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Attentional focus during the execution of perceptual motor tasks has been shown to affect performance outcomes. The purpose of this study is to assess the physiological changes prompted by attentional focus in various levels of stress. Thirty-six healthy young males and females were randomized into groups and directed on attentional focus in a staged putting competition scenario intended to elicit competitive anxiety. External focus groups experienced less internal workload at all arousal levels and preserved heart rate variability measures when audiovisual distraction was introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The study of competitive anxiety and its relationship with mood states in high-performance athletes is relevant for predicting performance and enabling timely interventions to ensure successful outcomes in competitions. Due to the complex psychological demands arising from dual careers, the study of competitive anxiety and mood states contributes valuable insights into the emotional well-being of these student athletes. Objective. To examine and describe competitive anxiety and mood states in a sample of high-performance Cuban university athletes across different sports and genders. Design. A descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted involving 46 Cuban student athletes from national teams across 16 sports and included both male and female athletes, with an average chronological age of 20.70 years and 6.98 years of experience in a high-performance sport. The Competitive Sport Anxiety Inventory and Brunel Mood Scale were administered in their Spanish versions. The data were examined using descriptive statistics analysis including the Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results. Although no statistically significant differences were found in competitive anxiety and mood states in relation to gender and type of sport, female athletes tend to present higher mean scores in competitive anxiety and negative mood states. Additionally, female athletes in team sports experienced slightly more intense emotions. Anxiety shows positive correlations with tension, depression, and vigour, suggesting its influence on certain mood states. Conclusion. The results indicate that, in general, the intensity of certain moods in Cuban university student athletes is influenced by levels of competitive anxiety. An increase in anxiety during competition can lead to heightened tension, depression, and vigour, with no significant differences observed between female and male athletes or based on the type of sport practiced.

Background. Sports performance anxiety is understood as a tendency to respond with cognitive or physical anxiety in competitive situations where the athlete's performance can be assessed. Objective. To investigate the role of social desirability and competitive anxiety in male football players with varying levels of skill. The study had two main objectives: first, to assess the levels of social desirability and competitive anxiety in two different groups, and second, to compare the levels of social desirability and competitive anxiety between highly skilled and less skilled players and explore their relationship. Design. Participants were divided into highly skilled (n = 39) and less skilled (n = 39) football players. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was used to assess the participants’ social desirability bias. The Sport Competition Anxiety Test assessed the level of competitive anxiety. The t-test for independent samples was used to compare social desirability and competitive anxiety between the groups. A linear regression model was used to determine if social desirability could predict anxiety levels among the players. Results. The t-test showed that highly skilled players have a lower level of competitive anxiety than less skilled participants. However, social desirability did not show a statistically significant difference between the highly skilled and less skilled football players. The regression analysis showed a statistically significant association between social desirability and competitive anxiety (inverse relation) in both groups. Conclusion. Highly skilled football players demonstrated less competitive anxiety than less skilled ones. Lower levels of competitive anxiety are associated with higher social desirability among football players in both groups.

Background: Competitive anxiety is a common stress response in competitive environments, influencing sports performance, particularly among elite swimmers. Purpose: This study aims to examine how the characteristics of competitive anxiety impact sports performance across different phases of competitive preparation, alongside its correlation with trait anxiety. Methods: A longitudinal research design, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches, was employed with 20 swimmers from the Chinese national swimming team participating in both the 2023 Fukuoka World Championships and the Hangzhou Asian Games. The mental readiness form-3 (MRF-3) scale was employed at four time points during the preparation period for longitudinal tracking, complemented by the trait anxiety inventory (T-AI) scale to assess trait anxiety. Results: The study identified a negative correlation between cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety among elite swimmers, with confidence demonstrating a positive correlation. Additionally, there was a significant between trait anxiety and competitive anxiety (p < 0.05). Variations in competitive anxiety were found at different stages of the preparation cycle (F= 15.074; 11.627; 19.552, p<0.05), impacting sport performance. Conclusion: To optimise performance, tailored psychological intervention programs should be developed and implemented to address the distinct characteristics of competitive anxiety experienced by elite swimmers throughout the preparation phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our aim in the present study was to test the efficacy of a 13-week, 19-session psychological intervention program on young soccer players' competitive anxiety and their sport psychological profiles. Participants were 37 players in the under-15 age category, of which 18 players formed the experimental group (M age = 14.67 years, SD =.48) and 19 players formed the control group (M age = 14.23 years, SD =.42); this was a quasi-experimental design without random assignment to groups. We had all participants complete the Psychological Inventory of Sport Performance (IPED), the Questionnaire of Psychological Characteristics of Sport Performance (CPRD), and the Competition State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) before and after the intervention. Results indicated positive effects for the intervention group (but not the control group) on stress control and motivation dimensions of the CPRD, cognitive anxiety and self-confidence on the CSAI-2, and self-confidence and attentional control on the IPED. These results suggest that psychological training for athletes contributes to their improved psychological skills, providing them tools to better adapt to the competitive environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Team sports athletes may encounter significant stress, leading to competitive anxiety. The anxiety levels can be influenced by team behaviors and achievement goals. This study aims to investigate the relationship between team behaviors (i.e., perceptions of controlling coaching behavior and team cohesion) and competitive anxiety, and to examine the mediation effects of achievement goals (i.e., task-oriented and ego-oriented) on the relationship. A total of 298 team-handball players were involved in the study, ages ranging from 16 to 24 years old (M = 18.44, SD = 3.09). A cross-sectional research design was adopted, and structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze path coefficients and mediating effects. Findings indicated that perceptions of controlling coaching behaviors had significant positive predictions for state and somatic anxiety (β = 0.22, 0.29) and negative predictions for self-confidence (β = -0.19). Team cohesion had significant negative predictions for state anxiety (β = -0.31) and positive predictions for self-confidence (β = 0.58). In addition, ego-oriented goals play a positive mediating role in the relationship between team behaviors and competitive anxiety (β = 0.03--0.35), while task-oriented goals play a negative mediating role in the relationship between team behaviors and competitive anxiety (β = -0.18 - -0.03). In conclusion, team behaviors have a significant relationship with competitive anxiety, with achievement goals playing a mediating role among them. Therefore, to alleviate team sports athletes' competitive anxiety, it is recommended to reduce coach control behaviors, enhance team cohesion, and employ psychological training methods (e.g., mindfulness or meditation) to strengthen athletes' task-oriented goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attentional focus during the execution of perceptual motor tasks has been shown to affect performance outcomes. The purpose of this study is to assess the physiological changes prompted by attentional focus in various levels of stress. Thirty-six healthy young males and females were randomized into groups and directed on attentional focus in a staged putting competition scenario intended to elicit competitive anxiety. External focus groups experienced less internal workload at all arousal levels and preserved heart rate variability measures when audiovisual distraction was introduced.

Introduction: Downhill Mountain Biking is an extreme sport requiring high mental strength to perform on the best level in a competition with only one run to win the race. The substantial challenge here is to control automatic processes like competitive anxiety and stress. Hypnosis can address these automatic processes. We developed and evaluated a hypnosis audio-intervention to activate the optimal racing mindset. Methods: In our study, 19 elite Downhill Mountainbike athletes registered at two consecutive races of the IXS Downhill Cup. After the first race, athletes listened to the hypnosis audio-intervention. In this intervention, we instructed the athletes how to activate their optimal mental state before the second race. At both races, we measured competitive anxiety, stress, self-confidence, state resilience, and flow with validated questionnaires and assessed resting heart rate variability as physiological measure of resilience. Results: Race-related somatic anxiety and subjective stress decreased significantly while self-confidence increased significantly from first to second race after athletes listened to the hypnosis. Heart rate variability was significantly increased at the second race indicating elevated vagal activity. When comparing race results of our participants to a control group of other elite athletes competing in the races but not listening to the hypnosis, we found that our study participants generally performed better in both races. Conclusion: The study shows that our hypnosis intervention was effective in reducing competitive anxiety and stress while increasing perceived resilience and self-confidence: After a self-administered hypnosis session, athletes were able to improve automatic processes responsible for putting them in their mental pole position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review aimed to investigate the effects of mindfulness-based programs (MBP) on competitive anxiety among athletes. SPORTDiscus, CNKI, Web of Science, PubMed, and ProQuest databases were searched for relevant studies published by July 2023. R packages were used for this meta-analysis. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) was applied to assess the methodological study quality. A total of 20 articles were included in this meta-analysis. Meta-results showed a medium-to-large effect of the MBP in reducing athletes' competitive anxiety (g = -0.67, 95% CI [-0.92, -0.42]). The subgroup analyses revealed that the effectiveness of the MBP on competitive anxiety was robust regardless of MBP type, sport, age, and gender. However, the MBP effectiveness might be more prominent for non-Western athletes compared to Western athletes, and for high-level athletes (e.g., regional or national) compared to low-level athletes (e.g., local or university), as well as when interventions lasted more than 7 weeks. Additionally, separate meta-analyses revealed moderate-to-large effects in terms of cognitive anxiety (g = -0.76, 95% CI [-1.32, -0.19]) and somatic anxiety (g = -0.84, 95% CI [-1.26, -0.42]), as well as a small to moderate effect for self-confidence (g = 0.45, 95% CI [0.15, 0.75]).In conclusion, the MBP consistently and effectively reduces competitive anxiety levels among athletes. In the future, high-quality, adequately powered studies are needed to further explore the effects of MBP on the internal dimensions of competitive anxiety and understand the impact of various factors (e.g., MBP type, competitive level and country) on MBP effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In the domain of competitive events, Latin dance athletes have always suffered competitive anxiety, which is a prevalent and prevailing psychological facet, in pre-, intra-, and post-competitive engagements. Usually, the implementation of systematic desensitization training is an efficacious approach to reduce competitive anxiety levels in routine sports to fortify psychological resilience of athletes (like swimming, volleyball, and basketball). This study focuses on the effect of systematic desensitization training on competition anxiety in the training of Latin dancers to establish good mental ability and promote the competitive ability of athletes. Methodology: The "Sports Competition Anxiety Test Questionnaire" was used to evaluate and classify the competitive anxiety levels of 150 Latin dance athletes. Then, the top 48 participants were selected (24 in the intervention cohort and 24 in the non-intervention cohort) as the study participants after stratifying anxiety score levels from the highest to the lowest. The intervention group was treated with an 8-week psychological intervention by employing systematic desensitization training techniques (encompassing imagery desensitization and in vivo desensitization). The anxiety levels of the subjects were quantified by employing the "Sport Competition Trait Anxiety Inventory" (CCTAI-C) and the "Competitive State Anxiety Inventory" (CSAI-2) to scrutinize the efficacy of systematic desensitization training in regulating competitive anxiety levels among Latin dance athletes. Results: After applying systematic desensitization training, the intervention group displayed a notable reduction in sport cognitive trait anxiety. Specifically, there was a decrease of 29.37% in social evaluation anxiety, 20.31% in competition preparation anxiety, 16.98% in performance anxiety, 25.16% in failure anxiety, 34.47% in opponent's ability anxiety, and 25.16% in injury anxiety. Moreover, for competitive state anxiety, cognitive state anxiety and somatic state anxiety decreased by 39.19 and 21.43%. The state self-confidence increased by 14.42%. Conclusion: The result indicated that systematic desensitization training not only mitigates anxiety but also positively intervenes in sports-related anxiety. Moreover, systematic desensitization training can significantly diminish competitive anxiety among Latin dance athletes to bolster confidence during competitions. Integrating desensitization training into the regular regimen of Latin dance practice has the potential to fortify dancers' psychological resilience against anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competition has characteristics that position sport as a fruitful field for the study of human affective processes of interest for psychology, such as anxiety, especially in disciplines such as military parachuting due to its uniqueness. This study aimed to analyse the validity of the Spanish version of the CSAI-2R inventory through a reliable model and to determine the interrelation, both among themselves and with anxiety, of certain specific technical variables related to sports performance in parachuting. The questionnaire was supplied to 42 jumpers in the Spanish National Military Championship. The results indicate that a reliable model has been established, but it is necessary to realise a multivariate relationship between components of competitive anxiety and specific variables of military skydiver's sporting experience in competition. It would be appropriate to reflect on what other psychological and technical variables may influence the sporting performance achieved, because it is a modality that has very particular conditions compared to the rest, not only because of the space, environment and form where and how the activity itself is carried out but also because of the context in which it is framed, as a result of the peculiarities that define the group to which the competitors belong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionDownhill Mountain Biking is an extreme sport requiring high mental strength to perform on the best level in a competition with only one run to win the race. The substantial challenge here is to control automatic processes like competitive anxiety and stress. Hypnosis can address these automatic processes. We developed and evaluated a hypnosis audio-intervention to activate the optimal racing mindset.MethodsIn our study, 19 elite Downhill Mountainbike athletes registered at two consecutive races of the IXS Downhill Cup. After the first race, athletes listened to the hypnosis audio-intervention. In this intervention, we instructed the athletes how to activate their optimal mental state before the second race. At both races, we measured competitive anxiety, stress, self-confidence, state resilience, and flow with validated questionnaires and assessed resting heart rate variability as physiological measure of resilience.ResultsRace-related somatic anxiety and subjective stress decreased significantly while self-confidence increased significantly from first to second race after athletes listened to the hypnosis. Heart rate variability was significantly increased at the second race indicating elevated vagal activity. When comparing race results of our participants to a control group of other elite athletes competing in the races but not listening to the hypnosis, we found that our study participants generally performed better in both races.ConclusionThe study shows that our hypnosis intervention was effective in reducing competitive anxiety and stress while increasing perceived resilience and self-confidence: After a self-administered hypnosis session, athletes were able to improve automatic processes responsible for putting them in their mental pole position.

An athlete’s sporting experience is a factor associated with better-coping strategies and emotional regulation, especially concerning competitive anxiety and its symptoms. To verify whether more experienced athletes have lower rates of negativism and higher levels of self-confidence, we compared the means of these two variables between athletes with more and less experience. A meta-analysis was performed, following the PRISMA model. Seven articles were selected that measured, through the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory – 2 (CSAI-2 or its shortened version, CSAI-2R), the levels of self-confidence and negativism of high-performance athletes with different sports experiences. Significant statistical differences were found regarding the levels of negativism between athletes with more and less experience (p < .001). The same occurred with the levels of self-confidence between athletes with more and less sports experience (< .001). The results align with our initial hypothesis, formulated by Martens et al. (1990), that athletes with more experience would have higher self-confidence and lower negativism averages. One of the reasons may be using more effective coping strategies that are improved during the career years.

Background: The study of competitive anxiety and its relationship with mood states in high-performance athletes is relevant for predicting performance and enabling timely interventions to ensure successful outcomes in competitions. Due to the complex psychological demands arising from dual careers, the study of competitive anxiety and mood states contributes valuable insights into the emotional well-being of these student athletes., Objective: To examine and describe competitive anxiety and mood states in a sample of high-performance Cuban university athletes across different sports and genders., Design: A descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted involving 46 Cuban student athletes from national teams across 16 sports and included both male and female athletes, with an average chronological age of 20.70 years and 6.98 years of experience in a high-performance sport. The Competitive Sport Anxiety Inventory and Brunel Mood Scale were administered in their Spanish versions. The data were examined using descriptive statistics analysis including the Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman's correlation coefficient., Results: Although no statistically significant differences were found in competitive anxiety and mood states in relation to gender and type of sport, female athletes tend to present higher mean scores in competitive anxiety and negative mood states. Additionally, female athletes in team sports experienced slightly more intense emotions. Anxiety shows positive correlations with tension, depression, and vigour, suggesting its influence on certain mood states., Conclusion: The results indicate that, in general, the intensity of certain moods in Cuban university student athletes is influenced by levels of competitive anxiety. An increase in anxiety during competition can lead to heightened tension, depression, and vigour, with no significant differences observed between female and male athletes or based on the type of sport practiced., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© Ríos-Garit, J., Cañizares-Hernández, M., Reyes-Bossio, M., Pérez-Surita, Y., Touset-Riverí, R., 2024.)

Background: Sports performance anxiety is understood as a tendency to respond with cognitive or physical anxiety in competitive situations where the athlete's performance can be assessed., Objective: To investigate the role of social desirability and competitive anxiety in male football players with varying levels of skill. The study had two main objectives: first, to assess the levels of social desirability and competitive anxiety in two different groups, and second, to compare the levels of social desirability and competitive anxiety between highly skilled and less skilled players and explore their relationship., Design: Participants were divided into highly skilled ( n = 39) and less skilled ( n = 39) football players. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was used to assess the participants' social desirability bias. The Sport Competition Anxiety Test assessed the level of competitive anxiety. The t -test for independent samples was used to compare social desirability and competitive anxiety between the groups. A linear regression model was used to determine if social desirability could predict anxiety levels among the players., Results: The t -test showed that highly skilled players have a lower level of competitive anxiety than less skilled participants. However, social desirability did not show a statistically significant difference between the highly skilled and less skilled football players. The regression analysis showed a statistically significant association between social desirability and competitive anxiety (inverse relation) in both groups., Conclusion: Highly skilled football players demonstrated less competitive anxiety than less skilled ones. Lower levels of competitive anxiety are associated with higher social desirability among football players in both groups., Competing Interests: The author declares no conflict of interest., (© Sultanov, M.B., 2024.)

Background: Competitive anxiety is a common stress response in competitive environments, influencing sports performance, particularly among elite swimmers., Purpose: This study aims to examine how the characteristics of competitive anxiety impact sports performance across different phases of competitive preparation, alongside its correlation with trait anxiety., Methods: A longitudinal research design, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches, was employed with 20 swimmers from the Chinese national swimming team participating in both the 2023 Fukuoka World Championships and the Hangzhou Asian Games. The mental readiness form-3 (MRF-3) scale was employed at four time points during the preparation period for longitudinal tracking, complemented by the trait anxiety inventory (T-AI) scale to assess trait anxiety., Results: The study identified a negative correlation between cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety among elite swimmers, with confidence demonstrating a positive correlation. Additionally, there was a significant between trait anxiety and competitive anxiety ( p  < 0.05). Variations in competitive anxiety were found at different stages of the preparation cycle ( F  = 15.074; 11.627; 19.552, p  < 0.05), impacting sport performance., Conclusion: To optimise performance, tailored psychological intervention programs should be developed and implemented to address the distinct characteristics of competitive anxiety experienced by elite swimmers throughout the preparation phases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhou, Jin and Wen.)

Team sports athletes may encounter significant stress, leading to competitive anxiety. The anxiety levels can be influenced by team behaviors and achievement goals. This study aims to investigate the relationship between team behaviors (i.e., perceptions of controlling coaching behavior and team cohesion) and competitive anxiety, and to examine the mediation effects of achievement goals (i.e., task-oriented and ego-oriented) on the relationship. A total of 298 team-handball players were involved in the study, ages ranging from 16 to 24 years old ( M  = 18.44, SD = 3.09). A cross-sectional research design was adopted, and structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze path coefficients and mediating effects. Findings indicated that perceptions of controlling coaching behaviors had significant positive predictions for state and somatic anxiety ( β  = 0.22, 0.29) and negative predictions for self-confidence ( β  = -0.19). Team cohesion had significant negative predictions for state anxiety ( β  = -0.31) and positive predictions for self-confidence ( β  = 0.58). In addition, ego-oriented goals play a positive mediating role in the relationship between team behaviors and competitive anxiety ( β = 0.03-0.35), while task-oriented goals play a negative mediating role in the relationship between team behaviors and competitive anxiety (β = -0.18 - -0.03). In conclusion, team behaviors have a significant relationship with competitive anxiety, with achievement goals playing a mediating role among them. Therefore, to alleviate team sports athletes' competitive anxiety, it is recommended to reduce coach control behaviors, enhance team cohesion, and employ psychological training methods (e.g., mindfulness or meditation) to strengthen athletes' task-oriented goals., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wang, Sun, Yuan, Dong and Dong.)

Objective: In the domain of competitive events, Latin dance athletes have always suffered competitive anxiety, which is a prevalent and prevailing psychological facet, in pre-, intra-, and post-competitive engagements. Usually, the implementation of systematic desensitization training is an efficacious approach to reduce competitive anxiety levels in routine sports to fortify psychological resilience of athletes (like swimming, volleyball, and basketball). This study focuses on the effect of systematic desensitization training on competition anxiety in the training of Latin dancers to establish good mental ability and promote the competitive ability of athletes., Methodology: The "Sports Competition Anxiety Test Questionnaire" was used to evaluate and classify the competitive anxiety levels of 150 Latin dance athletes. Then, the top 48 participants were selected (24 in the intervention cohort and 24 in the non-intervention cohort) as the study participants after stratifying anxiety score levels from the highest to the lowest. The intervention group was treated with an 8-week psychological intervention by employing systematic desensitization training techniques (encompassing imagery desensitization and in vivo desensitization). The anxiety levels of the subjects were quantified by employing the "Sport Competition Trait Anxiety Inventory" (CCTAI-C) and the "Competitive State Anxiety Inventory" (CSAI-2) to scrutinize the efficacy of systematic desensitization training in regulating competitive anxiety levels among Latin dance athletes., Results: After applying systematic desensitization training, the intervention group displayed a notable reduction in sport cognitive trait anxiety. Specifically, there was a decrease of 29.37% in social evaluation anxiety, 20.31% in competition preparation anxiety, 16.98% in performance anxiety, 25.16% in failure anxiety, 34.47% in opponent's ability anxiety, and 25.16% in injury anxiety. Moreover, for competitive state anxiety, cognitive state anxiety and somatic state anxiety decreased by 39.19 and 21.43%. The state self-confidence increased by 14.42%., Conclusion: The result indicated that systematic desensitization training not only mitigates anxiety but also positively intervenes in sports-related anxiety. Moreover, systematic desensitization training can significantly diminish competitive anxiety among Latin dance athletes to bolster confidence during competitions. Integrating desensitization training into the regular regimen of Latin dance practice has the potential to fortify dancers' psychological resilience against anxiety., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Chen, Zhou, Gong, Wu and Chen.)