Study the Relationship between Sports Competition Anxiety, Hardiness, and Intrinsic Motivation among Young Adults

Abstract

The research aimed to study sports competition anxiety, hardiness, and intrinsic motivation among young adults. Sports competition anxiety is a psychological condition that can impact athletes of all skill levels. Hardiness refers to a group of personality attributes that enable a person to tolerate mental and physical stress without becoming ill, while intrinsic motivation describes the inner drive or desire to do something for the intrinsic joy or satisfaction it brings. The study had a sample size of 105 individuals was used. The Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) (1977), Hardy Personality Profile (1998) and Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) (1982) were used in the research. Pearson’s correlation and regression were used in the present study. The study found a significant but weak positive correlation between hardiness and intrinsic motivation among young adults. The study also found a significant moderate negative correlation between hardiness and sports competition anxiety, meaning that young adults with higher levels of hardiness are likely to have lower levels of sports competition anxiety. Additionally, the study found a weak positive correlation between intrinsic motivation and sports competition anxiety, indicating that as intrinsic motivation increases, sports competition anxiety also increases among young adults. The study’s findings can be used as a guideline for future sports psychology and psychophysiology researchers performing additional sports research.