Impact of Identity on Anxiety in Athletes

The aim of this study was to research into the interconnection of an athlete’s identity and his/her state and trait anxiety. There were 410 athletes included. 67.4% of them were male athletes and 30% were female athletes. The sample included athletes of different quality classes (world class, international class, national class, perspective class, youngster class and non-categorized athletes). The Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder, 1993) and STAI-X1 and STAI-X2 (Spielberger, Gorsuch, & Lushene, 1970) were applied. It was found that there is a similar interconnection between athletic identity and both types of anxiety. The highest relative impact on both the state and trait anxiety had a negative affectivity as a factor of sport identity, followed by world class categorization (in comparison to other classes). Those athletes with a higher negative affectivity and world-class athletes have a higher level of both trait and state anxiety than the other categories of athletes. Male athletes had a lower state and trait anxiety. An increase of self-identity decreases the level of trait anxiety.