Anxiety and Ironic Errors of Performance: Task Instruction Matters

• DOI: 10.1123/jsep.2018-0268
• Publication Date: 2019-04-27T05:58:30Z
• Authors: Recep Gorgulu; Andrew Cooke; Tim Woodman
• Keywords: Male; Adolescent; Anxiety; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Heart Rate; Humans; Female; Muscle, Skeletal; Psychological Theory; Psychomotor Performance

Five experiments that examined Wegner's theory of ironic processes mental control in reactive motor performance under pressure are presented for the first time. In Experiments 1, 2, and 4, authors conducted specific examinations incidence an error using a task. 3 5, they provided tests whether task instruction moderates errors. The required participants to react series three primary-colored balls as rolled down chute low- high-anxiety conditions. Measures anxiety, heart rate, heart-rate variability, muscle activity confirmed effectiveness anxiety manipulation. 4 revealed increased number evidence instructional interventions can reduce anxiety-induced errors tasks.