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The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in University Athletes: Analysis of Its Relationship with Anxiety

Author

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  • Isabel Mercader-Rubio

    (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education Sciences, Universidad de Almería, La Cañada, 04120 Almería, Spain)

  • Nieves Gutiérrez Ángel

    (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education Sciences, Universidad de Almería, La Cañada, 04120 Almería, Spain)

Abstract

In the field of sport psychology, research on emotional intelligence and its relationship with other psychological variables to determine how it affects the athlete’s performance is becoming more frequent and prevalent. Among these psychological variables, research in this field has focused on the evaluation of the influence of aspects such as motivation, leadership, self-concept, and anxiety. The main objective of this research is to analyze the levels of each of the dimensions of emotional intelligence (attention, clarity, and emotional regulation) and their relationship with each of the SCAT items to measure pre-competitive anxiety. To do so, we analyzed the influence that one psychological construct has on the other, in order to establish the type of relationships that are established between them. The design of this research corresponds to be transversal, observational, quantitative, and descriptive. The sample consisted of 165 students belonging to university degrees (bachelor’s and master’s) related to physical activity and sport sciences. The main finding of this study allows us to affirm the relationship between emotional intelligence and anxiety. This confirms the hypothesis that anxiety is an indispensable component of any competitive situation, and that neither the total absence of anxiety nor high levels of it leads to better sports performance. Therefore, sport psychology should focus on the emotional preparation of athletes so that they can manage and control their anxiety at intermediate levels, which in addition to being typical of a competitive situation, is also synonymous with good sporting performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabel Mercader-Rubio & Nieves Gutiérrez Ángel, 2023. "The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in University Athletes: Analysis of Its Relationship with Anxiety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4224-:d:1081833
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Isabel Mercader-Rubio & Nieves Gutiérrez Ángel & Sofia Silva & Sónia Brito-Costa, 2023. "Levels of Somatic Anxiety, Cognitive Anxiety, and Self-Efficacy in University Athletes from a Spanish Public University and Their Relationship with Basic Psychological Needs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-13, January.
    2. Isabel Mercader-Rubio & Nieves Gutiérrez Ángel & Nieves Fátima Oropesa Ruiz & José Juan Carrión Martínez, 2022. "Emotional Intelligence and Its Relationship to Basic Psychological Needs: A Structural Equation Model for Student Athletes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-8, August.
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