The effect of swimmers' dreaming levels ontheir perceived stress situations

This study was conducted to examine the effect of the level of daydreaming on perceived stress in swimmers aged 8-12. In sports psychology, daydreaming increases individuals' performance by strengthening their mental processes and motivation, while stress management helps to minimize negative effects by supporting emotional resilience. In this study, the relationship between daydreaming and stress was analyzed and the effects of demographic factors on these variables were evaluated. The relational screening model was used in the study, and the data were collected with the "Children's Sports Activity Imagination Scale" and the "Children's Perceived Stress Scale". Since the data showed normal distribution, differences between groups were examined with t-test and ANOVA, variable relationships were examined with Pearson correlation, and effects on stress were examined with multiple regression analysis. The research findings revealed that there was no significant relationship between general stress level and daydreaming scores, but there was a negative relationship between stress and daydreaming in the specific motivation dimension. It was observed that socioeconomic status was a determining factor, and it was determined that individuals in the low-income group had higher stress levels, while individuals in the high-income group were more successful in cognitive awareness and motivational processes. In addition, it was determined that the mother's level of education affected individuals' cognitive awareness. It was observed that the general cognitive scores of individuals who participated in competitions were higher than those who did not participate in competitions. It was determined that individuals who aimed to rank in the competition had significantly higher stress levels. This research contributes to the sports psychology literature and suggests that future studies be conducted in different sports branches and age groups.