Comparison and Correlation Analysis of Mood States and Mental Skills in Elite and Non-Elite Athletes of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province

Shafizadeh, Ali; Bahramian, Jaleh; Mirzaeian, Golamali; Abbasi, Farshad

doi:10.22059/jsmdl.2025.385903.1813

Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under CC BY-NC 4.0 license

Authors

¹ Department of sports sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.

² Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

³ Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran , Iran.

⁴ Department of Sport Psychology, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Isfahan, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22059/jsmdl.2025.385903.1813

Abstract

Introduction: Mood states and mental skills of athletes are directly related to the enhancement and maintenance of their skilled performance. This study aimed to compare the mood states and mental skills of elite and non‑elite athletes in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province and to determine the relationship between them.
Methods: The study population consisted of 111 male and female athletes from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province across 18 sports disciplines. Based on their competition results over the previous three years, they were assigned to elite and non‑elite groups. According to predefined criteria, 48 elite and 63 non‑elite athletes were selected. Athletes’ mood states were assessed using the Brunel Mood Scale Questionnaire, and their mental skills were assessed using the Ottawa Mental Skills Assessment Tool‑3 (OMSAT‑3).
Results: The results showed no significant differences between the elite and non‑elite groups in terms of sports background, gender, or number of athletes. Significant differences were found between the two groups in the mood subscales of vigor, confusion, calmness, and happiness, as well as in the positive and negative mood subscales and the total mood state score. There was also a significant difference between the elite and non‑elite groups in the total mental skills score and in psychophysical skills. Basic skills in the elite group, as well as psychophysical, cognitive, and total mental skills in both elite and non‑elite groups, showed a direct and significant relationship with positive mood. Additionally, the total mental skills score had a direct and significant relationship with the total mood state score in the non‑elite group, whereas in the elite group, this relationship was inverse but not significant.
Conclusion: To enhance athletes’ performance and achieve better results in competitions, it is recommended that psychological programs focus on positive mood and basic mental skills.

Keywords

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