The relationship between self-confidence, mood state, and anxiety among collegiate tennis players.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-confidence, anxiety, and mood states in collegiate tennis players. The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory--2 (CSAI-2) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) were utilized based on their ability to assess a number of different psychological states thought to be crucial for proper mental preparation prior to athletic competition as well as for their psychometric properties. These inventories were employed to determine pre-competition levels of anxiety, self-confidence and mood disturbance and their relationship to successful or unsuccessful tennis match outcome. Twenty-four collegiate tennis players completed the POMS and CSAI-2 30 minutes prior to their tennis match during their participation in the NCAA Regional (VII) Team Tennis Tournament. Results revealed winning tennis players displayed significantly higher self-confidence, lower cognitive and somatic anxiety levels, and lower total mood disturbance scores than losing players. In addition, winning tennis players exhibited the iceberg profile on the POMS, which is consistent with the findings in similar research conducted with successful athletes in other sports. As such, athletes who displayed high self-confidence and low anxiety levels were potentially able to remain calm and relaxed under pressure and were not as affected by negative events. Furthermore, these results suggest that mental state prior to the start of a tennis match plays a crucial role in overall success or failure.

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An individual's positive or negative mental state has long been thought to play a crucial role in his or her ability to perform sport specific tasks. This ability then either augments or detracts from his or her overall success or failures as an athlete. Players who are evenly matched in physical skills often rely upon their psychological skills to gain an advantage over their opponents. More specifically, self-confidence, mood disturbances, cognitive and somatic anxiety have all been linked as contributing factors to athletic performance (Hassmen & Blomstrand, 1995; Morgan, O'Connor, Ellickson, & Bradley, 1988; Ussher & Hardy, 1986).

Self-confidence is one of the most frequently cited psychological factors thought to effect sport performance and has been a primary focus of research conducted by sport psychologists as it is considered by many to be a key factor to successful performance (Feltz, 1988). Bandura's 0982) social cognitive theory suggests that an individuals' degree of self-efficacy influences performance both directly and indirectly via emotions and cognitions. Successful performance enhances perceived self-efficacy while repeated failures lowers self-confidence (Bandura, 1982; 1997). Hanton, Mellalieu, and Young (2002) found that anxiety increases as competition approaches and that self-confidence acts as a moderating variable that either increases or decreases anxiety levels based on the perception of the upcoming event. This relationship between self-efficacy and performance can create either an upward or downward spiral for future performance and self-efficacy based on past athletic success or failure.

The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) has been instrumental in developing knowledge regarding changes in self-confidence and anxiety in the period immediately preceding athletic competition (Martens, Vealey, & Burton, 1990). Perry and Williams (1998) investigated the effects of intensity and direction of self-confidence and competitive trait anxiety on male and female tennis players. Participants completed a modified CSAI-2 and were then classified based upon their tennis ability and separated into novice, intermediate, or advanced groups. Results indicated the advanced group had a higher self-confidence level. Results showed less cognitive anxiety for the novice group and all three groups showed no difference for somatic anxiety.

Several studies have shown successful elite athletes to have lower pre-competition anxiety than less successful athletes (Highlen & Bennett, 1979; Mahoney & Avener, 1977; Ussher & Hardy, 1986; Weinberg & Gennchi, 1980). However, other researchers have found somatic anxiety to peak rapidly and immediately preceding the start of competition in cricket players (Jones, Cale, & Kerwin, 1989), rowers (Ussher & Hardy, 1986), and golfers and gymnasts (Krane & Williams, 1987). The findings across these research studies suggest that there may be some disparity in anxiety levels between athletes across different sports.

Treasure, Monson, and Lox (1996) hypothesized that self-efficacy of wrestlers would be associated with higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect, somatic, and cognitive anxiety. In addition, they examined the relationship between pre-competition self-efficacy and different measures of performance and match outcome. Each athlete completed the ...