OPTIMISM-PESSIMISM, PERFORMANCE, AND PRECOMPETITION ANXIETY IN COLLEGIATE TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES

Abstract

500 Although optimism is widely assumed to be important for success in sport, little research has examined its impact. This study examined the potential effect of optimistic and pessimistic congnitive styles on performance and precompetition anxiety. Collegiate track and field athletes (♀=26,♂=20) completed the Optimism-Pessimism Scale (Norem & Cantor, 1986). Using established procedures, athletes were classified as optimists (O), defensive pessimists (DP) or real pessimists (RP). Predicted precompetition anxiety(STAI) was established for each athlete 24-hr prior to an easy and difficult meet, and actual anxiety was assessed 1-hr before the meets. Season best performances were available in 26 athletes and expressed as a percent based on NCAA qualifying standards. While the majority of the sample (59.9%) had pessimistic styles, ANOVA revealed on group differences in best performance(O=93.8%, DP=92.6%, RP=90.2%). Predicted and actual precompetition anxiety scores, however, were lower (*=P<0.01) for O in both meets compared with DP and RP. TableTableCorrelations between predicted and actual anxiety were significant(P<0.01) except for the RP in the easy meet (r=.29). In summary, a substantial proportion of athletes possessed a pessimistic style which was characterized by significantly elevated anxiety compared with optimists. However, these groups did not differ in performance.