Effects of mindfulness on athletes' performance decrement

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between athletes' mindfulness and future decrements in performance. Participants were 116 university athletes (male = 63, female = 53, unknown = 3, mean age = 19.25, SD = 0.98). The participants completed a questionnaire comprising a few questions related to socio-demographic variables, the Athletes Mindfulness Questionnaire (AMQ), and the Athletes Performance Decrement Questionnaire (APDQ) at time 1 and time 2 (4-7 months after time 1). The results of a cross-lagged effects model revealed that AMQ score at time 1 was positively associated with AMQ score at time 2 and negatively associated with APDQ score at time 2. However, APDQ score at time 1 was positively associated only with APDQ score, but not AMQ score, at time 2. This study's results indicated that athletes' mindfulness is unidirectionally associated with decrements in performance. This implies that increasing mindfulness may be an effective method for preventing impairments in athletic performance arising from psychological factors.