Somatic and cognitive anxiety

Overview

Cognitive and somatic anxiety and their symptoms, how each changes before and during competition, their effects on performance and fine skills, telling them apart, self-confidence and multidimensional anxiety.

What you need to know

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Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is cognitive anxiety?

   Model answer

   Cognitive anxiety is the mental response to a threat, involving worry and negative thoughts. A cognitively anxious performer fears failure and doubts their ability.

2. 2

   What is somatic anxiety?

   Model answer

   Somatic anxiety is the physical response to a threat. Somatic anxiety shows as raised heart rate, sweating, muscle tension and butterflies in the stomach.

3. 3

   Give two symptoms of cognitive anxiety.

   Model answer

   A cognitively anxious performer worries about failing. The performer may also struggle to concentrate.

4. 4

   A sprinter in the blocks notices a pounding heart and shaking legs. Which type of anxiety is this?

   Model answer

   The sprinter is experiencing somatic anxiety. A pounding heart and shaking legs are physical symptoms.

5. 5

   How does cognitive anxiety usually change in the days before a competition?

   Model answer

   Cognitive anxiety rises gradually as the event approaches. Cognitive anxiety stays high during the event if the performer expects to fail.

6. 6

   How does somatic anxiety usually change around the start of a competition?

   Model answer

   Somatic anxiety stays low until shortly before the start, then rises sharply. Somatic anxiety usually falls once performance begins.

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