Effects of Mental Training on Competitive State Anxiety in Collegiate Equestrian Athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was two fold, first to examine competitive state anxiety in collegiate equestrian athletes. Second, to examine the effects of psychological skills training on competitive state anxiety. Forty female subjects (age 19.891.25) were recruited for this study. Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups with 22 subjects in the control group and 18 subjects in the psychological skills training group. The psychological skills training group received 5 sessions of psychological skills training with a sport psychologist. Both groups filled out 3 anxiety questionnaires (CSAI-2, STAI, and POMS) during their preseason physical (which served as a baseline), 1 hour before their first scrimmage in the fall of 2011, and before their second scrimmage in January of 2012. A repeated measures ANOVA was conducted for all three-anxiety questionnaires. The total group decreased their anxiety from the baseline/first scrimmage to the second scrimmage for cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, state anxiety, anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, and tension (P<.01). The total groups increased their self-confidence from baseline/first scrimmage to the second scrimmage (P<.01). The only measure that did not change over time was vigor. The data shows that PST has little to no effect on competitive state anxiety as compared to no intervention.