Impact of decomposition of autonomic tonic and phasic responses on predictors of reaction performance in elite Malaysian swimmers
Abstract
Psychobiological predictors of emotionality were evaluated in relations to complex
reaction and movement performances have been considered as the significant
aspect of research interest. Considerable research base confirms that the expert
players employ more pertinent search strategies, eliminate irrelevant cues which
enable them to effectively anticipate action requirements and they have superior
ability to use cue-related information to reliably anticipate occurrence of relevant
events. Present study was aimed at identification of intricate relationship between
the ability of the high performing swimmers (National – level swimmers of
Malaysia) in anticipatory cue-utilization and corresponding autonomic phasic skin
conductance responses isolated from the tonic measures. Altogether two-hundred
and twenty-five individuals having high athletic calibre, and holding top-positions
in recently held (within the period March 2011 up to the June 2011) National
and International (Mostly ASEAN level) meets volunteered as the participants in
this study. Simultaneous evaluation of autonomic arousal modulation (habituation
paradigm tonic and phasic measures of skin conductance) was done when the
swimmers were engaged in cue-related anticipatory task, associated with complex
reaction performance. For this purpose, participants were evaluated intermittently
(twice within the calendar year August 2010 – June 2011) with the identical research
paradigm. Perceived sense of competence as well as the subjective feelings of
apprehension of loosing was explored, and attempts were made to identify the
obscure subjective expression of cognitive-emotional make-up, in explaining
differential performance outcomes evident in the participants. Findings of multiple
linear and polynomial regression analyses however suggested direct, inverse
and supportive relationships between decomposition of skin conductance tonic
and phasic autonomic components related to cognitive-affective and affectivemotivational
aspects of sports behaviour explaining pathways to both excellent
and debilitative performance outcomes during practice sessions as well as in actual
competitive situations.