Authors : Kahate S.
Page Nos : 358-362
Description :
This paper examines the relationship between anxiety and performance from a cognitive
-
behavioral perspective. Athletes have to cope adequately with the consequences of their injury in order to
return into sports as soon as possible. Besides the physical ch
aracteristics of the injury, illness
perceptions and emotional responses impact the behavioural responses to the injury. Previous research
in the field has suggested that the majority of consultations conducted by sport psychologists are related
to anxiet
y. Included is a discussion on the theoretical underpinnings of anxiety and how it relates to
performance. Research conducted on the relationship between anxiety and performance is also
discussed. A review of the cognitive
-
behavioral treatments that hav
e been used for anxiety reduction and
performance enhancement within the field of athletics is included. To apply Leventhal’s Common Sense
Model as a theoretical framework in the field of sports medicine, pertaining to injured athletes.
Suggestions for fut
ure research and practical considerations are listed in the conclusion.Injured athletes’
most experienced symptoms were pain (82%) and loss of strength (50%), associated with a high
controllability; they see their injury as not chronic, with minor conseque
nces for daily life and minor
emotional consequences. Athletes with an injury of longer duration have minor psychological attributions,
28% suffer from fatigue, which is strongly related to a negative mood state. Illness perceptions and mood
states are rel
ated to injury characteristics. Clinicians ought to incorporate patients’ views about their
injuries into their treatment in order to increase the concordance between patient’s and clinician’s
perceptions, thereby increasing chances of a quick and uneventf
ul recovery.
