Abstract
Starting from the importance of competitive anxiety and coping for competitive achievement, this paper examines the relationships between these two groups of variables. The first goal was to determine the intensity and effect of anxiety, the frequency of application and the effectiveness of strategies and dimensions of coping. The second goal was to determine the relationship between the frequency of application and the effectiveness of coping strategies and dimensions. The third goal was to examine possible differences in the frequency of application and in the efficiency of coping dimensions between basketball players who experience anxiety and self-confidence of different degrees and who interpret their effects on performance differently. The sample consisted of 58 highly successful basketball players, who compete within the highest national level (Myear = 15.86; Msp.exp. = 5.85). Respondents completed the following questionnaires: SCAI-2, SCAI-2-d and CICS (with an added scale for coping efficiency). Basketball players experience low anxiety but strong self-confidence. They perceived that anxiety has a slightly negative effect and self-confidence has a positive effect on performance. They most often apply task-oriented coping and evaluate it as the most efficient. The association between frequency and perceived efficacy of coping is positive, ranging from moderate to very strong. Basketball players with a higher degree of cognitive anxiety are more likely to use distraction-oriented coping and disengagement-oriented coping, while those with higher somatic anxiety are more likely to use disengagement-oriented and task-oriented coping. The more pronounced the self-confidence, the more effective is basketball players assess task-oriented coping, and the less effective is disengagement-oriented coping. The obtained results can be used in psychological preparation for the competition.
Publisher
Centre for Evaluation in Education and Science (CEON/CEES)