Longitudinal trajectories of intensity and direction of emotions among athletes in sports competitions: do defense mechanisms matter?

Objectives: This study explored whether several subgroups of athletes representing distinct trajectories of intensity and direction of pleasant and unpleasant emotions (anger, anxiety, dejection, excitement, and happiness) could be shown to exist within the latent growth analysis (LCGA). A secondary objective was to examine whether athletes belonging to distinct trajectories of intensity and direction of emotions reported distinct scores of adaptive defense mechanisms (ADM) and maladaptive defense mechanisms (MDM).

Design: A longitudinal four-wave measurement design was used in the present study.

Method: 380 athletes completed the sports emotion questionnaire direction across four measurement times and the defense style questionnaire at the beginning of the season.

Results: Results of LCGAs revealed several distinct emotional trajectories for each emotion intensity and emotion direction. Moreover, athletes belonging to distinct (adaptive or maladaptive) trajectories reported significantly different scores of ADM and MDM. Higher scores of ADM were reported by athletes belonging to adaptive trajectories of the direction of emotions.

Conclusions: Sports psychologists should try to promote ADM and defensive flexibility to help athletes perceive their emotions as facilitative.