Psychological Barriers and Their Relationship to Volleyball Performance Among Grade 8 Learners
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This descriptive-correlational study examined psychological barriers and their relationship to self-reported volleyball performance among 150 purposively selected Grade 8 learners at Sto. Niño National High School. A researcher-made questionnaire measured performance anxiety, self-doubt, reduced motivation, and difficulties in focus and concentration, together with serving, passing, setting, and overall game performance. Frequency, percentage, weighted mean, standard deviation, analysis of variance, independent-samples t tests, and Pearson correlation were used. Psychological barriers were low, with means ranging from 2.41 to 2.47; volleyball performance was also rated at a low extent, with means from 2.39 to 2.47. Psychological barriers did not differ significantly by age or sex. Serving differed by age (p = .011), and setting differed by sex (p = .008). Performance anxiety and concentration difficulties were not significantly related to any performance dimension. Self-doubt was positively associated with serving, passing, and setting, while reduced motivation was positively associated with all four performance dimensions. These relationships describe co-occurring questionnaire scores and do not establish causation. Findings informed a proposed Psychological Empowerment and Volleyball Skills Enhancement Framework integrating assessment and awareness, psychological preparation and skills development, and continuous monitoring. Expert validation and pilot testing are recommended before implementation.
Author: Anacko Cruz
Institution: University of Perpetual Help System DALTA
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7223179240