Psychophysiological features of emotional-volitional regulation in student-athletes with different levels of social anxiety
Abstract
Introduction. The relevance of this study is determined by the combined impact of academic and athletic demands on student-athletes, which increases the risk of developing social anxiety. This condition may impair dual-career effectiveness and disrupt social adaptation, requiring the integration of psychophysiological mechanisms of behavioral regulation into psychological support programs. Aim: this study aimed to identify features of emotional-volitional regulation in student-athletes of both sexes depending on their level of social anxiety. Materials and methods. The study involved 97 physical education students (58 females and 39 males, mean age: 20.8 ± 1.6 years). The following instruments were used: the Social Anxiety and Social Phobia Questionnaire (O. Sagalakova, D. Truevtsev), the EmIn Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (D. Lyusin), the Volitional Self-Regulation Inventory (A. Zverkov, E. Eidman), an assessment of nervous system properties, the Self-Control in Communication Test, and the Tolerance of Ambiguity Scale (E. Osin). Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney U test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results. The study demonstrated that female student-athletes exhibited higher levels of social anxiety, primarily driven by post-event rumination. In male students, high social anxiety was associated with reduced intrapersonal emotional intelligence, self-control, and expressive control. Female students with high anxiety displayed a systemic deficit encompassing nearly all components of emotional intelligence, volitional self-regulation, tolerance of ambiguity, and neural process flexibility. Correlation analysis demonstrated that in males with moderate anxiety, increased social anxiety was linked to reduced regulatory functions, whereas in female students, the correlations were more complex and non-linear. Conclusion. In student-athletes, social anxiety is a marker of regulatory exhaustion. The identified sex differences underscore the need for a differentiated approach to psychological support: in male students, emotional regulation is a priority skill to be developed; in female students, the focus should be on psychophysiological flexibility and the reduction of ruminative thinking.
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