Competitive anxiety response in the week leading up to competition: The role of intensity, direction and frequency dimensions

Abstract

Temporal research in competitive anxiety literature has focused on the intensity of responses. This paper was the first to temporally assess anxiety with respect to intensity, direction and frequency of intrusions. Elite and non-elite athletes displayed differences in their interpretation of anxiety before performance and intensity and frequency were susceptible to change over time. Findings supported the dynamic nature of the stress process, argues for separate measurement of the dimensions and helps inform practitioners timing of interventions prior to competition. Thomas assisted in the study design, completed the data collection and analysis and wrote the manuscript.