Competing Under Pressure: State Anxiety, Sports Performance and Assessment

Abstract

Elevated levels of anxiety are a common response to stressful competitive sports situations, are known to moderate athletic performance and are referred to as an unpleasant emotional state associated with perceptions of situational threat. The empirical studies in this dissertation considered primarily psychometric, methodological and conceptual issues of relevance for the study of anxiety and sports performance. In Study I, athletes were followed across a full competitive season to explore patterns of inter-and intra-individual variability of anxiety and self-confidence in relation to performance. The findings imply intra-individual anxiety and selfconfidence variability to affect performance differently than the specific intensity level and are discussed in relation to more stable personality dispositions such as private self-consciousness. Study II evaluated the psychometric properties of the 27-item Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) and alternative versions of this scale. General support for a 17-item version (CSAI-2R) was found, but there are also psychometric limitations future research needs to resolve. Study III investigated assessment of intensity and directional ratings on single anxiety items with reference to the conceptualisation of anxiety symptoms as interpreted on a debilitative-facilitative continuum. The findings question the importance and rationale of assessing anxiety direction and revealed serious concerns with assessment procedures and statistical techniques applied in previous research. These concerns were also supported in Study IV, which explored athletes' idiosyncratic experiences of debilitative and facilitative anxiety symptoms in terms of intensity and emotional valence. The findings are discussed and summarised in a model in order to increase conceptual clarity and provide implications for future research regarding anxiety and related emotional performance states.

Neuroticism negatively affects multitasking performance through state anxiety

“…Although the two are closely related and it is quite plausible to suggest that a person engaging in multitasking might be experiencing both, there is a meaningful difference between the two in the performance context. Whereas arousal reflects a generalized state of activation or readiness, anxiety reflects a type of unpleasant arousal experienced as a reaction to actual or imagined stressors (Lundqvist, 2006). As such this study will differentiate arousal during multitasking into two components: anxiety (bad or unpleasant arousal) and excitement (good or activated arousal).…”

“…Second, anxiety and arousal have not been formally hypothesized or tested as mediators of the relationship between non-cognitive predictors and multitasking performance. Third, no distinction has been made between the two concepts of anxiety and arousal, although there is reason to believe that differences may exist between the two concepts (Lundqvist, 2006).…”

Performance Anxiety Experiences of Professional Ballet Dancers

“…37 To explore anxiety in depth, a qualitative interview methodology was necessary: there is no valid and reliable questionnaire designed for use with dancers, and the most common anxiety inventory in sport (the CSAI-2 2 ) has recently been subjected to criticism. 38,39 More importantly, dance anxiety research to date has been limited, and it is therefore appropriate to study the topic in depth, using the dancers' own words and explanations. Qualitative research also allows for unexpected and surprising findings to emerge, something that is not possible with a quantitative methodology.…”

Effect of Competition Anxiety on Athletes Sports Performance: Implication for Coach

“…Usually, anxiety is considered an unpleasant condition in response to perceived stress about the execution of a task under pressure (Pijpers, Oudejans, & Bakker, 2005). Anxiety is a common emotional condition which athletes experience at all levels of their sports performance (Lundqvist, 2006). Competitive state anxiety arises when the sport's expectations are greater than abilities perceived by the athletes.…”