Term of Award

Spring 2007

Degree Name

Master of Science in Kinesiology (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Health and Kinesiology

Committee Chair

Jonathan N. Metzler,

Committee Member 1

Daniel R. Czech

Committee Member 2

Anthony J. Lachowetz

Abstract

Research looks for the sources of state anxiety for individual athletes prior to competition, which can be debilitating (Gould, 1993; Gould, Horn & Spreeman, 1983). Non-elite athletes who are high trait anxious (possibly fear of failure) have higher state anxiety than elite athletes (Conroy, 2002; Gould, Horn & Spreeman, 1983). Fencers may be prone to elevated state anxiety. No research links these variables together in fencing. The purpose of the study is to examine fear of failure, experience, and division as predictors of state anxiety for epee fencers prior to competition. Epee fencers (N = 145) who competed in the USFA Summer Nationals completed a demographics questionnaire, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2R (Cox, Martens & Russell, 2003), and the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (Conroy, Willow, & Metzler, 2002). Multiple regression analyses revealed fear of failure as a predictor of cognitive anxiety (B = .44, p < .001). Division I-A fencers are predictive of higher cognitive anxiety than Division I fencers (B = .20, p = .04). None were significant predictors for somatic anxiety. Experience was not associated with either cognitive or somatic anxiety.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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