Psychophysiological effects of mental training: A study on badminton branch

Aim: The aim of the study was to examine the effects of the mental training program on the psychophysiological skills of badminton players. Material and Method: Quasi-experimental model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. 15 badminton players who were studying in high school and had at least three years of sports experience participated in the study. "Personal Information Form", "Athlete Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (SBEE)", "Sports Self-Confidence Scale (SSC)", "Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS-21)", "D2 Attention Test" and "Polar H10 Heart Rate Sensor" were used as data collection tools in the study. Shapiro Wilk and Kolmogorov Smirnov values were examined for normality distributions in the study. Descriptive analyzes (frequency, percentage and arithmetic mean), independent samples t-test, dependent samples t-test were used for data analysis. Results: There were significant differences between the pre-test and post-test of the intervention and control groups. After the intervention, there were decreases in depression, anxiety and stress levels, while significant increases were observed in self-confidence, cognitive flexibility and attention levels. There was also a significant decrease in heart rate. Conclusion: In the study, the mental training program positively affected the psychophysiological skills of badminton players. Therefore, it was revealed that the mental training program was an effective method to increase the performance and psychophysiological skills of badminton players.