Lu, Y., Xu, H., Xie, B., Jiang, Y., Zhang, Y., Fan, T., Zhou, W. (2024). The “Athlete Killer” Hidden in the Internet: The Impact of Cyber-violence on High-Level Athletes’ Perceived Performance. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 55(6), 640-668.
This study, involving 245 high-level athletes who have suffered from cyber-violence, explores the factors affecting their perceived competition performance. It aims to provide suggestions and ideas for the prevention and management of cyber-violence against athletes.
The analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) shows that cyber-violence significantly impacts high-level athletes’ depressive mood and perceived competition performance. Depressive mood plays a significant mediating role between cyber-violence and perceived competition performance. The analysis using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) reveals a diverse set of conditions affecting athletes’ perceived competition performance.
The study finds that, apart from cyber-violence and depressive mood, demographic char- acteristics such as gender and age are also important factors. The study discusses relevant literature and offers substantial suggestions for managing cyber-violence.
