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Alpha Psychiatry Jul 2021This study aimed to compare the anxiety and narcissism levels of different performance groups in female handball players.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to compare the anxiety and narcissism levels of different performance groups in female handball players.
METHODS
A total of 59 athletes between the ages of 15 and 37 participated in the study, taking the first 4 places from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus senior women handball 1st league in the 2017-2018 season. Wingate peak power (WPP), Wingate average power (WAP), handball agility test (HAST), 10 m speed (10S), 20 m speed (20S), 20m shuttle run (SR), hands on waist vertical jump (HEVJ), hands free vertical jumping (HFVJ) test, Beck anxiety scale (BAI), 5-factor narcissism scale-short form (FFNI-SF), and sociodemographic data form were used. The athletes were divided into upper performance (UPG) and lower performance groups (LPG) using the median value according to the results of the physical measurement tests (FST).
RESULTS
It was determined that the anxiety level of the participants in the LPG group was higher than that in the UPG group. The narcissism level of the participants in the UPG group was found to be higher than that in the LPG group. The scores of consent seeking, arrogance, leader/authority, insecurity, claiming rights, exhibitionism, carelessness, lack of empathy, and adventurousness were higher than LPG. In the correlation analysis, a positive and low level of relationship between anxiety and 20S and a negative and low level of significant relationship between HEJV were found. It was observed that there was a positive and low level significant relationship between narcissism and WPP, HFJV, and HEJV. It has been revealed that anxiety and narcissism variables have a predictive effect on the physical performance average score.
CONCLUSION
The findings suggest that in female handball players, high levels of narcissism may affect the performance positively and high anxiety levels negatively. As a result of this study, it was revealed that anxiety and narcissism have a predictive effect on physical performance average score in women's handball.
PubMed: 36424938
DOI: 10.5455/apd.116943 -
BMC Psychology Aug 2020Although many musicians perceive music performance anxiety (MPA) as a significant problem, studies about the psychobiological and performance-related concomitants of MPA...
BACKGROUND
Although many musicians perceive music performance anxiety (MPA) as a significant problem, studies about the psychobiological and performance-related concomitants of MPA are limited. Using the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat as theoretical framework, we aim to investigate whether musicians' changes in their psychobiological responses and performance quality from a private to a public performance are moderated by their general MPA level. According to the challenge and threat framework, individuals are in a threat state when the perceived demands of a performance situation outweigh the perceived resources, whereas they are in a challenge state when the perceived resources outweigh the perceived demands. The resources-demands differential (resources minus demands) and the cardiovascular challenge-threat index (sum of cardiac output and reverse scored total peripheral resistance) are the main indices of these states. We postulate that the relationship between general MPA level and performance quality is mediated by these challenge and threat measures.
METHODS
We will test 100 university music students reporting general MPA levels ranging from low to high. They will perform privately (i.e., without audience) and publicly (i.e., with an audience) on two separate days in counterbalanced order. During each performance session, we will record their cardiovascular and respiratory activity and collect saliva samples and self-reported measures. Measures of primary interest are self-reported anxiety, the resources-demands differential, the cardiovascular challenge-threat index, sigh rate, total respiratory variability, partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide and the salivary biomarkers cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and alpha-amylase. Both, the participants and anonymous experts will evaluate the performance quality from audio recordings.
DISCUSSION
The results of the planned project are expected to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the psychobiology of MPA and of the processes that influence musicians' individual reactions to performance situations. We also anticipate the findings of this project to have important implications for the development and implementation of theory-based interventions aimed at managing musicians' anxiety and improving performance quality. Thanks to the use of multimethod approaches incorporating psychobiology, it might be possible to better assess the progress and success of interventions and ultimately improve musicians' chance to have a successful professional career.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Not applicable.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety; Female; Humans; Music; Performance Anxiety; Saliva; Young Adult
PubMed: 32843074
DOI: 10.1186/s40359-020-00448-8 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2021The main objective of this study was to investigate the association between final-year students' anxiety level and quality of life (QOL) with their academic...
The main objective of this study was to investigate the association between final-year students' anxiety level and quality of life (QOL) with their academic achievements. A longitudinal study was performed in regular schools and in high-rated gymnasiums at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Multiple linear regression models were built for the association between level of anxiety/QOL with academic achievements. Type of school and gender-but not the level of anxiety-were the main predictors of academic achievements of 287 adolescents (e.g., for mathematics, the effect estimates were: β = -1.71 [95% confidence interval -2.21; -1.21]; β = -0.50 [-0.95; -0.06], β = 0.09 [-0.02; 0.20] for the type of school, gender, and changes in level of anxiety, respectively). To conclude, particular efforts should be made to reduce the level of anxiety in girls, especially those that study in high-rated schools.
Topics: Academic Performance; Adolescent; Anxiety; Female; Humans; Latvia; Longitudinal Studies; Quality of Life; Schools; Students
PubMed: 34072247
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115784 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Nov 2023Anxiety disorders rank among the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide. Anxiety symptoms are typically evaluated using self-assessment surveys or interview-based... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Anxiety disorders rank among the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide. Anxiety symptoms are typically evaluated using self-assessment surveys or interview-based assessment methods conducted by clinicians, which can be subjective, time-consuming, and challenging to repeat. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for using technologies capable of providing objective and early detection of anxiety. Wearable artificial intelligence (AI), the combination of AI technology and wearable devices, has been widely used to detect and predict anxiety disorders automatically, objectively, and more efficiently.
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess the performance of wearable AI in detecting and predicting anxiety.
METHODS
Relevant studies were retrieved by searching 8 electronic databases and backward and forward reference list checking. In total, 2 reviewers independently carried out study selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment. The included studies were assessed for risk of bias using a modified version of the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-Revised. Evidence was synthesized using a narrative (ie, text and tables) and statistical (ie, meta-analysis) approach as appropriate.
RESULTS
Of the 918 records identified, 21 (2.3%) were included in this review. A meta-analysis of results from 81% (17/21) of the studies revealed a pooled mean accuracy of 0.82 (95% CI 0.71-0.89). Meta-analyses of results from 48% (10/21) of the studies showed a pooled mean sensitivity of 0.79 (95% CI 0.57-0.91) and a pooled mean specificity of 0.92 (95% CI 0.68-0.98). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that the performance of wearable AI was not moderated by algorithms, aims of AI, wearable devices used, status of wearable devices, data types, data sources, reference standards, and validation methods.
CONCLUSIONS
Although wearable AI has the potential to detect anxiety, it is not yet advanced enough for clinical use. Until further evidence shows an ideal performance of wearable AI, it should be used along with other clinical assessments. Wearable device companies need to develop devices that can promptly detect anxiety and identify specific time points during the day when anxiety levels are high. Further research is needed to differentiate types of anxiety, compare the performance of different wearable devices, and investigate the impact of the combination of wearable device data and neuroimaging data on the performance of wearable AI.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42023387560; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=387560.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Algorithms; Databases, Factual
PubMed: 37938883
DOI: 10.2196/48754 -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2021Strategies for addressing anxiety-related decrements in performance have been implemented across a variety of domains, including Sex, Sport, and Stage. In this review,... (Review)
Review
Strategies for addressing anxiety-related decrements in performance have been implemented across a variety of domains, including Sex, Sport, and Stage. In this review, we (1) iterate the dominant anxiety-related remediation strategies within each of these domains; (2) identify over-lapping and domain-specific strategies; and (3) attempt to unify the conceptualization of performance-related anxiety across these three areas under the information-processing framework of the Reflective/deliberative-Impulsive/automatic Model (RIM). Despite both diversity and similarity in remediation approaches across domains, we found that many strategies appear to share the common goal of maintaining a dominant automatic style of information processing in high performance demand situations. We then describe how various remediation strategies might hypothetically fit within the RIM framework and its subcomponents, identifying each intervention as falling into one or more broad categories related to achieving and/or maintaining dominance in automatic information processing. We conclude by affirming the benefit of adopting a unifying information-processing framework for the conceptualization of performance-related anxiety, as a way of both guiding future cross- and inter- disciplinary research and elucidating effective remediation models that share common pathways/mechanisms to improved performance.
Topics: Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Cognition; Humans; Performance Anxiety; Sports
PubMed: 34639462
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910160 -
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology Sep 2023According to the processing efficiency theory (PET), math anxiety would interfere with working memory resources, negatively affecting mathematical abilities. To date,...
According to the processing efficiency theory (PET), math anxiety would interfere with working memory resources, negatively affecting mathematical abilities. To date, few studies have explored how the interaction between math anxiety and working memory would affect different types of math tasks, especially in primary school children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore whether the interplay between math anxiety and working memory would influence performance in numerical operations (i.e., math fluency task) and mathematical reasoning (i.e., math reasoning task) in a group of primary school children (N = 202). Results showed that visuospatial working memory appeared to moderate the relationship between math anxiety and math performance when the math fluency task was considered, indicating that participants with higher levels of working memory were more negatively affected by math anxiety. No interaction effect was found for the math reasoning task in which students' scores were explained only by visuospatial working memory. The findings suggest that math anxiety and visuospatial working memory interact to influence performance in the math fluency task and that this effect may vary depending on the strategies used to complete the task. On the other hand, results on the math reasoning task showed that visuospatial working memory continues to have a positive effect on the math performance independently of math anxiety. The implications in the educational setting are discussed, pointing to the importance of monitoring and intervention studies on affective factors.
Topics: Child; Humans; Memory, Short-Term; Anxiety; Cognition; Problem Solving; Students
PubMed: 37156081
DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105688 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023Anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms have been reported in association with acute and post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC).
BACKGROUND
Anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms have been reported in association with acute and post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC).
PURPOSE
This study aimed to document the cross-sectional prevalence, characteristics and clinical correlates of anxiety and post-traumatic stress in a study of neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19.
METHOD
75 participants recruited from a post-COVID-19 recovery program and the community were assessed for sociodemographic, medical, psychiatric, and neurocognitive symptoms and performance. The generalized anxiety questionnaire-7 (GAD-7) and post-traumatic stress disorder questionnaire for DSM5 (PCL5) were utilized to measure anxiety and PTSD symptoms. Established cutoff scoring for the GAD-7 and algorithm-based scoring of the PCL5 were utilized to determine clinically significant anxiety symptoms and PTSD, respectively.
RESULTS
The cohort was 71% female, 36% ethnic minority, with the main age of 43.5 years, 80% employment, 40% with the prior psychiatric treatment history and 2/3 seeking post-COVID care for PASC. Clinically significant anxiety symptoms were found in 31% and PTSD was found in 29% of the cohort. Nervousness and excessive worry were the most prominent anxiety symptoms, while changes in mood/cognition and avoidance were most frequent in PTSD. There was a high degree of comorbidity between clinically significant anxiety symptoms, PTSD, depression and fatigue. In logistic regression, acute COVID illness severity, prior psychiatric history, and memory complaints (but not objective neuropsychological performance) predicted clinically significant anxiety symptoms and/or PTSD.
CONCLUSION
Clinically significant anxiety and PTSD are found in approximately 1 of 3 individuals after COVID-19 infection. They are highly comorbid with each other as well as with depression and fatigue. All patients seeking care for PASC should be screened for these neuropsychiatric complications. Symptoms of worry, nervousness, subjective changes in mood, and cognition as well as behavioral avoidance are particularly important targets of clinical intervention.
PubMed: 37333906
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1160852 -
BioMed Research International 2020. Most performance theories were tested under controlled laboratory settings and offer therefore only limited transferability to real-life situations. E-sport...
UNLABELLED
. Most performance theories were tested under controlled laboratory settings and offer therefore only limited transferability to real-life situations. E-sport competitions offer a relatively controllable while at the same time competitive setting, and our aim was to examine different influencing factors on competitive performance. . Salivary cortisol was measured immediately before, after, and 30 minutes after a game of 23 computer players during e-sport tournaments. The players answered the Flow Short Scale, which consists of the two subdimensions "flow experience" and "anxiety" subsequent to their game. The performance was assessed by the result of each player's game (win or loss).
RESULTS
Mean cortisol levels increased significantly during the game but response patterns were inconsistent. Winners and losers differed significantly in anxiety with winners showing higher anxiety levels. After dividing the sample into three groups of different cortisol response patterns, significant differences in performance and anxiety were found, with low to moderate levels of cortisol being associated with the highest performance and anxiety.
CONCLUSIONS
A low to moderate physiological arousal and a simultaneously high level of anxiety represent a favorable state for achieving optimal performance during e-sports. Anxiety seems to exert a stronger influence on performance than physiological arousal.
Topics: Adult; Anxiety; Arousal; Competitive Behavior; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Male; Saliva; Sports; Stress, Psychological; Young Adult
PubMed: 32076623
DOI: 10.1155/2020/9651245 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2023Whilst the disruptive effects of anxiety on attention and performance have been well documented, the antecedents to anxiety in motivated performance scenarios are less...
INTRODUCTION
Whilst the disruptive effects of anxiety on attention and performance have been well documented, the antecedents to anxiety in motivated performance scenarios are less well understood. We therefore sought to understand the cognitive appraisals that mediate the relationship between pressurised performance situations and the onset of anxiety.
METHODS
We tested the effects of performance pressure and error feedback on appraisals of the probability and cost of failure, the experience of anxiety, and subsequent impacts on visual attention, movement kinematics, and task performance during a virtual reality interception task.
RESULTS
A series of linear mixed effects models indicated that failure feedback and situational pressure influenced appraisals of the probability and cost of failure, which subsequently predicted the onset of anxious states. We did not, however, observe downstream effects on performance and attention.
DISCUSSION
The findings support the predictions of Attentional Control Theory Sport, that (i) momentary errors lead to negative appraisals of the probability of future failure; and (ii) that appraisals of both the cost and probability of future failure are important predictors of anxiety. The results contribute to a better understanding of the precursors to anxiety and the feedback loops that may maintain anxious states.
PubMed: 37251048
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1182269 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2022Anticipation is a crucial perceptual-cognitive skill in fast-ball sports, and the effect of high anxiety on performance has attracted more attention from sports...
Anticipation is a crucial perceptual-cognitive skill in fast-ball sports, and the effect of high anxiety on performance has attracted more attention from sports psychologists. Related studies mainly focus on the effect of anxiety on influencing processing efficiency and attentional control (top-down vs. bottom-up) during information processing in sport. Attentional Control Theory (ACT) has been supported by several studies. However, these studies have been criticized by the low ecological validity of task design, such as neglecting the dynamic process of anticipation, and inadequate performance analysis, such as analyzing response accuracy and time separately. Using temporal occlusion paradigm, we tested ACT in a dynamic anticipation process. Eighteen skilled and eighteen less-skilled table tennis players were required to anticipate the serves of opponents under dynamic task constraints (early vs. late occlusion) and anxiety conditions (high vs. low anxiety). High cognitive state anxiety decreased processing efficiency (response time/response accuracy) for both groups whereas performance effectiveness (response accuracy) did not differ. In addition, it negatively affected processing efficiency in early anticipation compared with late anticipation tasks, suggesting that high cognitive state anxiety may have a greater impact on top-down attentional control. Our findings provide support for ACT and show that anxiety impairs anticipation efficiency and performance, possibly due to an ineffectively attentional shift from external kinematic cues to internal long-term working memory. Findings also have implications for the adaptation of attentional strategies and anxiolytic training.
PubMed: 35310248
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.823989