Investigation of Trait Anxiety Levels and Problem Solving Skills in Curling Athletes

Year 2023, Volume: 25 Issue: 3, 68 - 73, 27.09.2023

Fatih Ağduman

https://doi.org/10.5152/JPESS.2023.23089

Abstract

In the sport of curling, called chess on the ice, the ability to stay calm for a long time and cognitive performance concepts are extremely important. The aim of this research is to investigate the trait anxiety levels and problem-solving skills of elite and amateur curling athletes. Sixtynine athletes competing in the men and women categories in the 2021–2022 season in the Turkish Curling Super League were included in the study. In the study, the Trait Anxiety Scale was used to measure the anxiety level of the participants, and the Tower of London Test was used to measure the problem-solving skills of executive functions. While the Trait Anxiety Scale was administered with paper and pencil, the Tower of London Test was administered at Atatürk University Sports Sciences Application and Research Center using a desktop computer with Inquisit Player software. JASP 0.15.0.0 software was used for statistical analysis of the data. In the study, it was determined that the trait anxiety mean score of elite athletes (36.70 ± 6.67) was statistically significantly lower than amateur athletes (55.41 ± 6.51) (p < .05). It was determined that the Tower of London test error rate (1.35 ± 1.76) and solution time (12.82 ± 0.55) of elite athletes were statistically less than the test error rate (3.57 ± 2.22) and solution time (15.42 ± 1.17) of amateur athletes (p < .05). It was determined that the Tower of London Test total score of the elite athletes (82.76 ± 6.73) was statistically significantly higher than the amateurs (52.88 ± 8.04) (p < .05). As a result of the research, it was determined that elite curling athletes had less trait anxiety and their problem-solving skills were higher than amateur curling athletes.

Keywords

Chess on the ice, executive functions, planning, stress

Curling Sporcularında Sürekli Kaygı Düzeyi ve Problem Çözme Becerilerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Buzun satrancı olarak adlandırılan curling sporunda, uzun süre sakin kalabilme becerisi ve bilişsel performans kavramları son derece önemlidir. Bu araştırmanın amacı elit ve amatör curling sporcularında sürekli kaygı düzeyi ve problem çözme becerilerinin incelenmesidir. Çalışmaya curling branşında organize edilen en üst düzey lig olan Türkiye Curling Süper Ligi’nde 2021–2022 sezonunda kadın ve erkek kategorilerinde yarışan 69 sporcu dâhil edilmiştir. Çalışmada katılımcıların kaygı düzeyini ölçmek için Sürekli Kaygı Ölçeği, yürütücü işlevlerden problem çözme becerilerini ölçmek için ise Londra Kulesi Testi kullanılmıştır. Sürekli Kaygı Ölçeği kağıt – kalem aracılığıyla uygulanırken, Londra Kulesi Testi Inquisit Player yazılımına sahip masaüstü bilgisayar vasıtasıyla Atatürk Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi’nde yapılmıştır. Verilerin istatistiksel analizi için JASP 0.15.0.0 yazılımı kullanılmıştır. Çalışma bulguları olarak elit sporcuların sürekli kaygı puan ortalamasının (36,70 ± 6,67), amatör sporculardan (55,41 ± 6,51) istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede düşük olduğu tespit edilmiştir (p < ,05). Elit sporcuların Londra Kulesi Test hata oranı (1,35 ± 1,76) ve çözüm süresinin (12,82 ± 0,55) amatör sporcuların test hata oranı (3,57 ± 2,22) ve çözüm süresine (15,42 ± 1,17) göre istatistiksel olarak daha kısa olduğu saptanmıştır (p < ,05). Elit sporcuların Londra Kulesi Test toplam puanının (82,76 ± 6,73) ise amatörlere (52,88 ± 8,04) göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede daha yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir (p < ,05). Araştırma sonucunda elit curling sporcularının daha az sürekli kaygıya sahip olduğu ve problem çözme beceri düzeylerinin amatör curling sporcularına göre daha üst seviyede olduğu saptanmıştır.

Keywords

Buzun satrancı, yürütücü işlevler, planlama, stres

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