Examination of Neuroticism and Acute vs. Chronic Stress in College Athletes

Volume 1, No. 1
Online ISSN: 3071-0898

© The authors. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons 4.0 License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Examination of Neuroticism and Acute vs. Chronic Stress in College Athletes

CONFERENCE ABSTRACT

Irma Granstam* and Tamara Avant⁺

School of Health Sciences, Barton College, Wilson, NC, USA

*Student author, ⁺Faculty mentor

CITATION

Granstam, Irma; & Avant, Tamara. (2026). Examination of neuroticism and acute vs. chronic stress in college athletes [Conference abstract]. Barton Journal, 1(1), 180–181. https://bartonjournal.org/vol-1-no-1/2026-cat4-article-no-030

Abstract

Student-athletes’ acute and chronic stress affects their well-being and confidence before competition (Malone, 2022). College athletes face various challenges, including managing school, athletics, and personal life, under internal and external pressure. However, it is unclear how specific demographics (e.g., academic year, gender, individual/team sport) play a part in the perception of acute/chronic stress and neuroticism. Participants (N = 69) completed three different scales of chronic and acute stress (PSS, STAI, respectively) and personality traits (BIG5). It was hypothesized that higher neuroticism scores would positively correlate with higher acute and chronic stress scores, and that females/younger student-athletes would perceive both more acute and long-term stress, and have higher neurotic scores. It was also hypothesized that people participating in individual sports would express higher stress levels. There was a significant positive correlation with all three scales, rs(67) = 0.40-0.67, p < .001. There was a significant gender difference, showing that women experience greater chronic stress, t(66) = -2.45, p < 0.05, acute stress, t(66) = -3.18, p < 0.01, and higher levels of neuroticism, t(66) = -3.50, p < 0.001. Freshmen experienced significantly more neuroticism than upperclassmen, F(2, 63) = 5.43, p < 0.05, R2 = 0.17. When controlling for gender and year, student-athletes participating in individual (versus team) sports have higher levels of acute stress, F(12,55) = 1.82, p < 0.05. R2 = 0.28. To conclude, freshman, female, individual sport athletes experienced greater chronic/acute stress and have neurotic personality types.

Keywords: stress, student-athletes, neuroticism

References

Malone, Tyler L.; Kern, Adam; Klueh, Emily; & Eisenberg, Daniel. (2022). Psychological distress and its association with subjective athletic performance. Journal of Sport Behavior, 45(2), 173–184. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/psychological-distress-association-with/docview/2756705167/se-2

Category I Articles
(3000–5000 words)

Full-length Article. Comprehensive, original research study common in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and interdisciplinary fields. Presents research questions, methods, findings, and implications in full detail.

Review Article. Critical synthesis of existing scholarship across a discipline or subfield, often in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Identifies major debates, trends, and gaps in the literature.

Technical Report. Detailed account of applied research, development, or project-based work, typically used in engineering, technology, environmental science, and public policy. Emphasizes procedures, data, and practical results.

Category II Articles
(1500–3000 Words)

Case Study. An in-depth examination of a single event, individual, organization, or community, used widely in business, education, medicine, social sciences, and public policy to illustrate broader concepts.

Creative Scholarship. Scholarly work grounded in artistic, literary, or creative practices. Explores craft, process, or interpretation as a form of inquiry accompanied by explanatory text.

Critical Essay. An argument-driven analysis of a text, issue, or concept, common in the humanities and cultural studies. Prioritizes interpretation, critique, and original perspective.

Data Paper. Documentation-focused article describing a dataset’s collection, structure, and potential uses. Common in sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Methodology Paper. Focused exploration of research methods, designs, or analytical tools across disciplines such as psychology, biology, statistics, and communication studies. Emphasizes innovation or refinement of methods.

Replication Study. Study that reproduces prior research to test reliability and validity, especially in psychology, economics, biomedical sciences, and education.

Research Note. Short report presenting preliminary findings, emerging questions, or early-stage results. Used in sciences and social sciences to share timely insights.Short article. Condensed research piece that presents a focused analysis, small study, or partial findings across disciplines.

Category III Articles
(750–1000 Words)

Book/Media Review. Evaluative overview of a recent book, film, performance, or digital media, used across humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary fields.

Brief. Concise report summarizing key findings, updates, or policy-relevant information, common in public policy, health, and applied sciences.

Commentary. Short, argument-based reflection on a current issue, debate, or publication, common across disciplines.

Letter. Short communication addressing a specific study, idea, or dataset, used in sciences, social sciences, and some humanities fields.

Perspective. Reflective or viewpoint-driven piece offering an informed disciplinary interpretation of an issue, trend, or method.

Category IV Articles
(Abstracts)

Extended Abstract (300–700 Words). A more detailed, mini-article format often used in STEM and interdisciplinary conferences, including background, methods, and preliminary findings.

Conference Abstract (150–300 Words). Concise summary of proposed conference research, outlining the question, approach, and significance across any academic discipline.