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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.

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.

BackgroundCompetitive anxiety is a common stress response in competitive environments, influencing sports performance, particularly among elite swimmers.PurposeThis 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.MethodsA 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.ResultsThe 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

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.

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.

ObjectiveIn 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.MethodologyThe “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.ResultsAfter 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%.ConclusionThe 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 Background In the current study, we conducted a comparative analysis involving three distinct groups: one receiving group-based rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), another undergoing a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI), and a third group serving as the control. The aim of the study was to explore the effectiveness of the two interventions on specific psychological (competitive anxiety, perfectionism, irrational beliefs), physiological (salivary cortisol levels), and neurocognitive (executive functions: working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility) functions in Hungarian junior ice hockey players. Methods The participants consisted of 10 females and 36 males (NREBT=12, NMINDFULNESS=14, NCONTROL=20). We used questionnaires to assess competitive anxiety, perfectionism, and irrational beliefs. The components of executive functions were measured using a computerized testing system, while cortisol levels were examined through salivary samples. Prior to and after the interventions, each participant underwent all measurements, after which we conducted repeated measures ANOVA on our data. Results We found REBT to be an effective intervention for the regulation of competitive anxiety, perfectionism, and irrational beliefs as well as for improving some components of executive functions (inhibition and cognitive flexibility). Mindfulness was found to improve athletes’ processing speed and set-shifting abilities, which are related to cognitive flexibility and metacognitive processes. Conclusion In conclusion, we explore implications of these findings regarding how each approach is posited to enhance sports performance, using neurocognitive functions as a proxy. These findings are useful for further research and practical implications.

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.

IntroductionThe Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2) is a validated measure of sports trait anxiety, with promising psychometric properties. However, its cross-cultural applicability in Chinese samples remains unexplored. Thus, the primary objectives of this study were twofold: to translate the SAS-2 into Chinese and assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version.MethodsIn Study 1, we initiated the translation of the SAS-2 into Chinese. This assessment involved bilingual Chinese students proficient in both English and Chinese. Additionally, we conducted a cross-linguistic measurement invariance analysis. In Study 2, we delved into the psychometric properties of the Chinese SAS-2 using a sample of Chinese student athletes. This examination encompassed an evaluation of its factor structure, convergent and discriminant validity, and measurement invariance across genders.ResultsOur findings in Study 1 indicated no significant differences in item scores between the Chinese SAS-2 and the English version, and measurement invariance across languages. In Study 2, we uncovered that the Chinese SAS-2 and its factors exhibited excellent reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding 0.80. Confirmatory factor analyses upheld the original three-factor model, demonstrating acceptable model fit indices (CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.08). Furthermore, all three factors of the Chinese SAS-2 displayed significant and positive correlations with athlete burnout and State-Trait anxiety. Additionally, this study elucidated the mediating role of Concentration Disruption (Somatic anxiety and Concentration Disruption) in the relationship between the Trait (State) anxiety, and athlete burnout. Moreover, we identified measurement invariance of the Chinese version of the SAS-2 across genders. Finally, female college athletes exhibited significantly higher scores in somatic anxiety and worry compared to their male counterparts.DiscussionIn sum, our findings affirm that the Chinese version of the SAS-2 demonstrates robust reliability and correlates effectively with related criteria, thus validating its suitability for use in a Chinese context.

Imagery is a popular technique for enhancing learning, performance, and rehabilitation in sport, but mixed evidence exists to its effectiveness. There have been wide variations in the methods used to deliver imagery interventions and the level of detail reported, making it difficult to draw comparisons across studies. Moreover, there have been few efforts to date to replicate the findings of previous intervention studies. The aim of this paper is to articulate the need for standardized reporting of imagery interventions, which can be achieved through application of the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR; Hoffmann et al., 2014). The TIDieR is a 12-item checklist to provide fuller, more accurate and standardized reporting so that these future imagery interventions can be more effectively delivered in practice or replicated in research. We use the TIDieR to describe a personalized guided imagery intervention for improving student-athletes’ regulatory responses to competitive anxiety. Overall, this paper offers practical and evidence-based guidance for researchers designing imagery interventions and recommendations to enable journal editors and reviewers to make easier judgements about rigor. It may also serve as a pedagogical resource for students and trainee sport psychologists undertaking applied research as part of their training.

Combat sports require participants to engage in potentially dangerous forms of contact-based competition. Pressure to succeed, coupled with the risk of severe injury can induce significant levels of anxiety, which if uncontrolled, can negatively impact performance and possibly promote unsporting conduct. The present study examined competitive anxiety levels of combat sports athletes and determined whether self-reported scores were associated with mental toughness and Sportspersonship attitudes. A cross-sectional survey design was used whereby participants (N = 194) completed a battery of questionnaires measuring competitive combat sport experiences, demographic details, Sportspersonship traits (compliance towards rules, respect for opponents, and game perspective), and competition anxiety (somatic, cognitive, and self-confidence; reported retrospectively). Results suggest that mentally tough athletes experience lower levels of cognitive and somatic anxiety, and higher self-confidence, prior to competitions. Findings also found that athletes endorsing more altruistic and respectful attitudes in sport (Sportspersonship) reported higher levels of competition anxiety. The findings demonstrate that mental toughness is allied to positive attributes and could potentially be operationalized to improve both the retention and performance of combat sports athletes. Thus, the authors advocate the use of mental toughness coaching interventions within combat sports.

In this study the influence of irrational beliefs and perfectionism on the emergence of competitive anxiety was investigated. While previous studies indicate that higher irrational beliefs predict greater competitive anxiety, in the present study it is hypothesized that this relationship is mediated by perfectionism. A serial atemporal multiple mediation analysis revealed that both adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism were significant partial mediators between irrational beliefs and competitive anxiety. The total score and all four subscale scores on irrational beliefs had both direct and indirect effects on cognitive competitive anxiety, the latter effects mediated by both forms of perfectionism. Depreciation beliefs had a direct effect, and demandingness and awfulizing had indirect effects, on somatic competitive anxiety when both forms of perfectionism were entered as mediators. These findings suggest that both irrational beliefs and perfectionism influence the emergence of competitive anxiety, therefore rational emotive behavioral therapy with a focus upon perfectionism may be an effective means of reducing competitive anxiety in athletes.

The purpose of the present study was to predict of perceived overtraining from competitive anxiety and drive for muscularity among male athletes. The statistical population of the present study 250 male athletes who were selected using accessible sampling from different sport fields (individual and group), and completed perceived overtraining, competitive anxiety and drive for muscularity questionnaires. Results of Pearson correlation and stepwise regression showed that perceived overtraining has a positive and significant correlation with cognitive and physical anxiety, and negative and significant correlation with self-confidence and drive for muscularity, respectively. In general, four variables such as physical anxiety, drive for muscularity, self-confidence, and cognitive anxiety predicted over 41% of the variance overtraining. Thus, our findings suggest that recognizing and monitoring of competitive anxiety and drive for muscularity in athletes play a key role in identifying perceived overtraining.

Introduction: One of the most significant negative emotions is competitive anxiety, which is one of the main causes of athletes' performance decline.. Aim: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between emotion-regulation strategies and competitive anxiety in elite Taekwondo athletes. Method: The research method was descriptive-correlational. For the purpose of the study, one hundred and twenty taekwondo athletes were selected via random sampling method from among the Iranian population of Taekwondo athletes' participating in South Korean Ambassador Cup. They completed three questionnaires including Emotion regulation questionnaire (EQR), Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) and Revised Competitive State Anxiety–2 (CSAI-2R). The data were collected and analyzed by Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and ANOVA tests. Results: The results showed a significant relationship between emotion-regulation strategies and competitive anxiety. Moreover, reappraisal strategy negatively and suppression strategy positively predicted dimension of competitive anxiety variance, but this prediction reversed with Self- Confidence. In addition, the data indicated that the men use significantly more reappraisal and less suppression strategies than female. Conclusion: According to these results, it seems that emotion-regulation strategies have effective role in dimensions of competitive anxiety, and the level of Taekwondo Athletes' anxiety is correlated with these strategies.

This research aims to analyse the differences in optimism, resilience, engagement and competitive anxiety as a function of the sport modality practiced in lifeguarding (individual sport) and futsal (team sport); the sport category by age (cadet or youth) and gender. The LOT-R optimism questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Competitive Anxiety Scale (SAS-2) were applied to a sample of 189 participants (139 men and 50 womwn) aged between 14 and 17 years. The following statistical tests are performed: Cronbach's alpha, Pearson's linear correlation, Student's t-test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Levene's test and multivariate linear regression. The data indicate that there are significant gender differences in total anxiety (p

Atlet yang mengalami competitive anxiety tidak dapat memberikan performa yang optimal dalam bertanding, sehingga harus memiliki mental yang kuat atau mental toughness agar dapat menghadapi segala keadaan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat apakah terdapat pengaruh mental toughness terhadap competitive anxiety pada atlet karate UNM. Hipotesis dalam penelitian ini yaitu terdapat pengaruh negatif mental toughness terhadap competitive anxiety atlet karate UNM. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode penelitian kuantitatif. Subjek penelitian terdiri dari 53 atlet karate. Alat ukur yang digunakan yaitu skala mental toughness dan skala competitive anxiety, yang dianalisis menggunakan teknik analisis regresi linear sederhana. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh positif antara mental toughness terhadap competitive anxiety pada atlet karate Universitas Negeri Makasar (R = 0,729; p = 0,000). Penelitian ini mendapatkan hasil yang berbeda dari literatur sebelumnya. Peneliti menganggap adanya faktor lain, yaitu pengalaman bertanding yang mengganggu mental toughness atlet sehingga tidak dapat berpengaruh negatif terhadap competitive anxiety.

Jian-Hong Chen,1,2,* Po-Hsin Tsai,1,2,* Yin-Chou Lin,2,3 Chih-Ken Chen,1,2 Ching-Yen Chen1,2 1Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China; 2School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China; 3Department of Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Taoyuan, Taoyuan, Taiwan, Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: To examine the effect of mindfulness-based training on performance and mental health among a group of elite athletes. Methods: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of mindful sport performance enhancement (MSPE) on mental health, flow state, and competitive state anxiety using a 4-week workshop. We recruited an amateur baseball team (N=21) in Taiwan, and collected information by self-reported questionnaires administered before, immediately after, and at a 4-week follow-up. The primary outcome was to evaluate sports performance by flow state and competitive state anxiety, which included self-confidence, somatic anxiety, and cognitive anxiety. The secondary outcome was to explore whether MSPE intervention can improve anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, and eating disorders.Result: After the workshop and follow-up 1 month later, we found improvements in flow state (P=0.001; P=0.045), cognitive anxiety in competitive anxiety (P=0.056; P=0.008), global eating disorder (P=0.009; P

Few studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of psychological skills training on hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis response and sport performance. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of 8-week psychological skills training on competitive anxiety and salivary cortisol in elite sprinters. This study was a quasi-experimental study by pretest-posttest design with a control group. Statistical group comprised all men sprinters with an age range of 18-29 years in Khuzestan Province. To do this test, 30 male elite sprinters were randomly allocated into experimental and control groups(15 in each). We used salivary cortisol kit (Germany IBL company model RE-52611 model) to and Competitive Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2). The results were analyzed with SPSS 20. The findings showed significant reduction in salivary cortisol and significant reduction in Competitive Anxiety in experimental group to comparison with the control group after 8 weeks of psychological skills training. The results suggest that psychological skills training can be uses as a promised strategy in reduction of competitive anxiety and salivary cortisol in athletes.

Competitive anxiety could distract concentration and eventually could decrease achievement. It has been indicated that competitive anxiety is related to mental toughness or an ability to develop a positive attitude in handling pressure particularly a competition. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental toughness and competitive anxiety. This study recruited 118 volleyball athletes and their data subsequently was analysed through product moment correlation Pearson SPSS 21.0. The result revealed that there was a significant negative correlation between mental toughness and competitive anxiety behavior (r = -0,670 and p < 0,001). More able to positively perceive pressure and handling the situation, athletes would be less anxiety in facing the competition.

This study attempts to analyze the relationship between two key psychological variables associated with performance in sports – Self-Determined Motivation and Competitive Anxiety – through Bayesian Networks (BN) analysis. We analyzed 674 university students that are athletes from 44 universities that competed at the University Games in Mexico, with an average age of 21 years (SD = 2.07) and with a mean of 8.61 years’ (SD = 5.15) experience in sports. Methods: Regarding the data analysis, firstly, classification using the CHAID algorithm was carried out to determine the dependence links between variables; Secondly, a BN was developed to reduce the uncertainty in the relationships between the two key psychological variables. The validation of the BN revealed AUC values ranging from 0.5 to 0.92. Subsequently, various instantiations were performed with hypothetical values applied to the “bottom” variables. Results showed two probability trees that have extrinsic motivation and amotivation at the top, while the anxiety/activation due to worries about performance was at the bottom of the probabilities. The instantiations carried out support the existence of these probabilistic relationships, demonstrating their scarce influence on anxiety about competition generated by the intrinsic motivation, and the complex probabilistic effect of introjected and identified regulation regarding the appearance of anxiety due to worry about performance.

Competitive anxiety (CA) is an emotional reaction manifested at a somatic and/or cognitive level that regularly appears before or during sports competitions and can significantly impact an athlete’s performance. Given the scarcity of validated instruments available for evaluating the competitive-anxiety trait in the Brazilian context, this study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2). The study sample was composed of 238 professional and amateur athletes aged 13 years or older who practice different sports modalities. The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed adequate fit indices of the original three-factor theoretical model of the SAS-2 after including a correlation between the errors for items 6 and 12 of the somatic anxiety subscale (CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.08, WRMR = 1.04). For convergent and divergent validity, the SAS-2 subscales exhibited a positive and strong correlations with the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2R (CSAI-2R; r = 0.52–0.82), weak to moderate correlations with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory – only the trait scale (STAI-T; r = 0.49–0.59), weak correlations with the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN; r = 0.29–0.41) and weak to moderate correlations with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; r = 0.49–0.56). The SAS-2 was also able to discriminate among participants with and without social anxiety, general trait anxiety and depressive symptoms, thus confirming its discriminant validity. According to ROC curve analysis, the cutoff point at a score of 29 indicated the optimal balance of sensitivity (0.74) and specificity (0.82). The internal consistency (α = 0.73–0.86) and the test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.73–0.80) were satisfactory. These results indicated that the Brazilian version of the SAS-2 exhibited satisfactory psychometric performance and could be used in the Brazilian context.

O propósito do estudo foi examinar a confiabilidade, evidências de validade fatorial, invariância (por género, tipo de esporte e nível competitivo) e evidências de validade convergente do CSAI-2. A amostra total foi composta de 375 atletas (284 do sexo masculino e 91 do sexo feminino). Para as evidências de validade convergente, a amostra foi constituída de 163 atletas (115 do sexo masculino e 48 do sexo feminino). Os atletas responderam aos instrumentos (CSAI-2 e versão reduzida do IDATE) uma hora antes do início das competições. Os resultados revelaram confiabilidade (α > 0,70) e bons índices de ajustamento (CFI = 0,959, GFI = 0,942 e RMSEA = 0,044) para o modelo reduzido de 17 itens (CSAI-2R). A invariância e as evidencias de validade convergente foram suportadas. A versão brasileira reduzida do CSAI-2 revelou boas propriedades psicométricas, sustentando a sua utilização em atletas brasileiros.The purpose of the study was to examine the reliability, factorial validity evidence, invariance (by gender, type of sport and competitive level) and evidence of convergent validity of the CSAI-2. The total sample consisted of 375 athletes (284 males and 91 females). For evidence of convergent validity, the sample consisted of 163 athletes (115 males and 48 females). The athletes responded to the instruments (CSAI-2 and reduced version of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI) an hour before starting competitions. The results showed reliability (α > .70) and good indices of fit (CFI = .959, GFI = .942 and RMSEA = .044) for the reduced model of 17 items (CSAI-2R). The invariance and the evidence of convergent validity were supported. The Brazilian reduced version of CSAI-2 showed good psychometric properties, supporting its use in Brazilian athletes.