The impact of badminton participation on attention control in college students: the mediating role of flow experience

Purpose This study examined whether badminton participation predicts attentional control in college students and whether three dimensions of flow experience—perceived control, perceived enjoyment, and mental concentration—mediate this association. Methods A total of 762 college students who regularly engaged in badminton completed standardized questionnaires assessing badminton participation, flow experience, and attentional control. Structural equation modeling with a bias-corrected bootstrap procedure (5,000 resamples) was used to test the hypothesized direct and indirect pathways. Results Badminton participation was positively associated with attentional control ( β = 0.39, p < 0.001). Flow experience partially mediated this relationship. The indirect effects through perceived control ( β = 0.12, p = 0.004), perceived enjoyment ( β = 0.08, p = 0.012), and mental concentration ( β = 0.10, p = 0.006) were significant, accounting for 17.39, 11.59, and 14.49% of the total effect, respectively. Conclusion Badminton participation appears to improve attentional control both directly and by enhancing flow experience. These findings clarify the psychological mechanisms linking sport participation and attentional regulation and provide empirical support for incorporating structured badminton activities into collegiate physical education and cognitive training programs aimed at strengthening attentional stability.