Simple Attack Performance in Relation to Emotional Intelligence in Women’s Foil Fencing

Abstract

The current study aimed to identify the impact of both emotional intelligence and cognitive curiosity on the performance of the simple attack in female fencing using the foil. The research problem lies in the clear deficiency in understanding the complementary relationship between these psychological and cognitive variables and precise skill performance. Students exhibit difficulties in maintaining emotional stability and controlling feelings of anxiety and tension during the attack, leading to poor timing or misjudgment of movement, despite similar levels of physical and technical training. To achieve the research objectives, the researcher adopted a descriptive approach using correlational and predictive studies. The study was conducted on a population of 100 third-year female students from the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences and the College of Physical Education for Girls at Al-Qadisiyah University during the academic year 2025-2026. The research sample was selected using simple random sampling. The researcher utilized two scales developed and based on sound scientific principles: the Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Cognitive Curiosity Scale. The statistical analysis revealed significant positive correlations between emotional intelligence and self-awareness on the one hand, and personal score on the other. It also showed that both variables possess good predictive power in explaining the variance of personal score overall score, and performance level. Emotional intelligence outperformed self-awareness in predicting technical performance level in regression models, contributing more significantly than it did to technical performance. Furthermore, the F-test results confirmed the validity and scientific significance of the predicted models used. In light of these findings, the researcher recommends focusing on developing emotional intelligence and self-awareness among female athletes through training and guidance programs. She also recommends adopting the derived predictive models as a scientific tool to assist coaches in predicting performance levels, and conducting future studies on different age groups and samples that integrate other psychological and cognitive variables.