A study of the relationship between social desirability and competitive anxiety among soccer players

Abstract

This study investigated temperament, social desirability, and anxiety in professional and amateur male soccer players. The goal of this study was to compare social desirability among professional and amateur soccer players and its association with temperament and competitive anxiety. Participants (n = 78) were equally divided into professional and amateur players. The EPQ (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire) was used to assess the participants' temperament and social desirability. Additionally, the SCAT (Sport Competition Anxiety Test) was completed by the participants to reveal their anxiety levels. The temperament types were compared using Yates's correction for continuity, while a linear regression model was used to determine if social desirability could predict anxiety levels among the players. The study found that both groups had dominant sanguine and choleric temperaments, which corresponded to extraversion. The ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference in competitive anxieties between the two groups (p<0.03). The results of the regression analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship with a negative slope between social desirability and competitive anxiety in professional players (p<0.021) and amateur players (p<0.015). The data illustrate that the professional and amateur levels of soccer players are not dependent on the predictive effect of social desirability on competitive anxiety; however, it was only associated with constant sports activities. Thus, it was revealed that as the level of social desirability among soccer players increases, the level of their competitive anxiety decreases.