The Moderating Effect of Hardiness on the Relationship Between Trait Anxiety and Performance in Collegiate Baseball Players

The purpose of this study was to explore the moderating effect of hardiness on the relationship between trait anxiety and objective performance within NCAA Division I collegiate baseball players. An updated and shortened version of the Personal Views Survey (PVS III-R) was used to measure hardiness after a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. Of the total 389 players that participated, 171 met inclusion criteria and were split into two groups – hitters (N = 94) and pitchers (N = 80) – to identify differences in skills and how sub-constructs of hardiness (commitment, control, challenge) affected performance through a descriptive correlational design. The results show significant moderating effects of commitment for pitchers that accounted for the majority of variance in the relationship between perception of trait anxiety intensity and left on base percentage (LOB%) and wild pitches (WP). For hitters, significant moderating effects of control accounted for less variance in the relationship between perception of trait anxiety intensity on batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and grounding into double plays (GDP). The findings indicate there may be significant moderating effects of hardiness on the relationship between trait anxiety and objective performance that may be present in game situations with runners on-base. Practitioners could use these findings to target mental skills that could develop a pitcher’s commitment or hitter’s sense of control to enhance their performance within baseball-specific situations. For example, mental performance consultants could help athletes reframe the intensity of cognitive or somatic anxiety during situations with runners on-base.