Self-Regulation of Arousal on Attention in Iranian National Taekwondo Athletes = Self-Regulation of Arousal on Attention in Iranian National Taekwondo Athletes

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of self-regulation of arousal through bio/neurofeedback training on attention in Iranian Taekwondo athletes.
Methods: Sixteen elite male Taekwondo athletes with a minimum of three years’ experience competing at the international level (i.e. Taekwondo World Championships/Olympic Games) participated in the study. Participants were split into experimental and control group and completed a computer-based program that involved fifteen sessions of bio/neurofeedback training. The protocols manipulated participants’ physiological signs, such as heart and respiration rate, and brain activity as a way to teach self-regulation of arousal levels through computer-based feedback. The protocols were used with the aim of increasing heart rate variability, decreasing the rate of respiration, and promoting an effective brain wave ratio. To measure attention, the Advanced Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA-Advanced) was applied.
Results: A significant difference was observed in auditory attention (t [7.36] = 3.58, p < 0.0), visual attention (t [7.48] = 4.42, p < 0.05), and total attention between the experimental and control groups (t [7.27] = 3.76, p < 0.05).
Conclusions: The promotion of arousal level in physiological signs through bio/neurofeedback training enhanced the participants’ ability to maintain attention. Therefore, the self-regulatory methods of arousal, such as the one involved in the study, can be recommended as an approach to promote the self-regulation of athletes’ arousal and attention.