| Summary: | I examined a model of coping effectiveness for female
athletes based on Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) theory of
stress and coping and Bandura's (1986) social cognitive
theory. Coping effectiveness was defined as the relationship
among specific types of appraisals (control and self-efficacy)
and coping responses (engagement and disengagement) as they
relate to perceived performance. Participants were female
basketball, fi e l d hockey, and soccer players aged 16 to 28
(M=18.7), who were solicited through their coaches. The
contests consisted of 2 rounds of competition either a free-throw
for basketball or a penalty shot for field
hockey/soccer. Five minutes before each round, primary
appraisal (importance and challenge), secondary appraisal
(self-efficacy and control), and somatic anxiety were
measured. After each round of the contest, coping and
performance questionnaires were administered.
It was hypothesized that each coping function would be
associated with a specific pattern of secondary appraisals and
perceived performance. It was also expected that perceptions
of success for the first performance would influence
appraisals, coping strategies, and the perceived performance
of the second contest. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that
the control/performance and anxiety/performance relationship
would be mediated by self-efficacy .
Path analysis using LISREL VI was performed to examine
relationships among the variables that describe coping effectiveness (appraisals, coping types, perceived
performance). Results indicated a poor fitting model for both
Round 1 and 2. However, a revised model was shown to provide
an acceptable fit, accounting for 37% of the variance in
performance. The overall pattern of relationships for the
variables in the model offers some support for the
hypothesized model and theoretical support for Bandura's
theory of self-efficacy and Lazarus's appraisal/coping theory.
Athletes' appraisal of control and type of coping used was
related to perceived performance. However, self-efficacy was
not related to perceived performance. In addition, perceived
performance after the first contest influenced appraisal,
which in turn, influenced coping and perceived performance
after the second contest. The hypothesized mediational role of
self-efficacy was not supported in this study. Implications of
these results and suggestions for future research are
discussed.
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