Optimism, general self-efficacy and competitiveness in young high-performance athletes

Abstract

Optimism, self-efficacy and competitiveness are three important variables of study regarding sports and performance of people. The objectives of this study were to determine the optimism, competitiveness and self-efficacy of adolescent athletes high performance, their relationship and differences according to sex. To do so, the LOT-R, Competitiveness-10 and General Self-efficacy questionnaires applied to a sample of 72 athletes (33 men and 39 women) high performance with an age between 13 and 16 years. The main results indicate that athletes are optimistic, competitive and confident in their general skills; men are more competitive and confident in their general skills than women; and optimism is positively related to competitiveness and general self-efficacy, while also competitiveness does positively with the general self-efficacy. We conclude that young high-performance athletes are optimistic, competitive and confident in their general skills; there is a social and sporting gap based on sex in competitiveness and general self-efficacy; and optimism is related to being competitive and self-efficacy, variables that are also related.