Level of Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety on Performance of University Kebangsaan Malaysia Athletes

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine the levels of anxiety of somatic and cognitive among student-athletes. The participants of this study were recruited from University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The instrument used for the study comprised of a 27-item Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 and Sport Performance Questionnaire (SPQ), which had been distributed during MASUM (sport between Universities) competition to the student-athletes. The participants of this study were recruited from University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The sample consisted of 106 athletes, with national athletes (N = 33), state athletes (N = 35), university athletes (N = 21), and district athletes (N = 17). The results showed that elite or national athletes exhibited lower levels of somatic and cognitive anxiety than non-elite athletes. The result also showed that there exits negative correlation between cognitive anxiety and sport performance, and somatic anxiety and sport performance. Sport psychologists, sport counselors, and coaches should use the present findings to recommend coping strategies to university- and district-level athletes that are appropriate for dealing with their athletes’ cognitive and somatic anxiety.