The content of pre-competitive state anxiety in top and lower level of female gymnasts

Two existing groups of females gymnasts, Top level (N=20) and Lower level (N=50), were administered the Martens Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 and a reduced version of the Spielberger State-anxiety scale prior to a national competition. The study was carried out to examine in what respect pre-competitive state anxiety is different in top level and lower level gymnasts. The results displayed no differences in mean values of the included anxiety-oriented state measures. However, the top level group reported higher mean value of self- confidence. A most salient finding indicated a positive relationship between pre-competitive state anxiety and gymnastic performance in the top level group, while no relation could be detected in the lower level group. A path analysis within each group of gymnasts suggested that their pre-competitive state anxiety was differently composed in terms of the state parameters cognitive anxiety and self-confidence. The findings suggested the importance to focus on the content of state anxiety as well as its intensity level to understand its relationship to gymnastic performance.