Fear of Failure, Experience, and Division as Predictors of State Anxiety in Usfa Epee Fencers

Research looks for the sources of state anxiety for individual athletes prior to competition, which can be debilitating (Gould, 1993; Gould, Horn & Spreeman, 1983). Non-elite athletes who are high trait anxious (possibly fear of failure) have higher state anxiety than elite athletes (Conroy, 2002; Gould, Horn & Spreeman, 1983). Fencers may be prone to elevated state anxiety. No research links these variables together in fencing. The purpose of the study is to examine fear of failure, experience, and division as predictors of state anxiety for epee fencers prior to competition. Epee fencers (N = 145) who competed in the USFA Summer Nationals completed a demographics questionnaire, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2R (Cox, Martens & Russell, 2003), and the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (Conroy, Willow, & Metzler, 2002). Multiple regression analyses revealed fear of failure as a predictor of cognitive anxiety (B = .44, p < .001). Division I-A fencers are predictive of higher cognitive anxiety than Division I fencers (B = .20, p = .04). None were significant predictors for somatic anxiety. Experience was not associated with either cognitive or somatic anxiety.