The relationship between China university basketball association athletes’ mindfulness, self-efficacy in sports training, and training competition satisfaction: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSIONS: 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.