Mind Games: Meditation's Impact on Cognitive Abilities & Athletic Performance
Abstract (300 words maximum)
This study assesses the impact of a four-week mindfulness and meditation program, leveraging a YouTube guided meditation, on cognitive flexibility, attention, and overall well-being in KSU student-athletes. Amidst the pressures of athletic commitments, academic responsibilities, and personal life management, student-athletes face unique challenges that may affect their mental health and cognitive functioning. This research fills a notable gap by exploring the potential benefits of a short, accessible, self-guided meditation regimen. Participants will undergo baseline evaluations using cognitive tasks such as the Stroop and Sustained Attention to Response Task, along with comprehensive questionnaires to assess aspects of mental health and well-being, including mental toughness, life satisfaction, metacognition, stress, mindfulness, and sleep quality. The experimental group will engage three times a week in guided meditation sessions via YouTube, with adherence monitored through survey usage data. Comparative analyses will be performed on pre- and post-intervention measures against a control group to evaluate the program's effectiveness. Anticipated findings aim to demonstrate the short-term mindfulness intervention's efficacy in enhancing cognitive and emotional well-being among student-athletes. This research contributes to the understanding of non-pharmacological interventions in sports psychology, offering evidence for integrating mindfulness and meditation into athletic training programs to support student-athlete mental health and cognitive performance.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Sidni Justus
Mind Games: Meditation's Impact on Cognitive Abilities & Athletic Performance
This study assesses the impact of a four-week mindfulness and meditation program, leveraging a YouTube guided meditation, on cognitive flexibility, attention, and overall well-being in KSU student-athletes. Amidst the pressures of athletic commitments, academic responsibilities, and personal life management, student-athletes face unique challenges that may affect their mental health and cognitive functioning. This research fills a notable gap by exploring the potential benefits of a short, accessible, self-guided meditation regimen. Participants will undergo baseline evaluations using cognitive tasks such as the Stroop and Sustained Attention to Response Task, along with comprehensive questionnaires to assess aspects of mental health and well-being, including mental toughness, life satisfaction, metacognition, stress, mindfulness, and sleep quality. The experimental group will engage three times a week in guided meditation sessions via YouTube, with adherence monitored through survey usage data. Comparative analyses will be performed on pre- and post-intervention measures against a control group to evaluate the program's effectiveness. Anticipated findings aim to demonstrate the short-term mindfulness intervention's efficacy in enhancing cognitive and emotional well-being among student-athletes. This research contributes to the understanding of non-pharmacological interventions in sports psychology, offering evidence for integrating mindfulness and meditation into athletic training programs to support student-athlete mental health and cognitive performance.