The emotional environment (learner-environment, learner-instructor, athlete-coach) intervenes in what is being learned and affects the effectiveness of learning. Faced with a learning situation, we experience two types of responses. One is external (turning, braking, jumping); the other is internal (bodily sensoriality, psycho-affectivity). Both responses stimulate or discourage our learning and behavior modification.
The everlasting conflict is the general belief that we are rational beings and can control our emotions while learning. If we relate our current learning to past failures, we will always find an excuse to turn away. We will devise tactics to protect our Self from the supposed threat or possible failure that a new experience produces. But this is where we should pay attention: the learning situation is new and unrelated to previous negative emotional experiences.
If learning is equivalent to make a change, each one of us experience change differently. To change means to enter into conflict and not everyone is willing to go through such disturbing moments, and those who are, do so on their own terms. The perception of optimism or pessimism that we have when facing a change is directly related to the impression that we have about whether or not we are suitable for that purpose, and tends to endure in our learning if we obtain sufficient satisfaction, otherwise, we will be prone to give up. This satisfaction is emotional. We ‘feel’ satisfied and thus cope with the generated tension, or ‘feel’ the discomfort of dissatisfaction that leads us to abandon our attempt.
Affective states, as psycho-physiological structures, cross three dimensions:
- Valence refers to our positive or negative evaluation of an affective state provoked by a learning situation we are facing.
- Activation is the increase of our attention and alertness in front of that situation generating a general activation of the organism.
- Motivational intensity is related to our impulse to act, approaching or moving away from the situation. It differs from arousal because, generally, it promotes action while arousal does not necessarily do so.
One of the affective factors that, to a great extent, hinders our learning is anxiety, which comprises a subjective state of nervousness, tension, and worry. At the beginning we feel anxious, uncomfortable, and somewhat worried, which is completely normal. As the learning process progresses, these emotions decrease in intensity. In general, all learning concludes in the transformation of the initial negative emotions into positive ones of satisfaction, familiarity, security, certainty, conviction, encouragement, enthusiasm, and optimism.
In a ski lesson we may wonder whether we will be accepted in the group, whether we will understand the instructor’s instructions, or whether we will be able to execute them. In addition, in these educational contexts other types of anxieties are generated, such as those caused by performing in front of the other members of the group lesson, the negative evaluation of the instructor/coach and, of course, the fear of failure.
One strategy that helps to decrease anxiety and uncertainty is to show results in advance by pointing other skiers or athletes. If the instructor/coach anticipates to his learners/athletes what is to come, or what they can expect, he collaborates in decreasing their expectation and anxiety. If we know in advance that what is to be faced contains certain difficulties until a certain stage or phase is reached, this will promote our perseverance.
Along with anxiety and self-esteem, our motivation represents the most decisive factor when undertaking skiing at a recreational or competitive level. These three factors determine our success (continuing skiing or competing) or our failure (giving up).
While learning skiing, our affective dimension is related to our cognitive dimension. When we employ them together, our learning process can be built on a firmer foundation. Let’s remember that the basis of our Self is established during childhood so, in novel experiences, we have the need to protect that Self. The perception of ourselves creates a personal identity that directly influences our learning and the way we act in the mountain environment. The vision we have of the context affects our self-concept and, in turn, our self-concept affects the vision we have of that context.
