Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT)
The Sport Competition Anxiety Test (Martens 1977), commonly known as just the SCAT test, is a self reporting questionnaire about anxiety. The SCAT analyses an athlete's responses to a series of statements about how they feel in a competitive situation. From the results it is possible to determine a measure of their level of anxiety. Other similar tests include the The Sport Anxiety Scale. Not to be confused with the SCAT concussion test.
Procedure
The athlete answers the 15 questions on the questionnaire below. There is no time limit. The test is good for monitoring the performance anxiety of an athlete, by conducting the test at regular interval and noting the changes over time.
The SCAT
Read each statement below, decide if you "Rarely", "Sometimes" or "Often" feel this way when competing in your sport, and tick the appropriate box to indicate your response.
| Question | It effects me ... | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Competing against others is socially enjoyable | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 2 | Before I compete I feel uneasy | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 3 | Before I compete I worry about not performing well | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 4 | I am a good sportsman when I compete | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 5 | When I compete, I worry about making mistakes | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 6 | Before I compete I am calm | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 7 | Setting a goal is important when competing | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 8 | Before I compete I get a queasy feeling in my stomach | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 9 | Just before competing, I notice my heart beats faster than usual | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 10 | I like to compete in games that demands a lot of physical energy | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 11 | Before I compete I feel relaxed | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 12 | Before I compete I am nervous | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 13 | Team sports are more exciting than individual sports | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 14 | I get nervous wanting to start the game | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
| 15 | Before I compete I usually get uptight | Rarely / Sometimes / Often |
Scoring
The SCAT contains 15 items, 10 of which measure symptoms associated with anxiety, with five others that are not scored included to reduce the likelihood of an internal response-set bias. The scores for the 10 items are summed to provide an overall measure, with a high score reflecting a greater tendency to experience competitive anxiety. Use the following table to calculate a total score. A score of less than 17 indicates a low level of anxiety, 17 to 24 an average level of anxiety, and more than 24 a high level of anxiety.
| Questrion No. | Rarely | Sometimes | Often |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 15 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Using This Test
I have presented this test details for information purposes. If you wish to use this test in your research, you need to determine if you need permission. I don't have the authority to give you that permission if required.
References
- Martens, R. (1977). Sport Competition Anxiety Test. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
- Martens, R., Vealey, R. S., & Burton, D. (1990). Competitive anxiety in sport. Champaign,IL: Human Kinetics.
Related Pages
- Sport Psychology Questionnaires
- SAS, a 15-item questionnaire that assesses the competitive trait anxiety experienced by athletes.
- A different SCAT test: Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) - a standardized method of evaluating people after concussion in sport, composed of a series of questions and assessments.
- Wonderlic Test — an intelligence test (like an IQ test
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
Current Events