title: Self-presentational concerns and competitive anxiety.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to improve understanding of the link between self-presentational concerns and competitive anxiety. Specifically, we examined (a) associations among self-presentational concerns and competitive state anxiety dimensional symptom responses using the modified Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2; Martens, Vealey, & Burton, 1990) and (b) whether self-presentational concerns mediate trait-state anxiety relationships. In addressing these matters, we also examined the factor structure and composition of the Self-Presentation in Sport Questionnaire (SPSQ; Wilson & Eklund, 1998). Results showed that self-presentational concerns were positively associated with intensity and frequency dimensional symptoms and negatively associated with direction symptoms. Results also showed that self-presentational concerns demonstrated consistently higher associations with the cognitive component and the intensity symptom of the CSAI-2 state measures. Results showed no support for the notion that self-presentational concerns mediate the trait-state anxiety relationship. When examining the factor structure and composition of the SPSQ, the results from two independent athlete samples support the tenability of an abbreviated 21-item four-factor model. Thus the newly constituted scale is recommended for measuring self-presentational concerns in sport.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McGowan
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Prapavessis
authors.forename: Natascha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wesch
mesh_terms: D000184:Acting Out; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires