Correlation of aggressiveness and anxiety in fighting sports.

INTRODUCTION in fighting sports there are many opened issues related with levels of aggression and anxiety. MATERIAL AND METHODS Our study is performed with healthy young athletes: kick boxers, karate fighters, and boxers. Examined group consisted of 55 members (45 male) with average age of 20.2 +/- 3.8 years. In analysis of level of aggression Questionnaire A-87 is used. Its purpose is assessment of aggressive behaviour in provoked situations, or measurement of impulsive aggression. Questionnaire A-87 consists of 15 items of different situations with five possible responses. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The possible responses or reactions are the five most frequent forms of aggressive responses: a) verbal manifest aggression (VM); b) physical manifest aggression (PHM); c) indirect aggression (IND); d) verbal latent aggression (VL), and e) physical latent aggression (PHL). In the analysis of anxiety is used Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI. Average training period was 7.8 +/- 3.6 years. Even 37 athletes during sporting carriers were injured, and most of examiners (precisely 13) experienced 3 injuries. Average value of BAI was 12.7 +/- 8.7. Average value of total aggression was 152.2 +/- 40.9; highest levels were observed in VM (33.9) and VL (30.1). Significant positive correlations of all components of aggression with level of anxiety is observed (p < 0.05), most prominent IND (r = 0.4263; p = 0.0012), and VL (r = 0.4163; p = 0.0016), and also total aggression (r = 0.4822; p = 0.0002). Slightly significant positive correlation of total aggression with age of examiners is also observed (r = 0.2668, p = 0.0489). Positive correlation VM (r = 0.4928; p = 0.0001), PHL (r = 0.2761; p = 0.0413), and total aggression (r = 0.347; p = 0.0094) is observed with number of injuries of examined athletes. Also, positive correlation (r = 0.2927, p = 0.0301) is observed with level of anxiety and number of injuries. Higher level of aggression and anxiety might change attitude of some sports authorities (especially coaches), and additional psychological training of fight sports might be necessary. CONCLUSION Assessment of basically levels of aggression and anxiety of athletes might be valuable not only in sport activities, but in overall aspects of life.