Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between state/trait anxiety and competitive cross-country performance for males and females. A-trait and A-state pre- and post-competition were monitored in 38 females and 26 males at major meetings. The females A-trait was correlated with pre-race A-state which was itself correlated significantly with race performance. A significant post-race A-state reduction occurred only with the better runners. The correlation between A-trait and pre-race A-state was also found in the male athletes while A-trait significantly correlated with race performance. A-state was significantly reduced post-race, the greatest decrease being observed in the top performers. It is concluded that trait as well as transient dispositions are relevant when psychological determinants of performance are considered. Verf.-Referat