INDIVIDUAL TEMPORAL DIFFERENCES IN PRECOMPETITION ANXIETY AND HORMONAL CONCENTRATION

This investigation explored individual differences:in hormonal concent ration and directional perception of anxiety 24 hrs, 2 hrs and 1 hr be fore an important competition. Those who perceived their anxiety level as positive to performance (i.e. facilitators) showed an increase in testosterone concentration as time-to-event approached that contrasted markedly with those who perceived their anxiety intensity as negative to performance (i.e. debilitators). The facilitatory group also exhib ited a lower cortisol response 2 hrs and 1 hr, relative to 24 hrs befo re the event, whilst the response of the debilitatory group was elevat ed as time-to-event approached. Finally, the facilitatory group eviden ced a trend towards rapid elevations in all of the catecholamines, whi lst the concentration amongst the debilitatory group remained stable a s the event approached. The findings add further substance to the vera city of the directional construct in acting as the important distingui shing variable which accounts for significant individual differences. Additionally it addresses the mechanism by which the relationship betw een anxiety direction and performance may be brought about. Such under pinning biochemical mechanisms offer one possible yet long awaited exp lanation to aid our understanding of the pre-event anxiety direction r esponse of competitive individuals. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.