The Effects of Multiple Object Tracking And Mental Imagery On Tennis Performance

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial was to evaluate whether multiple object tracking and mental imagery training affect tennis performance, executive functions, anxiety, and psychophysiological variables in university students enrolled in an elective tennis course. The main questions it aimed to answer were:

Do multiple object tracking and mental imagery training improve tennis performance? Do multiple object tracking and mental imagery training affect executive functions, anxiety, and psychophysiological responses?

Researchers compared participants who received multiple object tracking training or mental imagery training with a control group that continued their regular tennis classes without additional training.

Participants:

Completed a pre-test assessment of tennis performance, imagery ability, executive functions, anxiety, and psychophysiological variables.

Were assigned to a multiple object tracking, mental imagery, or control group based on their tennis performance scores.

Completed multiple object tracking or mental imagery training for five consecutive days over one week in addition to their regular tennis classes.

Completed post-test assessments using tennis performance, cognitive, anxiety, and psychophysiological measures.

Conditions

• Tennis Performance and Mental Training

Interventions

OTHER

Multiple Object Tracking Training

Participants assigned to the Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) group completed a custom-developed, computer-based MOT training program in addition to their regular tennis training. The program was designed to train sustained attention, working memory, and visuospatial tracking. Participants viewed multiple moving spherical objects on a computer screen and were instructed to track a designated subset of target objects while ignoring distractors and identify the target objects at the end of each trial. The researcher could adjust the number of objects, object color, object size, movement speed, and tracking duration. The object movement speed was fixed at 300 pixels per second and the objects were displayed in green. Each session consisted of 140 trials organized into five sets of 28 trials. Each trial included 6 seconds of tracking followed by 6 seconds of rest, with a 2-minute rest period between sets. The active tracking time was approximately 14 minutes and the total session duration wa

OTHER

Mental Imagery Training

Participants assigned to the Mental Imagery (MI) group completed five individual mental imagery training sessions, one session per day for five consecutive days. Each session lasted approximately 30 minutes and was conducted by an experienced clinical psychologist. The training protocol was structured according to the PETTLEP model and incorporated kinesthetic, sensory, and emotional components of motor imagery. Each session consisted of four phases: a 5-minute preparatory phase involving breathing exercises and a body scan; a 5-minute action-observation phase in which participants watched video footage of a professional tennis player performing forehand and backhand strokes, with specific technical aspects highlighted; a 15-minute imagery phase in which participants mentally rehearsed successful and accurate performance of the Dyer Wall Test using both internal and external perspectives; and a 5-minute evaluation phase in which participants rated the vividness and realism of their ima

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Halic University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

25 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-09

Primary Completion

2026-02-27

Completion

2026-02-27

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations