The effect of Person-Centered Approach in management anxiety in sports: an examination study

Authors

Anagnostou Garyfallos

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a person-centered approach to managing anxiety among soccer athletes, prior to and after the application of the approach. The sample consisted of 44 participants (Control Group N=21, age 14.57±1.03 and Investigation Group, N=23, age 13.96±0.88), all soccer athletes from the Greek soccer association. The intervention program used was a person-centered approach based on a theory from Rogers. The duration of the program was 9 months, with a frequency of one time per week for 60 minutes, after training. M. R. F. (Mental Readiness Form) and CSAI-2 (Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2) instruments were used for evaluation measures prior to and after the application of the intervention program. Statistical analysis revealed significant, observed differences in the reduction of a team’s somatic anxiety in favor of post-application measures and decreased self-confidence attributed to the effect of a person-centered approach. Future research is needed to further investigate the use of person-centered approach in sport settings.

Keywords

Person-centered approach, anxiety, soccer

Download full article

References

Anshel, M. H., Kim, K. W., Kim, B. H., Chang, K. J., & Eom, H. J. (2001). A model for coping with anxiety full events in sport: Theory, application, and future directions. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 32, 43–75.
Anshel, M. H., Williams, L. R. T., & Williams, S. (2000). Examining evidence of coping style following acute anxiety in competitive sport. Journal of Social Psychology, 140, 751–773.
Cerin, E., Szabo, A., Hunt, N., & Williams, C. (2000). Temporal patterning of competitive emotions: A critical review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 18, 605–626.
Fisseni, H. J. (1996). Persönlichkeitspsychologie. Ein Theorienüberblick. Göttingen, Bern, Toronto, Seattle: Hogrefe Verlag.
Kaissidis-Rodafinos, A., Anshel, M. H., & Porter, A. (1997). Personal and situational factors that predict coping strategies for acute anxiety among basketball referees. Journal of Sports Sciences, 15, 427–436.
Kazdin, A. E. (1992). Research design in clinical psychology. 2nd ed., Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Krane, V. (1994). The mental readiness from as a measure of competitive state anxiety. The Sport Psychologist, 8, 189-202.
Krane, V., Williams, J., & Feltz, D. (1992). Path analysis examining relationships among competitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, state confidence, performance expectations, and golf performance. Journal of Sport Behavior, 15, 279-295
Lazarus, R. S. (1999). Anxiety and emotion: A new synthesis. London: FA Books.
Madden, C. C., Summers, J. J., & Brown, D. F. (1990). The influence of perceived anxiety on coping with competitive basketball. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 21, 21–35.
Martens, R., & Gill, D. L. (1976). State anxiety among successful and unsuccessful competitors who differ in competitive trait anxiety. Research Quarterly, 47, 698-708.
Mascher, J. (2002). Narrative therapy: inviting the use of sport as metaphor. Women and therapy, 25(2), 57-74.
Nemeskeri, N. (1992). Angst: Von einem, der auszog, das Furchten zu lernen. Angst als Chance in der Psychotherapie. In Frenzel, P., Schmid, P. F., Winckler, M. (Hrsg.) Handbuch der Personzentrierten Psychotherapie (pp. 327-337). Edition Humanistische Psychologie, Köln.
Noblet, A. J., & Gifford, S. M. (2002). The sources of anxiety experienced by professional Australian footballers. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14, 1-13.
Papanikolaou, Ζ., Patsiaouras, Α., & Keramidas, P. (2003). Η χρήση της συστημικής οικογενειακής προσέγγισης στο «δέσιμο» ποδοσφαιρικής ομάδας [Family systems approach in building soccer team]. Inquiries in Sport & Physical Education, 1(2), 116-123 [in Greek].
Patsiaouras, A. (2008). Person-centered support and athletes' motivation for performance. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 106, 849-858.
Patsiaouras, Α., Soulas, D., & Papanikolaou Ζ. (2003). Η χρησιμοποίηση της προσωποκεντρικής μεθόδου για τον έλεγχο του άγχους σε αθλητές [The use of person-centered approach for controlling the anxiety of the athletes]. Inquiries in Sport & Physical Education, 1(3), 204-210.
Reuter, M. G., & Short, E. S. (2005). The relationships among three components of perceived risk of injury, previous injuries and gender in non-contact/limited contact sport athletes. Athleticinsight 7/1, online.
Rogers, C. R. (1985). Die nicht - Direktive Beratung. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, 6 Augl. Frankfurt am Main.
Rogers, C. R. (1991). Der Neue Mensch. Klett - Cotta Verlag, 4 Aufl. Stuttgart.
Scanlan, T. K. (1977). The effects of competition trait anxiety and success-failure on the perception of threat in a competitive situation. Research Quarterly, 48, 144-153.
Swain, A., & Jones, G. (1996). Explaining performance variance: The relative contribution of intensity and direction dimensions of competitive state anxiety. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 9, 1-18.
Theodorakis, Y., Beneca, A., Malliou, P., & Goudas, M. (1997). Examining psychological factors during injury rehabilitation. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 6, 335-363.
Thomas, O., Hanton, S., & Jones, G. (2002). An alternative approach to short-from self-report assessment of competitive anxiety: a research note. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 33(3), 325-336.
Tsorbatzoudis, H., Barkoukis, V., Sideridis, G. and Grouios, G. (2002). Confirmatory factor analysis of the Greek version of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2). International Journal of Sport Psychology, 33, 182-194.
Yan, Lan, L., & Gill, D.L. (1984). The relationships among self-efficacy, anxiety responses, and a cognitive feedback manipulation. Journal of Sport Psychology, 6, 227-238.