Quando O Talento Enfrenta A Pressão: Avaliações Cognitivas, Coping E Medo De Falhar Em Jovens Jogadores De Desportos Coletivos

Abstract

The competitive environment of sport exposes young athletes to high levels of psychological pressure, in which fear of failure and coping strategies play a decisive role. This study investigated the relationship between fear of failure and coping strategies in young competitive athletes. In this regard, 695 male athletes completed questionnaires on threat and challenge perception, fear of failure, and coping. The data were analyzed using correlations, mediation models, and multivariate analyses of variance. The results revealed that fear of failure was positively associated with threat perception and maladaptive coping, and negatively associated with adaptive coping. Mediation analyses showed that threat perception predicts fear of failure through greater use of maladaptive coping, while challenge perception contributes to reduced fear of failure through adaptive coping. Profile analysis of cognitive appraisal of competition (threat and challenge) indicated that athletes with high threat perception and low challenge perception exhibited higher levels of fear of failure and greater reliance on maladaptive coping. Differences between sports were also found, with volleyball players showing higher levels of fear of failure compared to basketball players. These results reinforce the importance of cognitive appraisal in athletes' emotional regulation, suggesting that promoting adaptive coping strategies and challenge-oriented perceptions may enhance resilience, psychological well-being, and performance in youth sport.