Temporal changes in psychological and physiological components of state anxiety.

Abstract

This study examined the relationships of cognitive worry, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence—all components of the CSAI-2 (Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2)—to each other, to physiological measures, and to motor performance prior to, during, and after competition. In addition, the prediction that only somatic anxiety increases prior to competition was examined. Forty-one undergraduate males competed in a motor task while the experimenter monitored heart rate and blood pressure responses. Each subject competed against a confederate for 10 experimental trials and completed the CSAI-2 prior to, during, and after the competition. The results confirmed the multidimensional nature of the state anxiety construct and provided evidence for the independence of cognitive worry and somatic anxiety. However, both dimensions followed similar temporal patterns prior to and during competition. Finally, the results confirmed the nonsignificant relationship between psychological and physiological measures of anxiety.