The impact of anxiety on perceptual-motor behaviour
Year: 2002
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Two experiments were conducted to investigate manifestations of anxiety at the subjective and physiological level of analysis (Experiment 1), and behavioural level of analysis (Experiment 2). Anxiety was manipulated in novice climbers by using a climbing wall with routes defined at different heights (low and high). We measured self-reported state anxiety, heart rate (Experiments 1 and 2), blood lactate concentration and muscle fatigue (Experiment 1), and climbing time and fluency of movements (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, climbing times were standardised. At the level of subjective experience we found that when participants climbed a route high on a climbing wall they reported significantly more anxiety than when they traversed an identical route low on the climbing wall. At the physiological level, they exhibited significantly higher heart rates, more muscle fatigue, and higher blood lactate concentrations. Experiment 2 showed that state anxiety also affected participants’ movement behaviour, which was evidenced by an increased geometric index of entropy and by longer climbing times. It was concluded that anxiety indeed manifested itself at all three levels, and anxiety may induce a temporary regress to a form of movement execution that is associated with earlier stages of motor learning. ______________________________ Based on: Pijpers, J. R., Oudejans, R. R. D., Holsheimer, F., & Bakker, F. C. (2003). Anxiety-performance relationships in climbing: A process-oriented approach. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 4, 283-304.
Author: J.R. Pijpers
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2121197245