is doubtful that the optimal level of arousal is always at the midpoint of the arousal scale.

16. Why Arousal and Anxiety Influence Performance
Increased muscle tension and coordination difficulties
Attention and concentration changes: Narrowing of attention Shift to dominant style Attend to inappropriate cues

17. Why Arousal Influences Performance
Attentional narrowing

19. The Flow Model Essential elements of flow
Complete absorption in the activity
Merging of action and awareness; performance is on automatic pilot
Total concentration, focus
High confidence
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20. The Flow Model Essential elements of flow
Loss of self-consciousness; no thinking about performance
A sense of control, and loss of fear/anxiety
No goals or rewards external to the activity
Effortless movement, performance
Slowing of time, motion

21. The Typical Context of Flow A balance of skill and challenge