Arousal

-Arousal is a physioloical state of alertness and anticipation which prepares the body for action.

-The reticular activating system is responsible for maintaining the general level of arousal within the body.

-Drive Theory states that there is a linear relationship between arousal and performance. As the level of arousal increases so does the likelihood of the dominant response occurring.

-Inverted-U-Theory suggests that the relationship is curvilinear. Increased arousal improves performance up to a certain point after this any increases in arousal level will have a detrimental effect on performance.

-Levels of optimum arousal will be different according to the complexity and nature of the specific task, the level of experience and their personality.

-Increased arousal levels leads to attentional narrowing but over arousal can create attentional wastage.

-Catastrophe theory suggests that increased levels of arousal will have a positive effect on performance and that over arousal may cause deterioration in performance but individuals may recover to regain their optimum level of arousal.

-ZOF suggests that each individual performer has a zone of optimal state anxiety in which their best performance occurs.

-Variable factors such as the situation and the performer will cause the ZOF to alter.

-The optimal level of arousal does not occur at a specific point but over a 'band width'.

-Peak Flow Experience is an emotional state that a performer may experience during sport when the timing of movements and actions appears perfect.

-This emotional state is more likely to occur when the performer has reached the correct level of somatic arousal and the cognitive arousal is low.