Can anger and tension be helpful? Relationships between mood

states and emotional intelligence during optimal performance

Andy Lane and Tracey DevonportSchool of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure

Emotion Regulation in Others and Self (EROS) Research Network

Introduction

Goal-pursuit activities such as athletic competition is associated with intense emotions (Terry & Lane, 2000)

IntroductionRelationships between mood and human performance have been examined in a variety of domains

Work (Lee & Allen, 2002; Eisenberger et al., 2001), Creative tasks (Grawitch et al., 2003) Education (Haines et al., 1997; Lane, Terry, Beedie, &

Stevens, 2004)

Sport (Beedie, Terry, & Lane, 2000; Totterdell & Leach, 2001).

General trendsPleasant emotion lead to good performanceUnpleasant emotion lead to poor performanceSwitching effect:

Unpleasant emotion good performance Pleasant emotion inhibit performance (Beedie et

al., 2000; Hanin, 2000; Schwarz & Bless, 1991)

Emotions (see Hanin, 2000) Emotions (see Hanin, 2000)

Helpful (P+) Energetic Charged Certain Motivated Purposeful Willing Cheerful Enthusiastic Alert

* Hanin & Lukkarila, 1999* Hanin & Lukkarila, 1999

Harmful (P-) Easy-doing Tranquil Satisfied Overjoyed Excited Pleasant Comfortable Calm

Positive

Helpful (N+)TenseDissatisfiedVehementAttacking Intense AngryIrritatedNervousProvokedRestless

Harmful: Harmful: ((N-)

TiredTired SluggishSluggish UnwillingUnwilling UncertainUncertain DownheartedDownhearted DepressedDepressed DistressedDistressed AfraidAfraid

Negative

Reduced Vigour

Vigour

Fatigue

Confusion

Anger

Tension

Increased Fatigue

Increased Confusion

Increased Tension

Increased Anger

Depressed mood

DebilitativeEffects

Reduced FacilitativeEffects

No Depressive symptoms

FacilitativeEffects

DebilitativeEffects

CurvilinearEffects

Figure 1: Conceptual Model of Mood and Performance Figure 1: Conceptual Model of Mood and Performance Relationships (Lane & Terry, 2000)Relationships (Lane & Terry, 2000)

Depression associated with unpleasant emotions: increased anger, confusion, fatigue, and tension

Unpleasant emotions tend to intercorrelate and effect performance deleteriously (see Lane, 2007, Lane, Beedie, Stevens, 2005)

Reduced Vigour

Increased Fatigue

Increased Confusion

Increased Tension

Increased Anger

Depressed mood

DebilitativeEffects

Reduced FacilitativeEffects

Support for Lane and Terry (2000) model

Vigour

Fatigue

Confusion

Anger

Tension

No Depressive symptoms

FacilitativeEffects

DebilitativeEffects

CurvilinearEffects

Figure 1: Conceptual Model of Mood and Performance Figure 1: Conceptual Model of Mood and Performance Relationships (Lane & Terry, 2000)Relationships (Lane & Terry, 2000)

•Anger and tension associate with self-confidence and positively influence performance when experienced independently of depression (Lane, 2001, 2007)

Beliefs on the functionality of emotions

Individuals develop beliefs on the influence of emotions through experience (Baumeister et al., 2007)

Individuals actively try to generate unpleasant emotion if they believe it is helpful for goal pursuit (Tamir et al., 2009)

Regulation skills related to generation of unpleasant emotion important

Emotion regulation

Emotion regulation expectancy related to pre-competition emotion and predicted performance (Totterdell & Leach, 2001)

Emotional Intelligence

“The ability to carry out accurate reasoning about emotions and the ability to use emotions and emotional knowledge to enhance thought” (Mayer et al., 2008, p. 111) .

Meta-analysis results indicate emotional intelligence is linked with enhanced:

Health (Schutte, Malouff, Thorsteinsson, Bhullar, & Rooke, 2007)

Performance variables (Van Rooy & Viswesvaran, 2004)

Emotional intelligence in sportValidity of the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS, see Lane et al., 2009).

EIS scores related to psychological skills usage (Lane, Lowther, Devonport et al., 2009)

Purpose

To examine the moderating effect of depressed mood on relationships between anger , tension, calmness, happiness and trait emotional intelligence in relation to optimal performance.

Purpose

Method

Male athletes (N = 221) completed the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS: Terry et al., 2003) to retrospectively assess emotional states experienced during an optimal performance.

A trait emotional intelligence scale was also completed (Emotional Intelligence Scale; Schutte, et al., 1998).

Data analysisTo examine the proposed moderating effect of depression, participants were separated into a no-depression group and a depressed mood group.

Participants reported mild feelings of depressed mood and it is important to emphasise that no clinical inference is offered.

Low scores of depressed mood is the norm profile in goal striving activities including sport (see Lane & Terry, 2000)

Results

Relationships differed between groups.

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

r value

Anger andHappiness

Tension andHappiness

Vigour andemotional

intelligence

Happiness andemotional

intelligence

Relationships

No-depression

Depression

Discussion

DiscussionIndividuals develop learning rules on the influence of emotion on behaviour (Baumeister et al., 2007; Hanin, 2003)

Tamir et al. (2009) indicated that individuals can actively strive to generate unpleasant emotions, if they perceive these generate the appropriate action tendencies.

Future research

Research should look at efforts made to get athletes in right frame of mind, especially if emotion regulation is effortful (Gaillot et al., 2007).

Research should investigate strategies used by athletes to generate emotions associated with optimal performance.

Conclusions

Findings indicate that athletes report high activation unpleasant emotions (anger and tension) as helpful for performance when coupled with happiness, vigour and high emotional intelligence.

ESRC Programme Grant2008-2012

A Collaborative Research Network

Peter TotterdellWarren MansellBrian ParkinsonDavid HolmanPasco FearonThomas WebbTom FarrowAndy LanePaschal Shearan

Emotional Regulation of Others and the Self (EROS)

Clinical – Developmental – Neuroscience Work – Social – Health - Sports