Options
Effects of anchoring of mindfulness on a competitive standing-start reaction time task
Author
Toh, Danica Shi Yee
Supervisor
Kee, Ying Hwa
Abstract
Present literature suggests that the independent use of mindfulness and anchoring benefits the performance in sports – till date, anchoring of mindfulness to enhance performance has yet been examined. Mindfulness is defined as having consciousness at the present moment when engaged in a task. Numerous studies have been conducted to advocate that mindfulness improves one’s performance at sports activities. Separately, anchoring methods have also been used to improve sports performance. It is the use of cues to improve a person’s focus on the perceived action that will benefit the desired outcome. In this study, a chime was used to get participants to focus on centring of their breath so as to achieve mindfulness. The aim of this research is to test if anchoring techniques used for mindfulness benefits standing-start reaction time (SSRT) task performance in a simulated competitive situation, with reaction time as the dependent variable. Ninety participants aged between 18 and 45 years old (M = 23.96; SD = 2.70; Mdn = 22) took part in the study and they were recruited at random. Of the 90 participants, 80 successfully completed the pre-test and post-test. There were 33 males (M = 23.63; SD = 7.44; Mdn = 21) and 47 females (M = 24.2; SD = 9.16; Mdn = 24) who had participated and completed the test. Participants were randomly appointed into 3 separate groups – a control group (C), a mindfulness only group (M), and an anchoring of mindfulness group (MA). The pre-test and posttest design was adopted and participants underwent intervention in between the two tests. Participants were also administered the state Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003), trait Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003) and the state State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults (STAI; Spielberger, Gorsuch, Lushene, Vagg & Jacobs, 1983) questionnaires. A Shapiro-Wilk Statistic test was conducted to test for normality of the sample. As results of the Shapiro-Wilk test was not normal for reaction time, a robust method of heteroscedastic one-way ANOVA was conducted to test for similarity among the sample medians. One-way ANOVA was also conducted between condition groups to compare group differences in anxiety and state mindfulness. Results suggest that the MA group is least effective for improving reaction time. Results also indicated no significant difference between the three condition groups in state mindfulness and anxiety. None of the pair comparisons yielded significant results. Discussion carried out to address the study’s hypotheses suggests that the methodologies applied to present study may have led to the unexpected results. Effects of anchoring do not seem to sustain its intended effects on participants. The present study’s simulated competitive situation did not breed an anxiety-provoking environment. Participants may not have been able to relate the anchoring methods used to the SSRT task and hence the effects of anchoring were not present in the study. While the effects of state mindfulness may not have been achieved due to the short duration of mindfulness induction, the present study also did not find a difference in anxiety amongst the groups due to the high number of trials that participants went through. Future recommendations to this study should be directed to using athletes as the participant pool and a MTP-based longitudinal research could be more appropriate. Future adjustments to the methodology of the test should also be considered.
Date Issued
2016
Call Number
GV706.4 Toh
Date Submitted
2016