Mood and performance in karateka

Mood and performance in young Malaysian karateka

R. Wong, J. Thung, and W. Pieter

Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2006) 5 (CSSI), 54 - 59 

In an attempt to test the conceptual model by Lane and Terry, the purposes of this study were to assess mood states in non-depressed and depressed young karate athletes, and to assess mood states in relation to performance in young karate athletes. The participants (72 males an; 37 females) were recruited from the 2004 Malaysian Games. The athletes were divided into winners (medalists) and losers.

Conclusions. In terms of non-depressed and depressed mood, tension in the females was higher in the depressed group, as was fatigue. Tension in the males was higher in the depressed group, as was anger. The highest associations among mood subscales were between anger and depression, and between depression and fatigue in depressed males. The female winning karateka scored higher on anger. The highest correlations between mood dimensions in depressed females were between depression and anger and between depression and confusion. Contrary to previous research on the influence of depression on anger, only the female winners scored higher on anger. Several negative mood dimensions were higher in both male and female depressed groups, lending some support to the conceptual model advanced by Lane and Terry.