Emotion and Psychology are the Key: An Affective Event Theory Perspective on Sport Players’ Performance

Abstract

Emotions, powerful drivers of human behavior and performance, have garnered relatively scant attention in the sphere of sports psychology. This study seeks to rectify this oversight by delving into the multifaceted influence of various emotional dimensions – namely, anger, stress, anxiety, happiness, and excitement – on the performance of sports players. A total of 308 participants were meticulously selected for this study, their data subjected to rigorous analysis employing statistical tools such as SPSS and Structural Equation Modeling. The findings paint a nuanced picture of the complex interplay between emotions and athletic performance. Notably, the results reveal that anger and stress, while potent emotional states, exhibit a counterproductive relationship with performance, albeit not reaching statistical significance. In contrast, anxiety and excitement emerge as formidable influencers, but in opposing directions. Anxiety, when harnessed appropriately, exerts a negative yet statistically significant impact on performance, underscoring the need for strategies to manage and mitigate its effects. On the other hand, excitement, when channeled effectively, exerts a positive and significant influence on performance, highlighting the potential benefits of harnessing this emotional state. Perhaps the most striking finding is the resounding impact of happiness on performance. The data unequivocally demonstrate that happiness yields a substantial and statistically significant enhancement of performance. This revelation underscores the profound role of positive emotions in elevating athletic prowess. The study offers profound theoretical insights into the intricate relationship between emotions and athletic performance. It underscores the need to consider a broader emotional spectrum when studying sports psychology and highlights the nuanced ways in which different emotions can shape performance outcomes. Practically, these findings hold significant implications for coaches, sports organizations, and athletes themselves. Strategies for emotion regulation, stress management, and the cultivation of positive emotional states may prove indispensable in optimizing athlete performance. However, it is crucial to acknowledge the study’s limitations, which include the complexity of emotional experiences and potential individual variations in emotional responses. Despite these limitations, this research represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the emotional dynamics at play in sports performance, offering a foundation for future studies and practical applications in the sphere of sports psychology.

Keywords: Psychology, Anger, Stress, Anxiety, Happiness, Excitement, Sport players’ performance