Anxiety, threat appraisal and coping in sports : individual trait anxiety differences

Abstract

El propósito de este estudio fue analizar los niveles de ansiedad, percepción de amenaza y las estrategias de afrontamiento de deportistas portugueses, confirmando la posibilidad de diferenciar deportistas con baja y alta ansiedad basándonos en sus niveles de percepción de amenaza y en las estrategias de afrontamiento que utilizaban. 550 deportistas de ambos sexos, entre los 15 y los 35 años (19.8±4.5), rellenaron las versiones portuguesas de la Sport Anxiety Scale (Smith, Smoll, & Schutz, 1990) y del Brief COPE (Carver, 1997), así como la Escala de Avaliação Cognitiva da Competição - Percepção de Ameaça (Escala de Evaluación Cognitiva de la Competición - Percepción de Amenaza; Cruz, 1994). Los resultados sugirieron que deportistas con bajo y alto rasgo de ansiedad podían ser distinguidos a partir de los niveles de amenaza percibidos y de las estrategias utilizadas para su afrontamiento. Los resultados fueron discutidos en relación con su aplicación investigadora y práctica.The purpose of this study was to examine the levels of anxiety, threat perception, and coping strategies used by high and low-trait anxious Portuguese athletes, examining if they could be differentiated by their levels of threat perception and coping skills. Five-hundred and fifty male and female athletes, aged between 15 and 35 years (19.8±4.5), completed the Portuguese versions of the Sport Anxiety Scale (Smith, Smoll, & Schutz, 1990) and of the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997), as well as the Escala de Avaliação Cognitiva da Competição - Percepção de Ameaça (Cognitive Appraisal Scale in Sport Competition – Threat Perception; Cruz, 1994). Results suggested that high and low trait anxious athletes could be differentiated by their threat perception levels and coping strategies used. Results were discussed with regard to theoretical, research and applied issues.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT