The relationship between China university basketball association athletes' mindfulness, self-efficacy in sports training, and training competition satisfaction: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study.
Yanlin Zhao, Junwei Liu, Xiaobo Yang, Sumei Wu
BMC psychology February 2, 2026 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-04069-5
Summary
Mindfulness training significantly boosts athletes' satisfaction and confidence. An 8-week program for China University Basketball Association athletes improved their mindfulness, self-efficacy in sports training, and training competition satisfaction. Separately, a survey of 684 CUBA athletes revealed mindfulness positively predicts both self-efficacy in sports training and training competition satisfaction. Self-efficacy explained 45.3% of mindfulness's positive impact on satisfaction. This suggests mindfulness is a powerful tool for enhancing athletic performance and well-being.
Abstract
This study investigates the relationship and underlying mechanisms among mindfulness, self-efficacy in sports training, and training competition satisfaction among China University Basketball Association (CUBA) athletes through cross-sectional surveys and longitudinal experimental research. These findings provide valuable insights into the healthy development of college athletes. Study 1 was a cross-sectional study. A total of 684 CUBA athletes were surveyed using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the College Student Physical Education Learning Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Training Competition Satisfaction Scale. Correlation and regression analyses were performed on the variables, and the bootstrap method was used to test the mediating effect. Study 2 adopted a 2 (experimental conditions) × 2 (time points) mixed experimental design, randomly assigning 32 CUBA athletes to either a mindfulness training group or a control group (16 people in each group). The experimental group underwent an eight-week mindfulness intervention. In contrast, the control group simultaneously received standard technical training and underwent psychological assessments before and after the training. In Study 1, the mindfulness level of CUBA athletes had a significant positive predictive effect on their self-efficacy in sports training and training competition satisfaction (p < .001). The self-efficacy in sports training partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and training competition satisfaction, with an indirect effect value of 0.210, accounting for 45.3% of the total effect. In Study 2, compared to the control group, the mindfulness level, self-efficacy in sports training, and training competition satisfaction of athletes in the mindfulness training group significantly improved over time (p < .001). Mindfulness can have a direct effect on training competition satisfaction, as well as an indirect effect through self-efficacy in sports training, making it an effective intervention method to enhance motor psychological skills.