INVESTIGATION OF ATHLETIC MENTAL ENERGY AND MINDFULNESS LEVELS OF PHYSICALLY DISABLED AND TYPICALLY DEVELOPING ATHLETES

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 1 Sayı: 1, 33 - 45, 19.12.2025

Caner Uzunca

Öz

The purpose of this research is to examine the athletic mental energy levels and mindfulness levels of athletes with physical disabilities and typical development. The research was conducted using the quantitative survey model. A total of 176 voluntary athletes participated in the study, including 88 athletes with physical disabilities who competed in wheelchair basketball and amputee football, and 88 typically developing athletes engaged in various individual sports. The “Athletic Mental Energy Scale (AMES)” and the “Sport Mindfulness Scale (SMS)” were used as data collection instruments. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 22.0 software package. Since the data were normally distributed, independent samples t-tests were performed for pairwise comparisons, one-way ANOVA tests for comparisons involving more than two groups, and Pearson correlation analyses were used to determine the relationships between variables. The findings revealed that athletes with physical disabilities had significantly higher total scores of athletic mental energy and higher sub-dimension scores in “tirelessness,” “concentration,” and “composure” compared to typically developing athletes (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was found in mindfulness levels between the groups. Correlation analyses showed a positive and significant relationship between athletic mental energy and mindfulness levels among athletes with physical disabilities. The results indicate that components of mental energy play an important role in cognitive focus, emotional balance, and self-regulation, and that these skills positively contribute to the performance processes of athletes with physical disabilities. These findings highlight the need for further research on the mental processes of athletes with and without disabilities in the field of sport psychology.
Keywords: Athletic mental energy, mindfulness, athletes with physical disabilities, typically developing athletes, sport psychology.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Athletic Mental Energy , Mindfulness , Athletes with physical disabilities , Typically developing athletes

BEDENSEL ENGELLİ VE TİPİK GELİŞİM GÖSTEREN SPORCULARIN ATLETİK ZİHİNSEL ENERJİ İLE BİLİNÇLİ FARKINDALIK DÜZEYLERİNİN İNCELENMESİ

Öz

Bu araştırmanın amacı, bedensel engelli ve tipik gelişim gösteren sporcuların atletik zihinsel enerji düzeyleri ile bilinçli farkındalık (mindfulness) düzeylerini incelemektir. Araştırma, nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden tarama modeli kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmaya tekerlekli sandalye basketbol ve ampüte futbol branşlarından 88 bedensel engelli sporcu ile farklı bireysel spor branşlarından 88 tipik gelişim gösteren sporcu olmak üzere toplam 176 gönüllü katılmıştır. Veri toplama aracı olarak “Atletik Zihinsel Enerji Ölçeği (AMES)” ve “Sporda Bilinçli Farkındalık Ölçeği (SBFÖ)” kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen veriler SPSS 22.0 paket programı ile analiz edilmiştir. Verilerin normal dağılım gösterdiği belirlenmiş; ikili karşılaştırmalarda bağımsız örneklem t testi, ikiden fazla gruplarda tek yönlü ANOVA, değişkenler arası ilişkilerde ise Pearson korelasyon analizleri uygulanmıştır. Araştırma bulgularına göre bedensel engelli sporcuların atletik zihinsel enerji düzeylerinin toplam puanları ile “yorulmama”, “konsantrasyon” ve “sakinlik” alt boyut puanlarının tipik gelişim gösteren sporculardan anlamlı derecede yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir (p<0.05). Bununla birlikte, bilinçli farkındalık düzeylerinde engel durumuna göre anlamlı bir farklılık saptanmamıştır. Korelasyon analizleri, bedensel engelli sporcuların atletik zihinsel enerji ve bilinçli farkındalık düzeyleri arasında pozitif yönlü anlamlı bir ilişki bulunduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Elde edilen sonuçlar, zihinsel enerji bileşenlerinin sporcularda bilişsel odaklanma, duygusal denge ve öz-düzenleme üzerinde önemli rol oynadığını ve özellikle bedensel engelli sporcuların bu becerilerinin performans süreçlerine olumlu yansıdığını göstermektedir. Bulgular, spor psikolojisi alanında engelli ve tipik gelişim gösteren sporcuların zihinsel süreçlerinin daha derinlemesine incelenmesi gerektiğine işaret etmektedir.
Anahtar kelimeler: Atletik zihinsel enerji, bilinçli farkındalık, bedensel engelli sporcular, tipik gelişim gösteren sporcular, spor

Anahtar Kelimeler

Atletik Zihinsel Enerji , Bilinçli Farkındalık , Bedensel engelli sporcular , Tipik gelişim gösteren sporcular

Kaynakça

• Adıgüzel, N. S., Koç, M., Öztürk, B., Engin, H., Karaçam, A., Canlı, U., ... & Aldhahi, M. I. (2024). The effectof the Nordic hamstring curl training program on athletic performance in young football players.Applied Sciences, 14(22), 10249.
• Arnold, R., Fletcher, D., & Daniels, K. (2013). Development and validation of the Organizational StressorIndicator for Sport Performers (OSI-SP). Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 35(2), 180–196.
• Arnold, R., Wagstaff, C. R., Steadman, L., & Pratt, Y. (2017). The organisational stressors encounteredby athletes with a disability. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(12), 1187–1196.
• Baltzell, A., & Summers, J. (2018). The power of mindfulness: Mindfulness meditation training in sport(MMTS). Springer.
• Bernier, M., Thienot, E., Codron, R., & Fournier, J. F. (2009). Mindfulness and acceptance approaches insport performance. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 3(4), 320–333.https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.3.4.320
• Büyüköztürk, Ş., Akgün, Ö. E., Demirel, F., Karadeniz, Ş., & Çakmak, E. K. (2015). Bilimsel araştırmayöntemleri.
• Chiesa, A. (2013). The difficulty of defining mindfulness: Current thought and critical issues.Mindfulness, 4(3), 255–268. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-012-0123-4
• Cohen, J. (1988). Set correlation and contingency tables. Applied psychological measurement, 12(4),425-434.
• Creswell, J. W. (2017). Araştırma deseni: Nitel, nicel ve karma yöntem yaklaşımları. Eğiten kitap.
• Gardner, F. L., & Moore, Z. E. (2004). A mindfulness-acceptance-commitment-based approach toathletic performance enhancement: Theoretical considerations. Behavior Therapy, 35(4), 707–723. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(04)80016-9
• Gardner, F. L., & Moore, Z. E. (2004). A mindfulness-acceptance-commitment (MAC)-based approachto athletic performance enhancement: Theoretical considerations. Behavior Therapy, 35, 707–723.
• Gardner, F. L., & Moore, Z. E. (2007). The psychology of enhancing human performance: Themindfulness-acceptance-commitment (MAC) approach. Springer Publishing Company.
• İslam, A., & Öztürk, M. E. (2023). Kayak sporcularının zihinsel enerjileri ile tutkularına göre cesaretleri.Spormetre Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 21(1), 148–163.
• John, S., Verma, S. K., & Khanna, G. L. (2011). The effect of mindfulness meditation on HPA-axis in pre-competition stress in sports performance of elite shooters. National Journal of IntegratedResearch in Medicine, 2(3), 15–21.
• Johnson, E. J., McDonald, K., Caldarella, S. M., Chung, H. Y., Troen, A. M., & Snodderly, D. M. (2008).Cognitive findings of an exploratory trial of docosahexaenoic acid and lutein supplementationin older women. Nutritional Neuroscience, 11(2), 75–83.https://doi.org/10.1179/147683008X301450
• Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are. Hyperion.
• Karasar, N. (2007). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi: Kavramlar, ilkeler, teknikler. Nobel Yayın Dağıtım.
• Kaufman, K. A., & Glass, C. R. (2006). Mindful sport performance enhancement: A treatment manual forarchers and golfers. Unpublished manuscript, The Catholic University of America, Washington,DC.
• Kayhalak, F., & Güçlü, M. (2024). Muaythai Sporcularının Atletik Zihinsel Enerjisi ile Bilinçli FarkındalıkDüzeyleri Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi. Journal of Global Sport and Education Research,7(2), 45-58.
• Kennedy, D. O., Haskell, C. F., Wesnes, K. A., & Scholey, A. B. (2004). Improved cognitive performancein human volunteers following administration of guarana (Paullinia cupana) extract:Comparison and interaction with Panax ginseng. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior,79(3), 401–411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2004.07.014
• Kennedy, D. O., Jackson, P. A., Haskell, C. F., & Scholey, A. B. (2007). Modulation of cognitiveperformance following single doses of 120 mg Ginkgo biloba extract administered to healthyyoung volunteers. Human Psychopharmacology, 22(8), 559–566.https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.885
• Koç, M., Adıgüzel, N. S., Engin, H., Öztürk, B., Canlı, U., Karaçam, A., ... & Sagat, P. (2025a). Effects of 4-week velocity-based HIIT on athletic performance in youth soccer players. PeerJ, 13, e20066.
• Koç, M., Adıgüzel, N. S., Öztürk, B., Engin, H., Karaçam, A., Canlı, U., ... & Bartik, P. (2025b). Impact ofNordic hamstring breaking point angle on football player performance. PeerJ, 13, e19275.
• Loehr, J. E. (2005). Leadership: Full engagement for success. In S. Murphy (Ed.), The sport psychologyhandbook (pp. 157–158). Human Kinetics.
• Lu, F. J., Gill, D. L., Yang, C., Lee, P. F., Chiu, Y. H., Hsu, Y. W., & Kuan, G. (2018). Measuring athletic mentalenergy (AME): Instrument development and validation. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2363.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02363
• Lykken, T. D. (2005). Mental energy. Intelligence, 33(4), 331–335.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2005.03.005
• Makaracı, M. (2025). Atletik Zihinsel Enerjinin Yordayıcısı Olarak Bilinçli Farkındalığın Rolü. Journalof Physical Education and Sports Studies, 17(2), 144-160.
• Martin, J. J. (2017). Handbook of disability sport and exercise psychology. Oxford University Press.
• Misener, L., & Darcy, S. (2013). Managing disability sport: From athletes with disabilities to inclusiveorganisational perspectives. Sport Management Review, 17(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2013.12.003
• Mohajeri, M., Wittwer, H., Vargas, J. K., & Hogan, E. (2015). Chronic treatment with a tryptophan-richprotein hydrolysate improves emotional processing, mental energy levels, and reaction time inmiddle-aged women. British Journal of Nutrition, 113(2), 350–365.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114514003754
• O’Connor, P. J. (2006). Mental energy: Assessing the mood dimension. Nutrition Reviews, 64(Suppl_3),7–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2006.tb00256.x
• Ölçücü, B., & Dereceli, E. (2023). Sporda kaygı ve sportif performans. In Spor Bilimleri Alanında GüncelYaklaşımlar-II (p. 53).
• Öner, Ç. (2022). THE DETERMINATIVE ROLE OF ATHLETIC MENTAL ENERGY AND MINDFULNESS INTHE FLOW EXPERIENCE OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS. International Journal of EducationTechnology & Scientific Researches, 7(20).
• Öztürk, B., Adıgüzel, N. S., Koç, M., Karaçam, A., Canlı, U., Engin, H., ... & Prieto-González, P. (2025).Cluster set vs. traditional set in plyometric training: Effect on the athletic performance of youthfootball players. Applied Sciences, 15(3), 1282.
• Quartiroli, A., Parsons-Smith, R. L., Fogarty, G. J., Kuan, G., & Terry, P. C. (2018). Cross-cultural validationof mood profile clusters in a sport and exercise context. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1949. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01949
• Reay, J. L., Kennedy, D. O., & Scholey, A. B. (2006). Effects of Panax ginseng, consumed with and withoutglucose, on blood glucose levels and cognitive performance during sustained mentallydemanding tasks. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 20(6), 771–781.https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881106061516
• Schwanhausser, L. (2009). Application of the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment (MAC) protocolwith an adolescent springboard diver. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 3(4), 377–395.https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.3.4.377
• SEZAN, T., & ESKİYECEK, C. G. (2024). RAKET SPORCULARINDA ATLETİK ZİHİNSEL ENERJİNİNYARIŞMA YÖNELİMLERİNE ETKİSİ: TANIMLAYICI ARAŞTIRMA THE EFFECT OF ATHLETICMENTAL ENERGY ON COMPETITION ORIENTATIONS IN RACKET ATHLETES: DESCRIPTIVERESEARCH.
• Snitz, B. E., O’Meara, E. S., Carlson, M. C., Arnold, A. M., Ives, D. G., Rapp, S. R., Saxson, J., Lopez, O. L.,Dunn, L. O., Sink, K. M., & DeKosky, S. T. (2009). Ginkgo biloba for preventing cognitive declinein older adults: A randomized trial. JAMA, 302(24), 2663–2670.https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.1913
• Tingaz, E. O. (2020). Spor bilimleri fakültesindeki sporcu öğrencilerde bilinçli farkındalığın(mindfulness) bazı değişkenler açısından incelenmesi. Türk Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 3(1), 21–28.
• Vural, C., & Okan, İ. (2021). Sporda bilinçli farkındalık: Atıcılık spor branşları üzerine bir araştırma.Mediterranean Journal of Sport Science, 4(2), 265–273.