Relationships between somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, self-efficacy, and emotional intelligence levels in university physical education students

Abstract

One of the most studied topics nowadays, from psychology in general, and from sport psychology, is anxiety. In fact, research on anxiety has been approached from various theoretical perspectives ranging from psychoanalysis, behaviorism, or more recently, those theories that take into consideration the importance of affective, rational, and emotional processes. The aim of this study is to analyze the levels of anxiety and emotional intelligence, and their relationship. The sample is composed of 165 university physical education students with a mean age of 20.33 years (SD = 3.44), (70.9% male and 27.9% female). We used the CSAI-2 questionnaire (to measure cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence), and the TMMS-24 (to measure emotional intelligence). The main findings of this research highlighted the presence of significant correlations between emotional clarity and emotional regulation, self-confidence, cognitive anxiety, and somatic anxiety. Therefore, we conclude that sporting performance is influenced by various variables of different kinds, including emotions, and highlight the importance of the incorporation of the emotional component in the field of sport.

Athlete anxiety questionnaire: the development and validation of a new questionnaire for assessing the anxiety, concentration and self-confidence of athletes

“…In contrast, state anxiety is a psychological and physiological reaction experienced during a specific competition, and does not appear as a permanent feature. When measuring anxiety as a trait, athletes are asked about the general reaction they experience during the competition, while when measuring anxiety as a state, the answers refer to a specific situation ( Leal et al, 2017 ; Mercader-Rubio et al, 2023 ). Looking at gender differences, women can be characterized by a higher level of competitive anxiety than men.…”

“…The different types of anxiety have been distinguished for a long time. A distinction can be made also between cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety ( Wine, 1971 ; Deffenbacher, 1977 ; Smith et al, 1998 ; Whitehead and Duda, 1998 ; Anshel and Wells, 2000 ; Gill et al, 2004 ; Mercader-Rubio et al, 2023 ). Cognitive anxiety manifests as lasting worrying, ruminating and dwelling over something, and it causes the deterioration of concentration, which affects performance and may lead to the likelihood of making mistakes ( Morris et al, 1981 ; Lee et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Cognitive anxiety manifests as lasting worrying, ruminating and dwelling over something, and it causes the deterioration of concentration, which affects performance and may lead to the likelihood of making mistakes ( Morris et al, 1981 ; Lee et al, 2022 ). By contrast, somatic anxiety is the psychological and emotional aspect of the experience of anxiety and it is primarily associated with the direct activation of the autonomic nervous system ( Liebert and Morris, 1967 ; Mercader-Rubio et al, 2023 ). Gould et al (1987) believed that somatic anxiety directly affects the performance directly ( Gould et al, 1987 ).…”

Analysis of the Sports Psychological Profile, Competitive Anxiety, Self-Confidence and Flow State in Young Football Players

“…Consequently, athlete preparation assumes paramount importance as it directly impacts his or her level of self-confidence [ 21 , 24 ]. By bolstering an athlete’s psychological resources, self-confidence and self-perception can be fortified, thereby enhancing his or her capacity to adapt to training and competition [ 25 , 26 ].…”

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in University Athletes: Analysis of Its Relationship with Anxiety

“…However, research on emotional intelligence is not only relegated to this construct, but there is also an increasing prevalence of research focused on the analysis of the relationship established between this construct and other psychological variables, such as adaptation [9,10] or the prevention of risk behaviors [4], burnout syndrome, stress, or anxiety [11][12][13]. We should not forget that numerous studies have shown that low levels of emotional intelligence correspond to the appearance of depression or anxiety [14][15][16][17].…”