Abstract
- As competitive video gaming participation grows, understanding psychological factors influencing performance becomes increasingly critical. This study examined potential differences in competitive trait anxiety, specifically somatic anxiety, worry, and concentration disruption between competitive and casual collegiate video game players (n = 127). Participants completed a modified Sport Anxiety Scale-2, and group differences were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of variance. While no significant differences were found between the groups in somatic anxiety or concentration disruption, competitive gamers reported significantly higher levels of worry-related anxiety including concerns about performance and fear of failure. The results suggest that a more prominent performance barrier could be cognitive anxiety rather than physiological arousal in competitive gaming contexts. The results also highlight the need for tailored intervention strategies to manage worry and support mental well-being and overall performance in competitive video gaming and esports players.