Effect of stress inoculation on reducing performance anxiety among physical education students

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effect of stress inoculation on reducing performance anxiety among university students enrolled in Physical Education. Methodology The study sample consisted of 30 s-year university students enrolled in the Physical Education program at Ajloun National University in Jordan. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention program. Pre- and post-tests were administered to both the experimental and control groups, followed by a follow-up assessment. A performance anxiety scale, specifically developed for this study, was used for the assessments. The stress inoculation program was designed to provide students with cognitive and behavioral coping skills through three main stages: preparation and psychoeducation, acquisition and practice of coping skills, and application of these skills to performance-related situations. Results The results showed that the designed program was effective in reducing performance anxiety among students in the experimental group compared with the control group. The results also indicated no statistically significant differences in the experimental group's performance anxiety scores between the post-test and follow-up assessments, suggesting that the reduction in anxiety was maintained during the follow-up period. Conclusion The findings suggest that stress inoculation is an effective method for reducing performance anxiety among university students enrolled in Physical Education and may help them cope more effectively with performance-related pressures.