Effects of others' anxious expression on motor performance

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20030
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59020:Sports sciences-related
• Research Institution: Nishinippon Junior College
• Principal Investigator: Ogawa Akane 西日本短期大学, 健康スポーツコミュニケーション学科, 准教授 (60788488)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 情動伝染 / 不安 / 運動パフォーマンス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study focused on the relationship between emotional contagion of anxiety and motor performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of other’s anxious expression on motor performance. Thirteen participants performed a ball throwing task after watching the pictures of others' anxious expression (experimental condition) or neutral expression (neutral condition). As a result, the subjective assessment of anxiety was a marginally significant increase and the score of motor performance was a marginally significant decrease from neutral condition to experimental condition. However, the activity of the frontal muscle in low anxiety participants group were more activated significantly than that in high anxiety participants group. In conclusion, it can be presumed that emotional contagion of anxiety has a negative effect on motor performance, but there is a discrepancy between the subjective and objective assessments in this study.

Free Research Field

スポーツ心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

心理的プレッシャーによる運動パフォーマンス低下（“あがり”）に悩むスポーツ選手は多く, プレッシャーにより不安感情が生じること等がこれまでに明らかになっている. しかし集団種目における“あがり”に着目した研究は少なく, プレッシャー下で何が起きているかは十分に明らかでない. 集団種目ではチームメイト等他者の存在もパフォーマンスに大きく影響する点に本研究は着目して, 情動伝染(他者の感情が伝染する現象)と運動パフォーマンスの関係を取り上げた. 本研究によって得られる知見は集団種目における “あがり” のメカニズム解明や “あがり” 研究全体の進展に意義のある結果を提供できると考えられる.