The Effect of Mindfulness Training on Athletes’ Flow: An initial Investigation

The Effect of Mindfulness Training on Athletes’ Flow: An initial Investigation

by Rachel Webb

When looking for the latest and most effective performance enhancement strategies there has been a growing amount of research on the benefits of mindfulness training . In this particular article, The Effect of Mindfulness Training on Athletes’ Flow: An initial Investigation we can see the relationship between mindfulness training and flow experiences in athletes (Aherene, Moran, & Lonsdale, 2011). Mindfulness is defined in this article as bringing ones complete attention to the present experience and doing so on a moment-to moment basis and accepting the given situation you are in. Clearly, using this form of mindfulness in competitive situations could have a positive effect on an athlete’s performance because it encourages focusing on the present moment rather than thinking too far ahead (Aherene, Moran, & Lonsdale, 2011). Thinking too far ahead has often been associated with causing anxiety and distraction from the task at hand for an athlete. As for the construct of ‘flow’ we look at the ability to enter a highly coveted yet elusive state of mind that is characterize by complete absorption in the task at hand as well as by enhanced skilled performance. Simply by definition we can see the similarities in these states of concentration. There are nine dimensions of flow state which include; challenge-skill balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration on task, sense o control, loss of self-consciousness, time transformation, and autotelic experience (Aherene, Moran, & Lonsdale, 2011).

This specific study looks at 13 athletes in order to investigate the relationship between mindfulness training and its effects on flow state during a competitive sport training and using the nine dimensions as focus points in hopes to identify positive changes in flow. The 13 athletes were randomly assigned to either a control or experimental group and asked to first complete a Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale- Revise (CAMS-R), which measured athletes approach to thoughts and feelings on a 12-item scale. Furthermore the athletes were tested using the Flow State Scal-2 (FFS-2), a 36-item that is designed to be answered after a specific event, will be summed to produce a global flow state score (higher scores are equivalent to a more intense of a flow experience). Athletes in the experimental group followed a 6-week mindfulness training program and all 13 were re-tested with both forms of measurement at the end of the 6 weeks. Results indicated that the athletes who underwent mindfulness training did report an increase in their global flow scores. Looking at the 9 dimensions of flow, the experiment athletes also saw significant increases in the dimensions of “Clear Goals and “Sense of Control”. This mindfulness training showed a heightened self-regulation of attention in the athletes and increases, but not significant differences, in challenge-skill balance as well as concentration. These findings extend upon previous research by providing support to the suggestion that mindfulness training can be a beneficial performance  tool to a broad range of athletes even if they have not directly reported having problems with the mental aspect of their performance.

Aherne, C., Moran, P. A., & Lonsdale, C. (2011). The Effect of Mindfulness Training on Athletes’ Flow: An Initial Investigation. The Sport Psychologist. Human Kinetics, Inc. 25, 177-189)

On May 30, 2016

Implicit Transfer of Life Skills Through Participation in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Implicit Transfer of Life Skills Through Participation in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Chinkov, A. E., & Holt, N. L. (2015). Implicit Transfer of Life Skills Through Participation in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1-15.

Mentioned: Jones, M. I., & Lavallee, D. (2009). Exploring perceived life skills development and participation in sport. Qualitative research in sport and exercise1(1), 36-50.

by Rachael Webb

It is well known through the literature that sports can be used as a vehicle for athletes or exercisers to achieve positive outcomes in their life. In this study the focus of the research was on exploring the transferability of life skills among adult athletes who participated in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Chinkoy & Holt, 2015). Life skills can be understood as skills that allow someone to deal with the demands and challenges of everyday life, More so in sport psychology we define life skills as the social, cognitive, emotional, intellectual, and physical qualities necessary for an individual to thrive as a successful member in society (Jones & Lavallee, 2009). Acquiring life skills through sport is important research to investigate in order to successfully create sporting environments that enable the learning of these life skills and allow individuals to be active agents in their own personal development. Authors Chinkoy and Holt recognize that there are two approaches to learning life skills through sport, implicit or explicit. Implicit suggests that coaches and programs, if operating under positive philosophies, will allow individuals to simply gathering life skills through learning sport-specific skills. The explicit approach implies that these life skills must be systematically taught, and this could be an opportunity for a sport psychology consultant or coach begin incorporating these like skills components into the programs they are involved in. This study brings to light not on the necessity of learning more about mechanisms through which individuals can acquire life skills, but also takes into account a sport that has been given little attention in this field.

Through a qualitative descriptive study, findings implied that the values and characteristics of this sport in operation with strong head instructors and peer support, an atmosphere for learning life skills was successful created (Chinkoy & Holt, 2015). As the research moves away form merely identifying the life skills themselves, we can begin to use this study as a foundation for understanding what characteristics and personal coach or social network attributes are leading to the success of transferable life skills. It is supported that head coaches or instructors play a significant role in this atmosphere, so taking this body of knowledge and applying it to programs from the top will be crucial in the efforts of developing individuals in their sport and in their personal lives.

On May 30, 2016