TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of mindfulness training on beginners' skill acquisition in dart throwing
T2 - A randomized controlled trial
AU - ZHANG, Chunqing
AU - Si, Gangyan
AU - DUAN, Yanping
AU - Lyu, Yaojun
AU - Keatley, David A.
AU - Chan, Derwin K.C.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by a grant from the Hong Kong Sports Institute awarded to the second author. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Zhijian Huang and Ms. Mengmeng Du for their help in conducting the study.
PY - 2016/1/1
Y1 - 2016/1/1
N2 - Objectives: The present study was into whether or not mindfulness training, based on the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment approach (MAC), can improve beginners' skill acquisition of dart throwing. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Methods: A total of 43 first-year college students who had not played darts professionally prior to the study were randomly assigned to either an attention control group (n = 21) or a mindfulness training group (n = 22) during an eight-week dart training program. Dart throwing and psychological variables were assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and two-week follow-up. Results: Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the mindfulness group, but not the attention control group had significant improvements in mindfulness, experiential acceptance, and flow at post-intervention and follow-up. Although both groups improved dart throwing performance after the intervention, the improvement of the mindfulness group was statistically higher in comparison to that of the attention control group. Conclusions: It was concluded that the MAC approach could improve the performance and adaptive sport experience of beginners in dart throwing.
AB - Objectives: The present study was into whether or not mindfulness training, based on the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment approach (MAC), can improve beginners' skill acquisition of dart throwing. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Methods: A total of 43 first-year college students who had not played darts professionally prior to the study were randomly assigned to either an attention control group (n = 21) or a mindfulness training group (n = 22) during an eight-week dart training program. Dart throwing and psychological variables were assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and two-week follow-up. Results: Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the mindfulness group, but not the attention control group had significant improvements in mindfulness, experiential acceptance, and flow at post-intervention and follow-up. Although both groups improved dart throwing performance after the intervention, the improvement of the mindfulness group was statistically higher in comparison to that of the attention control group. Conclusions: It was concluded that the MAC approach could improve the performance and adaptive sport experience of beginners in dart throwing.
KW - Experiential acceptance
KW - Flow
KW - Mindfulness intervention
KW - Motor skill learning
KW - Sport performance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84942540703&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psychsport.2015.09.005
DO - 10.1016/j.psychsport.2015.09.005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84942540703
SN - 1469-0292
VL - 22
SP - 279
EP - 285
JO - Psychology of Sport and Exercise
JF - Psychology of Sport and Exercise
ER -