Cognitive appraisals linking dispositional mindfulness to athletes' emotions: a multi-states theory approach.
Claudio Robazza, Francesca Vitali, Laura Bortoli, Montse C Ruiz
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living December 18, 2024 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1521613 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey with path analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 334 |
| Population | Italian athletes aged 18–48 years (188 men, 146 women) involved in individual or team sports |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mindful awareness Refocusing Psychobiosocial experiences Challenge & threat Functional emotions |
| Key findings | Path analysis indicated that mindful awareness and refocusing were indirectly associated with more excitement, happiness, and psychobiosocial experiences and less anxiety and dejection via challenge appraisal, and with more happiness and psychobiosocial experiences and less anxiety, dejection, and anger via threat appraisal. The authors argue the results support MuSt theory and that mindfulness may help athletes view challenges as opportunities. |
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between dispositional mindfulness, cognitive appraisals, emotions, and psychobiosocial experiences in athletes within the framework of multi-states (MuSt) theory.
Method: A convenience sample of 334 Italian athletes (188 men and 146 women), aged 18-48 years (M = 24.77, SD = 7.26) and involved in individual or team sports, were recruited for the study. Athletes were assessed individually or in small groups before regular practice sessions.
Results: Path analysis showed positive indirect effects via challenge appraisal from mindful awareness and refocusing to excitement, happiness, and psychobiosocial experiences, and negative indirect effects to anxiety and dejection. Positive indirect effects were observed via threat appraisal from mindful awareness and refocusing to happiness and psychobiosocial experiences, and negative indirect effects to anxiety, dejection, and anger.
Conclusions: The results highlight the impact of mindful awareness, refocusing, and cognitive appraisals on athletes' emotional and psychobiosocial experiences. Overall findings support MuSt theoretical foundation and suggest that mindfulness may help athletes view challenges as opportunities to express their potential by triggering pleasant emotions and functional psychobiosocial experiences. From an applied perspective, the findings support the use of mindfulness practice in the development of programs to promote athletes' challenge appraisals, pleasant and functional emotional experiences, which may enhance their performance.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- The relationship between mindfulness, competitive anxiety, and self-efficacy in Taekwondo athletes with/without injury: The moderated mediation model. Psychology of Sport And Exercise January 20, 2026
- Relationships among athletes’ challenge and threat perceptions, mindfulness, and anxiety Frontiers in Psychology March 17, 2026
- A Stratified Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Training on Endurance Performance: Moderating Role of Frontal Alpha Asymmetry Response to Distress Mindfulness April 22, 2026
Cites 2
- The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Strategies on Perceived Stress and Psychobiosocial States in Athletes and Recreationally Active People. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health June 10, 2022
- The clinical use of mindfulness meditation for the self-regulation of chronic pain. Journal of Behavioral Medicine June 1985