Stress, Social Support, Self-Efficacy, and Performance for Collegiate Student-Athletes: An Application of the Stress-Buffering Model

Abstract

The stress-buffering model was used as a framework to explore the ways in which perceptions of social support are related to student-athletes’ stress, self-efficacy, and performance in their academic and athletic lives. Ninety-seven student-athletes were asked to complete a survey that measured these constructs with regard to a specific academic and athletic event. Results showed a significant negative relationship between stress and self-efficacy in an academic context and a significant positive relationship between self-efficacy and performance in both an academic and athletic context. Received social support was not significantly related to self-efficacy. The overall results showed moderate support for the stress-buffering model. Future research should explore the harmful and beneficial effects of stress for SAs, whether received or perceived availability of social support is helpful to SAs, and where social support rests in the stress-coping process.