Effect of mindfulness versus self-talk on dart throwing

Understanding how athletes can achieve ideal performance states is a growing facet of sports psychology. However, most research in this area has predominantly focused on control-based strategies such as self-talk (ST) while acceptance based strategies such as mindfulness meditation (MM) are less well explored. Based on this empirical gap in the research, the aim of the present study was to investigate, and compare the effects of these two opposing strategies on dart throwing performance. Specifically, it investigated how a 10-day ST intervention versus a 10-day MM intervention affected dart throwing performance across both cognitive and non-cognitive loaded environments. Fifty-two participants (30 female; aged 18-63 years, M = 31.28, SD = 10.96) engaged in cognitive training (mindfulness, self-talk, Lumosity[control]) for ten consecutive days prior to the testing session. During the testing session, participants were given a practice round opportunity (cognitive load absent), before engaging in the competition round (cognitive load present). The present study identified two key findings: (1) MM intervention appeared to be most beneficial in the early stages of skill acquisition; and (2). Controlling one's mental state may be unnecessary and unrelated to enhanced athletic performance, regardless of cognitive load.