More than just a game: Research developments and issues in competitive anxiety in sport

Abstract

This paper provides a critical overview of developments and issues in competitive anxiety research. The discussion is divided into sections dealing with general arousal-based approaches, general anxiety-based approaches and, finally, multi-dimensional anxiety-based approaches. The major emphasis is on multidimensional anxiety-based approaches, in which a number of factors and issues surrounding the competitive anxiety response are addressed, including: conceptual and measurement developments; antecedents of competitive anxiety; temporal patterning of the response; and frequency of competition-related cognitive intrusions. Research which has examined the relationship between multidimensional anxiety and performance is considered in detail, including debilitative and facilitative competitive anxiety states and catastrophe models. A control model of debilitative and facilitative competitive anxiety is proposed. Finally, recommendations for future research are suggested.

Advanced Psychological Strategies and Anxiety Responses in Sport

“…For example, support was provided for Eysenck and Calvo's (1992) processing efficiency theory that suggests cognitive anxiety may signal to the performer the importance of the forthcoming competition (see Figure 2), which may then lead to increased motivation to maintain or even enhance performance (see Figure 2 & 4). Jones's (1995) control model of facilitative and debilitative competitive anxiety was also supported, which hypothesizes that performers who appraise they possess a degree of control over themselves and the environment will report facilitative directional interpretations (see Figures 1-4). Although more research is required to substantiate the mechanisms highlighted in this study, it is clear that qualitative methods of inquiry can prove useful in explaining how prevalent theories and models may relate to one another.…”

“…However, the development and expansion of anxiety research has generated other dimensions that warrant attention. One dimension that has become the focal point of a substantial body of research is the notion of direction, which refers to the extent with which the intensity of symptoms associated with competitive anxiety are interpreted as having either positive or negative effects upon performance on a facilitative-debilitative continuum (Jones, 1995). Alongside researchers observing that anxiety-related symptoms can be further appraised, interpreted and ultimately labeled as facilitative to performance (e.g., Hanton & Connaughton, 2002;Perry & Williams, 1998), a number of personal and situational characteristics that influence this cognitive evaluative process have also been uncovered (cf.…”

Propriedades psicométricas do CSAI-2 em atletas brasileiros

“…O estudo da ansiedade competitiva tem merecido a atenção de inúmeros pesquisadores, constituindo uma das principais variáveis investigadas no contexto da psicologia do esporte (Jones, 1995;Woodman & Hardy, 2001). Em 1990, Martens, Vealey e Burton desenvolveram o Competitive State Anxiety Inventory (CSAI-2), sendo um dos principais instrumentos de avaliação da ansiedadeestado no contexto desportivo.…”

Competing Under Pressure: State Anxiety, Sports Performance and Assessment

“…Although this view was based on research on arousal, with support from findings in the test anxiety literature, it was transferred into anxiety research and was proposed as an alternative explanation for the contradictory results found in research on the anxietyperformance relationship (Jones, 1991(Jones, , 1995. More specifically, researchers contended that athletes could perceive anxiety symptoms as either debilitative or facilitative to their sports performance (i.e., direction : Jones, 1991: Jones, , 1995Jones & Swain, 1992).…”

“…The current most dominant view of state anxiety is to treat it as a multidimensional construct that, apart from the trait-state distinction, also is separated into a cognitive and somatic sub-dimension (Jones, 1995;Martens, Burton, Vealey, Bump, & Smith, 1990;Woodman & Hardy, 2001). This perspective was adopted from anxiety research in educational and clinical psychology, whereby the two research disciplines independently found evidence for the distinction of state anxiety as a cognitive (worry) and somatic (emotionality) component (Davidson & Schwartz, 1976;Liebert & Morris, 1967).…”