Somatic anxiety, also known as somatization, is the physical manifestation of anxiety.[1] It is commonly contrasted with cognitive anxiety, which is the mental manifestation of anxiety, or the specific thought processes that occur during anxiety, such as concern or worry. These different components of anxiety are especially studied in sports psychology,[2] specifically relating to how the anxiety symptoms affect athletic performance.
Associated symptoms typically include "abdominal pain, dyspepsia, chest pain, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, and headache".[1] These symptoms can either happen alone or multiple can happen at once.
Although commonly overlooked, scientists are starting to study somatic anxiety more.[3] Studies have shown that some medically overlooked cases that could not relate physical pain to any type of organ dysfunction typically could have been somatic anxiety.[1]
A graph showing the Inverted-U hypothesis. In this context, arousal refers to somatic anxiety.
The Inverted-U Hypothesis,[6] also known as the Yerkes-Dodson law[6] hypothesizes that as somatic and cognitive anxiety (the arousal) increase, performance will increase until a certain point. Once the arousal has increased past this point, performance will decrease.[5]
Multi-dimensional theory
The Multi-dimensional Theory of Anxiety[7] is based on the distinction between somatic and cognitive anxiety. The theory predicts that there is a negative, linear relationship between somatic and cognitive anxiety, that there will be an Inverted-U relationship between somatic anxiety and performance, and that somatic anxiety should decline once performance begins although cognitive anxiety may remain high, if confidence is low.[8]
Catastrophe theory
The Catastrophe Theory[9] suggests that stress, combined with both somatic and cognitive anxiety, influences performance, that somatic anxiety will affect each athlete differently, and that performance will be affected uniquely, which will make it difficult to predict an outcome using general rules.[8]
Optimum arousal theory
The Optimum Arousal Theory[10] states that each athlete will perform at their best if their level of anxiety falls within an "optimum functioning zone".[5]
^Martens, R. et al. (1990) The Development of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2). Human Kinetics
^ abMcNally, Ivan M. (August 2002). "Contrasting Concepts of Competitive State-Anxiety in Sport: Multidimensional Anxiety and Catastrophe Theories". Athletic Insight. 4 (2): 10–22. CiteSeerX10.1.1.629.5627.
^Hardy, L. & Non Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. Vancouver. June 1987.
Schwartz, Gary E; Davidson, Richard J; Goleman, Daniel J (1978). "Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise". Psychosomatic Medicine. 40 (4): 321–328. doi:10.1097/00006842-197806000-00004. PMID356080. S2CID2810663.
