The effectiveness of mindfulness exercises based on acceptance and commitment (MAC) on cognitive and physical anxiety and psychological flexibility of female athletes

The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness exercises based on acceptance and commitment to cognitive anxiety, and physical and psychological flexibility of female athletes. The research was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population was female athletes in the field of physical fitness in Qom who were active in 1401. Among them, 50 people were selected using the available sampling method and were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. To collect data, Smith's (1990) Anxiety Assessment Questionnaire (SAS) and Denai and Vanaderval's (2010) Psychological Flexibility (CFI) were used. The data obtained from this research were analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis. Findings showed that by controlling the effect of the pre-test, there was a significant difference between the post-test of the experimental and control groups in cognitive and physical anxiety and psychological flexibility (P<0.001). Therefore, it can be concluded that mindfulness exercises based on acceptance and commitment were effective on cognitive anxiety, and physical and psychological flexibility of female athletes.