Stressors, social support, and effects upon performance in golf

• DOI: 10.1080/02640410600702974
• Publication Date: 2006-07-07T21:30:08Z
• Authors: Tim Rees; Lew Hardy; Paul Freeman
• Keywords: Questionnaires; Adult; Male; Competitive Behavior; 05 social sciences; 150; 1. No poverty; Social Support; Stress; Self Concept; 796; Surveys and Questionnaires; Psychological; Golf; Humans; Regression Analysis; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences; Stress, Psychological

In this study, we extended the work of Rees and Hardy (2004) by examining the main and stress-buffering effects of social support upon sports performance in a different context, using a different outcome measure, and a specific time-frame. A high-level performance sample of 117 male golfers (mean age 24.8, s = 8.3) completed measures of social support and stressors before competitions. Performance outcome was recorded. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses revealed significant (P < 0.05) main effects for stressors upon performance in 8 of the 11 models tested (R2 = 0.08 - 0.21). Over and above the variance accounted for by stressors, there were significant (P < 0.05) main effects for social support upon performance in all models tested (DeltaR2 = 0.10 - 0.24). In all models, stressors were associated with worse performance, whereas social support was associated with better performance. There were no significant interactions (stress-buffering effects). Main effects for social support upon performance suggest that social support may have aided performance directly, regardless of the level of stress.