Examination of the Relationship Between Irrational Performance Beliefs and Levels of Anxiety of Elite Athletes in Sports

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between irrational performance beliefs and anxiety levels in elite athletes. The research was conducted with the voluntary participation of 285 male and female elite athletes between the ages of 15 and 55, During the research process, athletes' irrational performance beliefs and anxiety levels in sports were investigated. For this purpose, the Irrational Performance Beliefs inventory-2 and the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 were used. Athletes' anxiety levels and irrational performance beliefs were examined considering gender and sport type variables. One-way ANOVA test was used for comparative analysis, and Pearson Correlation analysis was employed for relational examinations. The findings revealed that female athletes were more anxious. Furthermore, in the examination conducted based on sports disciplines, it was found that the differences between athletes' anxiety levels and irrational performance beliefs varied depending on the sport type. in the overall examination, significant relationships were found between athletes' anxiety levels and irrational performance beliefs. in conclusion, athletes' anxiety levels affect their irrational performance beliefs, and this relationship differs among genders and sports disciplines.