AN ANALYSIS OF SOMATIC ANXIETY, COGNITIVE ANXIETY AND SELF-CONFIDENCE AS COMPONENTS OF SITUATIONAL ANXIETY AMONG YOUTH TABLE TENNIS ATHLETES

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the levels of situational anxiety among youth table tennis athletes by examining three psychological dimensions: somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, and self-confidence. The population included 151 youth athletes competing in the 33rd National Youth Games, Regional Qualifying Round 3 (“Bueng Kan Games”). A sample of 120 athletes was selected using Taro Yamane’s formula (1973) and simple random sampling. The research instrument was the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory–2 Revised (CSAI-2R), translated and adapted by Sakdanin Thamwong, with a reliability coefficient of 0.75. Descriptive statistics mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that overall situational anxiety among youth table tennis athletes was moderate. Specifically, somatic anxiety had a mean score of 18.95 (SD = 5.03), interpreted as low; cognitive anxiety had a mean score of 21.49 (SD = 5.49), interpreted as moderate; and self-confidence had a mean score of 29.56 (SD = 5.26), also at a moderate level. The findings suggest youth athletes tended to experience greater psychological than physiological pressure in competition. The moderate level of self-confidence indicates room for further development. These findings can serve as a basis for designing psychological training programs and mental skill interventions to strengthen competitive capacity and promote mental well-being among youth athletes