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Precompetitive anxiety and motor performance: a psychophysiological examination
N C Smith1, L Burwitz, P Jakeman
1Department of Science, Crewe and Alsager College of Higher Education, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
Journal of Sports Sciences
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Performance on motor skills improved with an audience but declined in competition. Stress hormones like adrenaline correlated with anxiety, impacting motor task performance.
Area of Science:
- Sport Psychology
- Motor Performance
- Neuroendocrinology
Background:
- Audience presence and competition can induce stress, affecting physiological and psychological states.
- Understanding the impact of these factors on motor skills is crucial for performance optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of audience and competition on motor performance and associated neuroendocrine responses.
- To examine the relationship between anxiety, stress hormones, and performance in motor tasks.
Main Methods:
- 27 male subjects completed habituation to serial reaction time, visuomotor, and muscular power tests.
- Experimental phase involved performing tests before an audience and then against an opponent, with preperformance measures of neuroendocrine activity, heart rate, and anxiety.
Main Results:
- Significant increases in state anxiety, heart rate, and adrenaline levels were observed precompetition.
- Performance improved across all tests before an audience compared to habituation.
- Performance declined in visuomotor and power tests against an opponent, while reaction time showed a non-significant upward trend.
Conclusions:
- Audience presence enhances motor performance, potentially due to increased arousal and stress.
- Competition can impair performance, possibly due to attentional shifts and cognitive resource limitations.
- Adrenaline levels are linked to anxiety, highlighting the neuroendocrine basis of performance under pressure.