A test of Martens, Vealey and Burton's theory of competitive anxiety

The purpose of this study was to test Martens, Vealey, and Burton's (1990) theoretical model of competitive anxiety. In order to assess the variables corresponding to the model, a sample of 199 (N = 126, male and N = 73, female) individual sport athletes completed the following inventories: the Sport Anxiety Scale (SAS; Smith, Smoll, & Schutz, 1990), items related to the uncertainty of outcome, items related to the importance of outcome, and the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2; Martens, Burton, Vealey, Bump, & Smith, 1990). In addition, the short-form of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (M-C SDS; Reynolds, 1982) was completed by all subjects. The variables corresponding to the model underwent psychometric evaluation as well as a check for social desirability effects before they were used in a LISREL causal path model procedure. Results showed no concrete support for the basic propositions advanced through the model. Trait-anxiety did not significantly affect perception of threat and perception of threat had minimal effect on state-anxiety. Recommendations for future research are discussed.