HSC PDHPE CORE 2

FOCUS AREA 2.6

ENHANCING MOTIVATION AND
MANAGING ANXIETY AND AROUSAL
Presented by Elle Smith

Syllabus dot points:

Students learn about
• psychological strategies to enhance motivation and
manage anxiety
• concentration/attention skills (focusing)
• mental rehearsal/visualisation/imagery
• relaxation techniques
• goal-setting.
© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 1
What’s in this lesson?
Focus area Difficulty Reference Questions

Concentration and attention skills

2.6.1
(focusing)

Mental rehearsal, visualisation and

2.6.2
imagery

Relaxation techniques 2.6.3

Goal-setting 2.6.4

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 2

Enhancing motivation and managing anxiety and
arousal
Theory summary
Any athlete will require motivation to enhance their performance. Managing anxiety and
arousal is also important to achieve optimum arousal for improved performance.

Athletes implement many strategies in their training and performance routines to manage their
motivation, anxiety and arousal. These can include:

Concentration and Mental rehearsal

attention skills visualisation
(focusing) imagery

Relaxation
Goal setting
techniques

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 3

2.6.1 Concentration and attention skills (focusing)
Theory summary
Concentration and attention skills are the concepts of focusing on queues and elements that are
specific to the athlete’s performance rather than the outcome of the skill.

Intense focus Sustained attention Focus and attention

Golf Marathon Netball

Table tennis Ironman Rugby

High jump Football

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 4

2.6.2 Mental rehearsal, visualisation and imagery
Theory summary
Mental rehearsal, visualisation and imagery are the
concepts of trying to mentally visualise movement
in the athlete’s mind.

Enhances motivation
Can be done prior to
and decreases anxiety
performance or game
by creating familiar
and throughout the
environments for the
performance
athlete

Mental rehearsal,
visualisation and imagery

Prepares the athlete for Done just before (prior)

competition and skill to performance to help
execution improve concentration

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 5

2.6.3 Relaxation techniques
Theory summary

Relaxation techniques are used to assist in the control of physical responses to stress and
anxiety. If these techniques are not used anxiety and stress levels can increase to a point of
having a negative impact on performance. Examples of relaxation techniques can include:

Slow, deep breathing Stretching muscles Cool towel

Helps to overcome fast
breathing as a response to
stress
Applying to the face and body
Helps to overcome muscle
decreases body temperature and
tightness due to increased
sweating caused by stress and
adrenaline secretion
anxiety

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 6

2.6.4 Goal-setting
Theory summary
Self-talk (n.)
Communicating Setting goals can increase motivation for the athlete, goals which are challenging yet realistic
with yourself to are essential for managing anxiety and achieving optimum arousal.
assist in achieving
immediate goals. Goals should be:
Increases
confidence and
• Process-based and related to factors the athlete can control
decreases anxiety
prior and during • Short- and long-term goals with a specific time frame.
performance.

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 7

2.6.1 Concentration and attention skills (focusing)
Multiple choice activity
Tiger Woods is preparing to putt for 2 under par on the 18th hole to win the US Open.
What type of concentration/attention skills is he most likely to employ?
Before you
start looking A. High attention
at the
answers, B. Intense focus
write down
what you C. Sustained attention
think the
answer is. D. Focus and attention levels

E. I don’t know.

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 8

2.6.1 Concentration and attention skills (focusing)
Multiple choice - Response
Tiger Woods is preparing to putt for 2 under par on the 18th hole to win the US Open.
What type of concentration/attention skills is he most likely to employ?

A. High attention

B. Intense focus

C. Sustained attention

D. Focus and attention levels

E. I don’t know.

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 9

2.6.2 Mental rehearsal, visualisation and Imagery
Multiple choice activity
Which psychological performance strategy are athletes using if they are able to perceive
themselves winning an event before the event has taken place?
Before you
start looking A. Meditation
at the
answers, B. Goal-setting
write down
what you C. Visualisation
think the
answer is. D. Mental rehearsal

E. I don’t know.

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 (2012 BOSTES Q19) 10

2.6.2 Mental rehearsal, visualisation and Imagery
Multiple choice - Response
Which psychological performance strategy are athletes using if they are able to perceive
themselves winning an event before the event has taken place?

A. Meditation

B. Goal-setting

C. Visualisation

D. Mental rehearsal

E. I don’t know.

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 (2012 BOSTES Q19) 11

2.6.3 Relaxation techniques
Multiple choice activity
A marathon runner has just completed their warm up prior to their race, the are still feeling
quite stressed and notice that their heart rate is too high prior to performance which is affecting
Before you their breathing rate.
start looking
at the Which relaxation technique would be most suitable to manage the athletes level of stress and
answers, anxiety prior to performance?
write down
what you A. Listening to heavy metal music
think the
answer is. B. Slow deep breathing

C. Stretching muscles

D. Applying a cool towel

E. I don’t know.

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 12

2.6.3 Relaxation techniques
Multiple choice - Response
A marathon runner has just completed their warm up prior to their race, the are still feeling
quite stressed and notice that their heart rate is too high prior to performance which is affecting
their breathing rate.

Which relaxation technique would be most suitable to manage the athletes level of stress and
anxiety prior to performance?

A. Listening to heavy metal music

B. Slow deep breathing

C. Stretching muscles

D. Applying a cool towel

E. I don’t know.

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 13

2.6.4 Goal-setting
Multiple choice activity
Stuart Appleby, a world class golfer, wanted to play more like Tiger Woods. To do so he hired a
mind coach. He realised he needed to focus his own motivators and identifying things he could
Before you change in his own thoughts rather than being ‘more like Woods’.
start looking
at the What aspect of goal setting did Appleby focus on?
answers,
write down A. His technical skills
what you
think the B. The success of other athletes around him
answer is.
C. Factors which he can control

D. Winning more tournaments

E. I don’t know.

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 14

2.6.4 Goal-setting
Multiple choice - Response
Stuart Appleby, a world class golfer, wanted to play more like Tiger Woods. To do so he hired a
mind coach. He realised he needed to focus his own motivators and identifying things he could
change in his own thoughts rather than being ‘more like Woods’.

What aspect of goal setting did Appleby focus on?

A. His technical skills

B. The success of other athletes around him

C. Factors which he can control

D. Winning more tournaments

E. I don’t know.

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 15

Motivation, anxiety and arousal

Concentration Mental
and attention rehearsal Relaxation
Goal setting
skills visualisation techniques
(Focusing) imagery

© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 16

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© Elle Smith & Edrolo 2017 17