Re-appraising stress appraisals: The underlying properties of stress in sport

Abstract

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the underlying properties of athletes’ stressful appraisals. According to Lazarus and Folkman [(1984). Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer] all meaningful situations that are appraised as stressful will include one of eight properties. These properties are: novelty, predictability, event uncertainty, imminence, duration, temporal uncertainty, ambiguity and timing in relation to the life cycle. Design This study aimed to examine whether these underlying properties are relevant to the sporting context and if any further properties exist within this context using a qualitative interview approach. Methods Sixteen national level trampolinists took part in interviews which focused on their most stressful competitive experience. Results Following deductive content analysis all properties were found to have relevance to a sporting domain. Two further properties of Self and Other Comparison and Inadequate Preparation were also revealed which were proposed to be specific to a sporting context. Conclusions Suggestions are made concerning future research to extend this line of inquiry and our understanding of stress appraisals.