The Relation Between Performance Anxiety, Perceived Family Support and Mental Toughness.

Performance anxiety can affect any athlete, ranging from amateurs to professionals, and has the ability to influence the outcome of a competition. Research has shown that families, specifically parents, are often seen as a support team for the athlete. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relation between performance anxiety, perceived family support, and mental toughness. The participants are varsity student athletes from Slippery Rock University. An online survey was distributed to the athletes via email. 82 athletes completed a demographic form and questionnaires related to performance anxiety, perceived family support, and mental toughness. It was predicted that athletes who report a higher level of perceived family support would report a lower level of performance anxiety compared to athletes who reported a low level of perceived family support. However, students with a higher level of mental toughness would report low levels of performance anxiety, regardless of their perceived level of family support. No significant correlation was found between performance anxiety in athletes and perceived family support.  However relations were found between mental toughness and performance anxiety, as well as praise and understanding from parents and mental toughness.