Research article summary (published 29 Sep 2000):

State anxiety and motor performance: testing the conscious processing hypothesis.

Full Abstract

Previous research has argued that skills acquired explicitly are more likely to fail under stressful conditions than skills that have been learned implicitly. The present study addressed an alternative explanation for the robustness under stress of implicit task performance. As implicit learners acquired the skill of golf putting while generating random letters, it is possible that they became desensitized to self-generated verbalizations and thus immune to the effects of competitive anxiety. We tested this interpretation while controlling for a further rival hypothesis generated by Eysenck's Processing Efficiency Theory. We also examined the effect of increased state anxiety on the kinematic processes underlying performance breakdowns. For task performance, we found evidence that partially supported the conscious processing hypothesis, while the results of the kinematic analysis of the putting stroke were equivocal. Analysis of self-reported effort scores provided partial support for processing efficiency theory.

Author information

Author/s: Mullen, R (R); Hardy, L (L);

Affiliation: School of Sport, University of Wales Institute Cardiff, Cyncoed Campus, UK. rhmullen(-atsign-)uwic.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Journal of sports sciences (J Sports Sci), published in ENGLAND. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2000-Oct; vol 18 (issue 10) : pp 785-99

Dates: Created 2001/01/24; Completed 2001/02/08; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 11055814, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult Analysis of Variance Anxiety - physiopathology Attitude Chi-Square Distribution Cognition - physiology Consciousness - physiology Efficiency - physiology Golf - education; physiology; psychology Humans

Joints - physiology Learning Male Middle Aged Perception - physiology Psychomotor Performance - physiology Range of Motion, Articular - physiology Stress, Psychological - physiopathology Task Performance and Analysis Videotape Recording

Related articles

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

• Is coping style linked to emotional states in heart failure patients? 30 Jul 2004
• The yips in golf: multimodal evidence for two subtypes. 30 Oct 2006
• Anxiety and cognitive efficiency: differential modulation of transient and sustained neural activity during a working memory task. 30 Aug 2008
• Negative affect, pain and sex: the role of endogenous opioids. 16 May 2007
• Hypothyroidism and major depression: a common executive dysfunction? 29 Jun 2006
• A qualitative study of the characteristics and representation of fatigue in a French speaking population of cancer patients and healthy subjects. 16 Nov 2005
• Stress-induced blood pressure reactivity and cognitive function. 22 May 2005
• Benzodiazepines have no effect on fear-potentiated startle in humans. 18 Mar 2002
• Cerebral blood flow during anticipation of public speaking in social phobia: a PET study. 29 Nov 2002
• The 'yips' in golf: a continuum between a focal dystonia and choking. 30 Dec 2002

See 100+ related articles.

Related Article Map

Legend: - FREE Full text Article. - Abstract only. - Title only. More help.

See a large map of 100+ related articles.