Anxiety in novice rock climbers: a further test of the matching hypothesis in a field setting

Maynard, I.W., MacDonald, A.L. and Warwick-Evans, L.A. (1997) Anxiety in novice rock climbers: a further test of the matching hypothesis in a field setting. International Journal of Sports Psychology, 28 (1), 67-78.

Abstract

This study further examined the contention of Martens, Burton, Vealey, Bump and Smith (1990) that stress management techniques should be matched to the symptoms manifested by performers. It also investigated the changes in cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confidence of novice rock climbers in a non-competitive situation. Thirty male subjects completed the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) on four occasions prior to their first rock climb. According to the dominant type of state anxiety shown, subjects were placed in two intervention groups: Cognitively anxious (n = 10) and Somatically anxious (n = 9). Both groups were taught Applied Relaxation (somatic technique). Subjects (n = 11) in which neither somatic nor cognitive anxiety was dominant formed the control group. All subjects completed a twelve week intervention. The data were analysed using three, three-way analyses of variance (group, climb and time-to-climb) with repeated measures on the second and third factors. Results confirmed within this study that the more efficacious approach is to reduce anxiety with a method directed at the dominant type of anxiety being experienced by the performer. Results also indicated a rise in cognitive anxiety and a reduction in self-confidence as subjects drew nearer in time to each of their three climbs, findings which did not reflect previous research in competitive situations.

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