Performance
Performance is a topic of deep discussion with a desire for deeper understanding. The need for optimal performance has expanded in the modern world to all aspects of life. From being able to cook the family meal, to banking, to downloading the latest blockbuster hit movie performance is at the center of our lives. Of course, performance has always been the focus in sports and competitive situations. This kind of performance, human performance is the center of study with our studies desiring to know how emotions affect the level of performance of a person in a competitive action. Specifically considering the effects of anxiety, typically a debilitating emotion, anxiety affects performance in every person. There are many theories related to emotional performance. In this paper we will discuss a few of those related to anxiety including Multidimensional Anxiety Theory, Zone of Optimal Function, and Processing Efficiency Theory. The research of the effects of anxiety are far from complete but what is already known is a strong starting point for deeper understanding.
Multidimensional Anxiety Theory
Multidimensional Anxiety Theory or Multidimensional Theory of Fear (Frombach, Asmundson, & Cox, 1999) dictates as a subject’s anxiety increases there is an increase in mental and physical resources consumed resulting in a lesser performance as compared to the same subject not experiencing anxiety (Frombach, Asmundson, & Cox, 1999; Krane, 1993; Dunn, 1999). While other theories might focus on the mind or assume the mind leads to the body, in Multidimensional Anxiety Theory there is a specific focus on anxiety’s effects of both the mind and body.
The current literature on Multidimensional Anxiety Theory focuses mostly on athletes and performance in relationship to how anxiety taxes both the mind and the body. It is generally believed anxiety consumes more resources leaving less resources cognitively and physically available for the athletic task at hand. Dunn (1999), focuses on the effects of anxiety in the description of worry affects Hockey players and their performance on the ice. Frombach, Asmundson, & Cox (1999), attempts to focus on the Multidimensional Anxiety Theory through the study of subjects’ fear injuries and the fear of blood. Subjects were composed of workers who sustained an injury resulting in chronic pain. It is difficult to trust the findings of Frombach, Asmundson, & Cox (1999) on the grounds it is a statistical fact those who have a workplace injury are more likely to complain or falsify the need for continued treatment and services (Ruseckaite & Collie, 2013).
Zone of Optimal Function
The Zone of Optimal Function states there is a window or narrow range of anxiety where a performer is able to utilize the anxiety to perform at a higher level as compared to the same subject at a non-anxious state (Krane, 1993). Current literature including Raglin & Turner (1993), Prapavessis & Grove (1991) and Krane (1993) demonstrate Zone of Optimal Function is trackable and a viable theory. While Raglin & Turner (1993) describe Zone of Optimal Function as successful manor of increasing performance while within the appropriate anxiety window Prapavessis & Grove (1991) report mixed results.
Zone of Optimal Function could possibly be a contributing factor to what leads to a great athlete. Professional athletes must overcome insurmountable odds to become a professional and remain at the top. The ability to channel anxiety to produce the best possible performance would likely be part of the success. Otherwise, a professional athlete’s anxiety would affect and lessen their performance leading to a high likelihood of failure. There is a need for continued research of professional athletes to determine if there is a correlation in their use of anxiety within an optimal zone.
Processing Efficiency Theory
Processing Efficiency Theory denotes the idea anxiety both consumes resources causing a decrease in processing efficiency (Murray & Janelle, 2007) while shining a spotlight on the topic causing an increase in focus or increase in resources devoted to the topic overcoming any negative effects from the anxiety. This increase or spotlight allows the subject to channel additional and possibly all available resources to the topic or task at hand which could work in conjunction with or support the theory of Zone of Optimal Function.
Experiments such as described by Murray & Janelle (2007) demonstrate while anxiety decreases processing efficiency or how well a subject processes inputs decreases (Fraser, 2013; Smith, Bellamy, Collins, & Newell, 2001). In Murray & Janelle’s (2007) experiment subjects continued to drive the simulated car around the racetrack while the subject’s response slowed or ceased to exist to visual inputs outside of the focus of driving as anxiety increased. As such, Processing Efficiency Theory demonstrates anxiety does not necessarily lead to a decrease of performance of the specific task but does lead to a decreased performance in non-focused tasks (Murray & Janelle, 2007).
Conclusion
Anxiety is an emotion which can greatly influence a person’s performance. By default, anxiety appears to be a debilitating or limiting factor, but it does not appear it needs to be. Multidimensional Anxiety Theory, Zone of Optimal Function, and Processing Efficiency Theory assist in laying the groundwork for the understanding of the effects of anxiety and performance. As anxiety consumes additional resources as compared to a non-anxious state anxiety limits the resources remaining for the subject to utilize. At the same time, anxiety limits resources, the state of being anxious raises awareness and focus on the topic or task the subject is anxious about. This heightened awareness causes additional resources to be utilized towards the topic or task. The current literature portrays the result being an equal and possibly higher state of performance in relation to the specific topic or task while an overall lower state of performance. Meaning while a subject is anxious the subject is able to continue to perform and complete the task which has caused the anxiety but the subject will likely not be able to properly process input related to other tasks while in a state of anxiety. As such, we can conclude anxiety is generally a debilitating emotion which is often neutralized by the result of added focus however anxiety can possibly be used to produce an increase in performance under the right circumstances.
References
Dunn, J. G. (1999). A theoretical framework for structuring the content of competitive worry in ice hockey. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 21(3), 259.
Fraser, S. (2013). Testing the predictions of the Processing Efficiency Theory – An orienteering simulation. Scientific Journal of Orienteering, 18(1), 3-11.
Frombach, I., Asmundson, G. G., & Cox, B. (1999). Confirmatory factor analysis of the fear questionnaire in injured workers with chronic pain. Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269), 9(3), 117-121.
Krane, V. (1993). A Practical Application of the Anxiety-Athletic Performance Relationship: The Zone of Optimal Functioning Hypothesis. Sport Psychologist, 7(2), 113.
Murray, N. P., & Janelle, C. M. (2007). Event-related potential evidence for the processing efficiency theory. Journal of Sports Sciences, 25(2), 161-171.
Prapavessis, H., & Grove, J. R. (1991). Precompetitive Emotions and Shooting Performance: The Mental Health and Zone of Optimal Function Models. Sport Psychologist, 5(3), 223-234.
Raglin, J. S., & Turner, P. E. (1993). Anxiety and performance in track and field athletes: A comparison of the inverted-U hypothesis with Zone of Optimal Function theory. Personality and Individual Differences, 14(1), 163-171. doi:10.1016/0191-8869(93)90186-7.
Ruseckaite R, Collie A. (2013). The incidence and impact of recurrent workplace injury and disease: a cohort study of WorkSafe Victoria, Australia compensation claims. BMJ Open. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002396.
Smith, N. C., Bellamy, M., Collins, D. J., & Newell, D. (2001). A test of processing efficiency theory in a team sport context. Journal of Sports Sciences, 19(5), 321-332.