Hardiness and the competitive trait anxiety response

Abstract

This paper was the first to examine the effects of hardiness, alongside skill level, upon competition-related anxiety in sports performers. The findings demonstrated that elite athletes high in hardiness reported lower competitive anxiety levels, more facilitative interpretations of symptoms, and higher self-confidence levels when compared to non-elite performers. Findings suggest that hardiness moderates how competitive anxiety is interpreted by athletes and has implications for performance enhancing consultants and athletes of various skill levels. Neil co-generated the research question, collected and analysed the data, and contributed to the writing/editing of the manuscript.