The relationship between locus of control and pre-competitive anxiety in highly trained soccer players

Imen Ben Amar; Chiraz Gomni; Oussema Gaied; Aymen Khmiri; Rania Ghouaiel; Julien S Baker

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1227571

The relationship between locus of control and pre-competitive anxiety in highly trained soccer players

Front Psychol. 2023 Aug 3:14:1227571. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1227571. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Imen Ben Amar^{1

2}, Chiraz Gomni^{1

2}, Oussema Gaied^{1

2}, Aymen Khmiri^{1

2}, Rania Ghouaiel³, Julien S Baker⁴

Affiliations

¹ High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, Manouba University, Tunis, Tunisia.
² Research Unit Sports Performance, Health and Society, ISSEP Ksar Saïd, Manouba, Tunisia.
³ Philab Laboratory of Cultures, Technologies, and Philosophical Approaches, Tunis, Tunisia.
⁴ Centre for Health and Exercise Science Research, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Previous studies have not considered the potential association between locus of control and precompetitive anxiety in elite soccer players. Accordingly, this cross-sectional study examined The prediction of locus of control on precompetitive anxiety in highly trained cadet soccer players.

Objective: Based on a literature review, our research question was: can the locus of control be considered as an explanatory element of precompetitive anxiety?

Methods: Thirty-five Tunisian highly trained soccer players licensed from two regional soccer clubs aged between 15 and 16 years participated in the resent study. All participants were evaluated using the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) and the Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. The relationship between measures of anxiety, self-confidence and the locus of control scores were analyzed using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. Further, multiple linear stepwise multiple regression models were calculated to determine the most robust predictors of the locus of control.

Results: Based on our findings, the regression analysis explains up to 21.3% of the total variation of our independent variable (locus of control) and explains only 21.3% of the variability of our dependent variable somatic anxiety. Furthermore, locus of control explains 61.9% of the variability in self-confidence.

Conclusion: The locus of control can be used for the detection and selection of young athletic talent to identify individuals with the best psychological aptitude to cope with psychological problems related to sports performance. Preparing highly trained soccer players on how to deal with their anxiety could prevent them from becoming overwhelmed when they feel powerless to change their situation during competition.

Keywords: elite athletes; external locus; internal locus; locus of control; precompetitive anxiety.