A comparative analysis of state anxiety and coping in sprint and middle-and long-distance runners

Abstract

Competitive anxiety and coping with competitive stress determine successful athletic performance in important ways. The first goal of this study was to investigate the intensity and potential differences in state anxiety (somatic and cognitive) and self-confidence between sprinters and middleand long-distance runners, as well as to compare their use of coping strategies and/ or coping dimensions. The second goal was to define which coping strategies runners use most frequently in general. The third aim was to examine if there is a relationship between competitive anxiety and coping dimensions in runners. A sample of 52 runners, 44.2% sprinters and 55.8% long-distance runners, (Mage = 24.25; Msp.exp .= 9.78) completed the SCAI-2 and CICS. Compared to middleand long-distance runners, sprinters scored higher on somatic and cognitive anxiety and lower on self-confidence. In total, runners most frequently use task-oriented coping strategies. There are no differences between sprinters and middleand long-distance runners in coping dimensions and strategies except in mental distraction, which is more frequently used by middleand long-distance runners. Task-oriented coping was positively related to self-confidence and negatively to cognitive anxiety. Disengagement-oriented coping is positively related to both somatic and cognitive anxiety and negatively to self-confidence. The study results highlight the possible directions for further research and provide a basis for several practical recommendations.