Expectation of pain as a source of pre-competitive anxiety in Athletes

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the expectation of pain and pre-competitive anxiety. Male and female collegiate athletes (N = 89) completed a set of surveys prior to competition, which measured pain expectations (Expectations of Pain Scale), competitive anxiety (Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2), and expectations of threat (Expectations of Threat Questionnaire). Correlational and regression analyses revealed that pain expectations were related to the experience of pre-competitive anxiety. Similar results were obtained across gender. Overall, the findings of the study support the proposition that the expectation of pain should be considered a viable addition to sources of competitive anxiety presently identified in the extant literature. Further research should be aimed at determining the effect of pain-related anxiety on performance.