Citation

Martens R, Gill DL, Scanlan TK. Percept. Mot. Skills 1976; 43(3): 1199-1208.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1976, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1012896

Abstract

Two experiments determined the effects of competitive trait anxiety, success-failure, and sex on the performance of 10- to 12 yr.-old children competing on a complex motor maze. Competitive trait anxiety was assessed by the Sport Competition Anxiety Test and success-failure was induced by giving bogus win-loss feedback. High and low competitive trait-anxiety children were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: winning 80%, 50% or 20% of 20 contests. The average completion time and the variability of times within each of two blocks of 10 contests were the two performance measures. State-anxiety was assessed with Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory for Children as an indicant of arousal prior to and during competition. The findings of Exp. 1 yielded no significant performance differences. In Exp. 2 a significant interaction of competitive trait anxiety X success-failure X sex for performance time and variability was obtained. This interaction was largely attributed to sex differences.

Language: en