Investigation of the effect of music in sports applications (case study of Firat university)

The relationship between sports and music has been ongoing since ancient times. While humans, struggling to survive against nature, exhibited behaviors similar to sports such as running and walking, they also tried to perceive and interpret sounds. It is evident that music has physical, mental, and motivational effects on athletes. Studies investigating the relationship between sports and music have mostly been conducted by considering sports branches. This study aimed to determine the effects of music before, during, or after sports among athlete students at Firat University. In conducting the research, the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The population of this research consists of a total of 41,864 students from Firat University in the 2023-2024 academic year. After conducting a power analysis, the sample of the research consisted of 528 athlete students from various sports branches studying at Firat University during the 2023-2024 academic year. As data collection tools in the research, a personal information form and a scale measuring the effect of music in sports applications were used. The statistical results obtained were analyzed using the Independent Samples T-Test for binary comparisons and One-Way Analysis of Variance tests for comparing more than two groups. The total scores obtained by the research group from the Scale of the Effect of Music in Sports Applications (ranging from 54 to 270 points) were determined as follows: pre-exercise x̄= 73.3, during exercise x̄= 71.5, and post-exercise x̄= 69.8. When examining the average scores of the effect of music in sports activities by gender, it was found that the average scores of female participants were higher than those of male participants before, during, and after sports applications. When examined by faculty, it was found that the average scores before exercise were higher in the faculties of theology and pharmacy, during exercise in the faculty of pharmacy, and after exercise in the faculties of theology and pharmacy. Looking at these averages, it can be concluded that the effect of music is high before, during, and after sports applications. Keywords: Athlete, Sports, Music