Self-Talk and Mindfulness: A Study on Tennis Players
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70736/spjses.298Keywords:
Mental training, mindfulness, self-talk, tennisAbstract
The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a difference in self-talk and mindfulness strategies in tennis players in terms of some demographic characteristics and to examine the relationship between self-talk and mindfulness variables. The sample of the study consisted of 152 female and 238 male tennis players. In the study, personal information form, automatic self-talk questionnaire for sport (ASTQS) and the mindfulness inventory for sport (MIS) were used for data collection. Data are reported as means and standard deviations, independent groups t-test and pearson correlation analyses method. It was determined that women's average scores were higher than men's in some sub-dimensions of negative self-talk, and that male tennis players' average scores were higher than women's in confidence sub-dimension. There is no significant relationship between age, tennis experience and mindfulness sub-dimensions. While significant differences were found in some sub-dimensions of self-talk (positive and negative) with age, tennis experience and number of weekly training sessions. Accordingly, there is a negative relationship between tennis experience and the worry sub-dimension in tennis players, and a positive relationship confidence. Similarly, there was a negative relationship between the number of weekly training sessions and worry and somatic fatigue, and a positive relationship between irrelevant thoughts and confidence sub-dimensions. In addition, a negative relationship was determined between the sub-dimensions of negative self-talk (worry, disengagement, somatic fatigue and irrelevant thoughts) and the sub-dimensions of awareness and refocusing, excluding irrelevant thoughts, and a positive relationship was determined between the sub-dimensions of positive self-talk (psych up, anxiety control, confidence, instruction). Therefore, self-talk and mindfulness strategies are related in terms of some sub-dimensions and their relationship may contribute to athlete performance.
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