Individual Psychological Factors in Partner Interaction among Qualified DanceSport Athletes

The study identified individual psychological factors associated with the quality of partner interaction among qualified athletes in DanceSport couples. The relevance of the study is determined by the dyadic nature of DanceSport performance, in which technical execution, interpersonal coordination, emotional regulation, trust, and communication function as an integrated system. The sample comprised 24 DanceSport couples (48 athletes) aged 16–22 years. The methods included a researcher-developed questionnaire, assessment of situational competitive anxiety using the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2), an adapted interpersonal trust scale, a cohesion index, assessment of conflict-handling strategies using the K. Thomas method, structured observation, video analysis, and expert assessment. Eight couples were selected for an in-depth video analysis, and six experienced coaches, judges, and choreographers participated in the expert assessment. The couple was used as the unit of statistical analysis for dyadic indicators. Competitive anxiety was negatively associated with partner trust (r = –0.58; p = 0.003) and cohesion (r = –0.53; p = 0.008), whereas trust was positively associated with expert-rated effectiveness of partner interaction (r = 0.65; p < 0.001). High cohesion was identified in 37.5% of the couples, medium cohesion in 45.8%, and low cohesion in 16.7%. Couples with lower situational competitive anxiety scores received a mean expert rating of 8.5 points for overall coordination on a 10-point scale, compared with 5.9 points among couples with higher anxiety scores. Video analysis indicated relatively high scores for visual contact and movement synchrony, whereas non-verbal support, emotional climate, and responses to mistakes were more vulnerable components of partner interaction. The findings substantiate the main directions of psychological support focused on emotional self-regulation, interpersonal trust and cohesion, constructive feedback, and flexible role distribution.