Determining the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Neurocognitive Skills Training on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Emotional Efficiency of Male Wrestling Athletes

According to previous research, several psychological interventions affect sports' behavioral, cognitive, and emotional efficiency. In this regard, this study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness–based neurocognitive skills training on the behavioral, cognitive and emotional efficiency of sports people. Therefore, the researchers sought to answer this question because no study was found that only examined the effect of mindfulness–based neurocognitive skills training on wrestlers and its effect on behavioral, cognitive, and emotional performance variables. This study aimed to investigate the effects of mindfulness–based neurocognitive skills training on wrestlers' behavioral, cognitive, and emotional performance.

The research method was quasi–experimental with a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The study population was all professional wrestlers in different competitions in 2021. According to the health protocols, among the professional athletes, 30 people who met the inclusion criteria were voluntarily included in the study as a purposeful sample and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (each 15 subjects). The inclusion criteria were having at least two years of experience in wrestling, no history of psychological treatment before starting work, keeping the type and dose of medication used during the study if using the drug, being 15–35 years old, the subject's consent to participate in the research and obtain written consent, the absence of psychotic disorders and substance abuse. The study data were collected by the Jones et al.'s (2005) Sports Emotion Questionnaire, the Willy et al.'s (1998) Sports Confidence Resources Questionnaire, and the Researcher–Behavioral Efficiency Questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed using 1–way analysis of covariance and statistical software SPSS version 22. The significance level for all tests was set at 0.05.

The results of the analysis of covariance showed that training of mindfulness–based neurocognitive skills in the posttest phase significantly increased the mean scores of behavioral (p=0.005), cognitive (p=0.001) and emotional (p<0.0001) efficiency scales between the experimental and control groups. There has been little research on anger in sports, but if mindfulness helps athletes achieve social well–being and reduce anxiety and stress, this training can undoubtedly be effective in reducing and reducing athletes' anger. Reducing the anger component of emotional productivity is effective, but more research is suggested. Researchers argue that increasing self–concept and self–esteem associated with mindfulness training is essential to building positive self–concept and self–esteem.

Based on the findings of this study, mindfulness–based neurocognitive skills training was effective in athletes’ behavioral, cognitive, and emotional outcomes. Therefore, this training can be used as a program to increase the efficiency of athletes in various fields.