Pre-Competition Anxiety in Young Female Handball Players : Master's Thesis

Ovo istraživanje ima cilj utvrditi dimenzije prednatjecateljske anksioznosti kod rukometašica mlađih dobnih uzrasta, koje su kategorizirane u djevojčice na prelasku u mlađe kadetkinje od 14. godina, prije utakmica manjih značaja, lakih utakmica i utakmica od velikog značaja, teških utakmica. Uzorak se sastoji od 32 ispitanice koje su ispunile po dva anketna upitnika i to jedan neposredno prije najteže utakmice, a jedan neposredno prije najlakše utakmice. Za svaku dimenziju upitnika izračunati su parametri pouzdanosti Cromach-Alpha i prosječne međučestične korelacije, varijable koje opisuju uzorak i psihološke varijable obrađene su deskriptivnom statistikom. Normalitet distribucije je testiran Kolmogorov-Smirnovljevim testom, a razlike među grupama testirane su One way ANOVA testom. Istraživanje je pokazalo da su rukometašice kadetskog uzrasta više somatski i kognitivno anksiozne prije važnih utakmica nego prije manje bitnih, laganih utakmica. Za prepostaviti je bilo da će igračice prije manje važnih utakmica imati veće samopouzdanje, međutim, iako je razlika vidljiva ipak nije statistički značajna. Temeljem iznesenih rezultata proizlazi da važnost utakmice izrazito snažno utječe na psihološki profil sportaša, u ovom slučaju rukometašica. Prije važnih utakmica dobro je da igračice nisu ravnodušne ili letargične već pod pozitivnom tenzijom. Potrebno je pronaći pravu optimalnu mjeru koja bi trebala osigurati da igračice nisu pred velikim pritiskom, stresom ili strahom od protivnika kako taj strah ne bi negativno utjecao na njihovu igru. S druge strane, stanje povišene kognitivne anksioznosti je obrtnuto proporcionalna sa dimenzijom samopouzdanja, pa je pretpostavka da će igračice imati veće samopouzdanje ako je smanjena kognitivna anksioznost.The purpose of this research is to determine the dimension of anxiety before competition at young female handball players, which are categorized in girls’ category at the time of transition to younger cadets of the age of 14 before the match of minor importance witch are easy matches and games of great significance witch are heavy matches. The sample consists of 32 respondents who filled out two questionnaires, one immediately before the toughest match, and one just before the easiest match. For each dimension of the questionnaire, Cormac-Alpha reliability parameters and mean interrelated correlations were calculated, the variables describing the sample and the psychological variables were processed by descriptive statistics. The distribution normality was tested by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and the differences between the groups were tested with the One-way ANOVA test. The research has shown that female handball players cadet-sized are more somatic and cognitively anxious before important matches than before minor, lightweight matches. To assume it would be that players less important games would have greater confidence but, although the difference is apparent, it is not statistically significant. Based on the results, it is clear that the importance of the match strongly influences the psychological profile of athletes, in this case the female handball players. Before important games it is good that the players are not indifferent or lethargic but under positive tension. It is necessary to find the right optimal measure that should ensure that the players are not under great pressure, stress or fear of the opponent that so this fear would not negatively affect their game. On the other hand, the state of elevated cognitive anxiety is proportional to the dimension of selfconfidence, and the assumption is that the players will have greater self-confidence if cognitive anxiety is reduced