The Relationship Between Implicit Beliefs, Anxiety, and Attributional Style in High-Level Soccer Players

This study investigated whether attributional style mediated the relationship between implicit beliefs and competition anxiety. Seventy-two soccer players completed the Conceptions of the Nature of Athletic Ability Questionnaire–Version 2, Sports Competition Anxiety Test, and short form Sports Attributional Style Scale. Entity beliefs were associated with heightened anxiety. Incremental beliefs were associated with lowered anxiety. Uncontrollable and global attributions mediated the relationship between entity beliefs and anxiety. Controllable and specific attributions mediated the relationship between incremental beliefs and anxiety. The social-cognitive model of achievement motivation appears to apply to the sporting domain and may facilitate anxiety and attribution research.