OPTIMISM AND SPORT CONFIDENCE AS CORRELATES OF SLUMP-RELATED COPING AMONG ATHLETES

Sport performers (N = 213) completed either a questionnnire measure of dispositional optimism or a questionnaire measure of trait sport conf idence and then provided information about how they cope with performa nce slumps. The use of task-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance-or iented coping strategies was assessed with a slump-referenced version of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS; Endler & Parke r, 1990a). Results indicated that both personality measures were posit ively related to the use of problem-focused strategies and negatively related to the use of emotion-focuscd strategies. These findings are d iscussed in relation to previous research on confidence in sport and a model of sport-related coping proposed by Hardy, Jones, and Gould (19 96). Practical implications for the effective management of performanc e slumps are also addressed.