Wittig, A. F., Duncan, S. L., & Schurr, K. T. (1987). The relationship of gender, gender-role endorsement and perceived physical self-efficacy to sport competition anxiety. Journal of Sport Behavior, 10, 192-199.

College students (N = 270) served as Ss. It was found that perceived physical self-efficacy, developed during the socialization process of training and competitions is an important attribute for understanding the variation in sport competition anxiety.

Bandura (1978) proposed that low self-efficacy is generally accompanied by a poor level of performance while a high sense of self-efficacy is associated with better performance. High physical self-efficacy found in this study was associated with lower sport competition anxiety and better sport performances.

[Bandura, A. (1978). Reflections on self-efficacy. In S. Rachman (Ed.), Advances in behavioral research and therapy (Vol. 1). Oxford: Permagon Press.]

Implication. How an athlete believes he/she will do in a performance will affect the degree of anxiety that precedes a competition. It is in every coaches' best interest to assist athletes to focus on performing elements which are done well and over which they have a high degree of perceived control.

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