Aim: Aim of this study is to evaluate anxiety and temperament characteristics in developmental age subjects who practised agonistic sport (individual or team sports) in comparison with a sample group of subjects who practice no agonistic sports.
Methods: Sixty subjects aged from 10 to 16 years were enrolled in the study and divided into 3 groups: 20 subjects practised individual agonistic sport (Group A), 20 subjects practised team agonistic sports (Group B) and 20 subjects who practised non agonistic sport as control group, (Group C). The following tests were used: multidimensional anxiety scale for children (MASC) to evaluate anxiety, EAS scale (Buss e Plomin) to evaluate temperament (emotionability, activity, sociability and shyness for younger children).
Results: MASC scale scores underline generalized anxiety with higher significantly score in subjects who practised agonistic sports (Group A and B) compared with Group C. Anxiety symptoms were more evident in subjects who practised individual discipline compared with those who practised team sports. EAS scale indicated that temperament of subjects who practised agonistic sport was characterised by a considerable aptitude for sociability with low emotionability/activity levels in comparison to control group.
Conclusion: None of the 3 groups showed a psychopathologic profile.