The effects of psychological interventions on pre-competition multi-dimensional state anxiety in volleyball players

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of three psychological intervention strategies in maintaining the multi-dimensional state anxiety among volleyball players with matching hypothesis. The Competitive Sport Anxiety Inventory-2 Revised (CSAI-2R) was employed to examine the pre-competition temporal patterning of its three components during the time leading up to competition. Subjects were the youth state volleyball players (N = 96boys = 48, girls = 48Age: M =16.35 yr., SD = .89 yr.) competing in the under 18 National School Sport Council of Malaysia Volleyball Tournament 2008. The group with the highest group mean scores in cognitive anxiety component was assigned to a cognitive intervention group (n = 24) in which subjects underwent breathing technique & autogenic relaxation with music lasting for 30 minutes per sessionthe group with the highest group mean scores in somatic anxiety component (n=24) completed the somatic intervention with progressive muscular relaxation lasting for 30 minutesthe self-confidence intervention group which rated the lowest mean group scores in self-confidence component carried out the intervention with positive self-talk and goal setting exercises lasting 30 minutesand a control group (n = 24) completed the concentration grid exercises lasting 30 minutes. Results from the ANOVA test revealed that there were significant differences in cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confidence between groups one day before competition. The findings in this study with the Malaysian volleyball players supported the matching hypothesis which recommended that intervention strategies to maintain state anxiety should be matched to the target modality of the anxiety