Precompetitive anxiety in young swimmers: analysis of perceived competition difficulty

Abstract

Anxietyinsportshasbeenwidelystudiedbyprofessionalsinsportssciences.However,theeffectofperceiveddifficultyandTraitanxietyonprecompetitiveState-anxietyisunknown.Throughanon-experimentalandlongitudinaldesign,thisarticlestudied:(i)theeffectof perceivedcompetitiondifficulty(easy,moderate,andhard)onState-anxietyand,(ii)theeffectofTrait-anxiety,sex,andageonthebehaviorof State-anxiety. Seventy-nineyoungswimmers(Mage=13.3, SD=1.9)male(n=58,73.4%)andfemale(n=21,26.6%)wereassessedviathe State-TraitAnxietyInventory(STAI). TheAnovaandManovaindicatedthattheperceiveddifficultyofthecompetitionaffectsState-anxiety. Therefore,a higher perception of task difficulty is associated with higher State-anxiety.Additionally,the interaction of sex,age andTraitanxietydidnotshowaneffectonState-anxiety(p>.05).TheinteractionofageandTrait-anxietyshowedaneffect(p>.05).Amaineffectof Trait-Anxiety on State-anxiety was observed in the perception of easy and hard difficulty. In conclusion, the perceived difficulty of the competitionaffectstheathlete’sState-anxiety.