Crossing the victory line : the effects of perceived anxiety on performance in Maltese athletes

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between perceived trait ANXIETY and PERFORMANCE. Its aim is to investigate whether the INVERTED-U HYPOTHESIS could be applicable to Maltese athletes. This hypothesis states that at low arousal levels performance will be below one's standard, as arousal increases so too does performance up to an optimal point where best performance results. Further increases in arousal will cause a decline in performance. The study consists of 103 elite and non-elite athletes; the elite athletes are those who have represented Malta in the Games for the Small States of Europe 2005 and the Mediterranean Games 2005, all coming from various sport disciplines. The methods of study are the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) and a self-devised performance questionnaire. The study also tests any effects that gender, age, sport discipline, and ability of athlete might each have on both anxiety and performance. T-test has been used to test gender, sport discipline, and ability of athlete; whilst one-way ANOVA has been used to test age. Results suggest that the Individualized Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF) theory is more applicable locally. This favours the need for a more individualistic approach towards sport rather than a general model on how anxiety affects performance. Elite athletes perceive their performance higher than non-elite athletes perceive theirs. Furthermore, females perceive their performance as lower than that of males. It is very important to highlight that this study is based upon the perceptions of athletes, not on the actual anxiety or performance.