The effect of cognitive control and cognitive flexibility levels on coping attitudes in stressful situations:A research on school-age athletes who do orienteering

This study aimed to examine the effect of cognitive control and cognitive flexibility levels on coping attitudes among school-aged individuals engaged in orienteering. The research sample consisted of a total of 392 athletes, including 228 female and 164 male participants, aged between 10 and 16, who actively participated in orienteering activities. During the data collection process, in addition to a personal information form developed to gather demographic characteristics of the participants, two standardized instruments were utilized: the "Cognitive Control and Flexibility Questionnaire in Stressful Situations" developed by Demirtaş (2019), and the "Coping Attitudes Assessment Scale" adapted into Turkish by Dicle and Ersanlı (2015). The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 statistical software. The analysis included Independent Samples T-Test, One-Way ANOVA, Pearson Correlation, and Multiple Linear Regression techniques. The findings indicated that the levels of cognitive control and cognitive flexibility significantly predicted coping attitudes in athletes dealing with stressful situations (p<0.05). Moreover, it was determined that cognitive control and flexibility levels varied significantly according to age group, grade level, and years of sport participation, while no significant difference was found based on gender (p>0.05). Additionally, coping attitudes differed significantly in relation to age, gender, sport experience, and educational level variables (p<0.05). Based on the results, it can be concluded that coping attitudes developed by athletes in response to stressful situations are significantly associated with their levels of cognitive control and cognitive flexibility. These findings suggest that orienteering, beyond its physical demands, also contributes meaningfully to the development of cognitive and psychological skills, underscoring its multidimensional benefits. Keywords: Cognitive control, cognitive flexibility, coping attitude, orienteering.