| Examining the Mediating Role of Resilience in the Relationship Between Optimism and Competitive Anxiety Among University Athletes |
| Paper ID : 1158-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
|
zeynab bahrami * Assistant Professor, Department of Behavior and Cognitive Sciences in Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran |
| Abstract |
| Introduction: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between optimism and competitive anxiety among university athletes. Optimism, as a positive psychological trait, has been recognized as a factor in enhancing emotional regulation and performance outcomes in athletes. However, the underlying mechanism through which optimism influences competitive anxiety, particularly through resilience, has not yet been adequately investigated in collegiate athletic contexts. Methods: The present study was descriptive-correlational and based on structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population included all elite university athletes participating in national student competitions. Based on Morgan's table, 160 university student athletes (male and female) were selected through stratified random sampling. The research instruments included the optimism questionnaire (revised version of the Life Orientation Test; LOT-R), the Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Competitive Sports Anxiety Test (SCAT). Reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) were obtained for all scales above 0.80, indicating the desirable reliability of the instruments (1-3). Results: The results showed that there was a significant negative relationship between optimism and competitive anxiety (P<0.01). Also, resilience played a significant mediating role in this relationship; meaning that more optimistic athletes experience less competitive anxiety through increased levels of resilience. The hypothesized research model had acceptable fit indices (CFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.01). Conclusion: The findings emphasize the importance of optimism and resilience as effective psychological resources in reducing competitive anxiety and improving athletes' performance. It is suggested that sport psychologists and coaches integrate training programs and interventions based on enhancing optimism and resilience into the mental preparation process of athletes, because university athletes are under the pressure of studying and exercising simultaneously, and this can affect their athletic performance. |
| Keywords |
| Optimism; Resilience; Competitive anxiety; University athletes |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
