Ariane Sagala, Véronique Boudreault

Performance anxiety is a prevalent phenomenon in competitive sport and is particularly salient among university student-athletes, who must simultaneously meet athletic and academic demands (Mellalieu et al., 2006; Palazzolo & Arnaud, 2013). Psychological resources such as mental performance skills and perceived social support play a key role in anxiety regulation and performance outcomes (Wadey & Hanton, 2008; Ong & Chua, 2020). This study examined psychological determinants of performance anxiety and their associations with perceived performance among university student-athletes. A total of 103 student-athletes from 12 sports completed validated self-report measures assessing sport-related and academic anxiety, perceived performance, mental performance skills, and perceived social support. Results showed gender differences, with women reporting higher cognitive and academic anxiety, whereas men reported higher self-confidence. Mental performance skills emerged as a central psychological resource, being associated with lower cognitive, somatic, and academic anxiety, as well as higher self-confidence, explaining up to 27% of the variance in confidence. In addition, mental performance skills were moderately and positively associated with perceived athletic performance, but not with perceived academic performance. Several dimensions of perceived social support, particularly skill use, coach support, teammate support, and social integration, were positively associated with perceived athletic performance. Exploratory analyses indicated that student-athletes with access to a mental performance consultant reported lower sport-related anxiety and higher confidence. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of mental performance skills and sport-specific social support in regulating performance anxiety and perceived athletic performance, supporting the integration of mental performance services within university sport programs.