Pre-competition emotions, self-confidence, and positional differences in top-level volleyball players: a pilot study

Pre-competition emotions and athletes' confidence are key psychological factors for performance. In this pilot study, building on reversal theory, the CSAI-2R/2D (cognitive and somatic anxiety intensity and directional appraisal) framework, and Vealey's sport-confidence model, we examined associations between trait sport-confidence and precompetition emotions, and assessed positional differences across elite volleyball roles.

Seventy-nine elite male players from Poland completed the Trait Sport-Confidence Inventory (TSCI-PL) and CSAI-2D measures. Primary analyses used GLM/ANCOVA with Position (offensive, defensive, setters, middle blockers) as a fixed factor and age, playing experience, and contract length as covariates. The analytic sample for GLM/ANCOVA was N = 78.

Trait sport confidence correlated negatively with cognitive anxiety intensity and positively with the directional appraisal of both anxiety components. In covariateadjusted models, Position was associated with cognitive and somatic anxiety appraisals and with TSCI-PL, while the effect on cognitive anxiety intensity did not reach statistical significance (p = .057). These results indicate that athletes with higher trait confidence tend to interpret pre-competition symptoms more facilitatively.

The findings point to the relevance of directional appraisal and its linkage with confidence. Within this sample, middle blockers showed relatively more facilitative appraisals in adjusted analyses; however, several estimates were small-to-moderate and some were not significant, warranting cautious interpretation. The results suggest position-related differences in appraisal that require replication in larger samples and studies including objective performance indicators.