A qualitative investigation of the temporal patterning of the precompetitive anxiety response

The aim of this study was to examine retrospective perceptions and causal beliefs about temporal experiences of competitive anxiety and related symptoms in the lead up to competition. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 9 elite performers to examine the interaction of intensity, frequency and direction of symptoms associated with competitive anxiety before competition. Data analysis identified six causal networks that supported theoretical predictions suggesting that intensity of cognitive anxiety symptoms remained relatively stable in the lead up to competition, whereas somatic anxiety peaked sharply at the onset of performance. Frequency of anxiety symptoms increased as the competition approached and changes in interpretation of anxiety symptoms were also reported, with self-confidence identified as a moderating variable. The findings highlight the dynamic properties of the stress response and emphasize the need to consider the idiosyncratic nature of the level, frequency and interpretation of performers' precompetitive experiences.     

An experiment in environmental education for citizen advocates

The paper describes a prototype of a college level adult-centered environmental education program. The target population is comprised of citizens who serve as volunteers in local planning boards, conservation commissions and environmental organizations. The educational model embodies the concept of the double flow. Citizens with extensive community experience are enrolled in university courses while graduate students are brought into community organizations as interns. Program effectiveness is evaluated with regard to course content, mixing of citizens with regular university students, and motivational factors related to the issuance of academic credit.Dr. Sheldon Krimsky is currently Associate Director in the Program in Urban Social and Environmental Policy at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155. Dr. Judith deNeufville, who worked on the project while an Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department at Tufts University, is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkley 94720.The environmental education project was funded through grant No. G00-75-02105 from the Special Community Services and Continuing Education Project of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare Office, and implemented jointly by Tufts University's Graduate Program in Urban Social and Environmental Policy and the Lincoln Filene Center for Citizenship and Public Affiars.