The Effect of tDCS-Mindfulness Program on Self-Control and Emotion Regulation in Badminton Players

Background: Mindfulness and tDCS have been shown to have psychological and physiological effects. However, the effects of using both simultaneously have not yet been fully determined. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of a tDCS-mindfulness program on selective attention in skilled badminton players. Methods: Thirty-six healthy skilled male badminton players were selected based on the study criteria and divided into three groups: A-tDCS-mindfulness, sham-tDCS-mindfulness, and control (N=12). The research variables were measured using pre- and post-tests. The Shapiro-Wilk test indicated that the data were normal; therefore, the t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to test the research hypotheses. Results: The results showed that A significant difference was observed between the pre- and post-test scores for self-control and emotion regulation in both the A-tDCS and sham-tDCS mindfulness groups. In the between-groups comparison effect, it was also found that there was a significant difference in self-control and emotion regulation, and post-hoc analysis showed that the A-tDCS-mindfulness, sham-tDCS-mindfulness, and control groups had the best SC and ER, respectively. Conclusions: This study supports the effectiveness of tDCS-mindfulness on self-control and emotion regulation in badminton players. The results also indicate that the simultaneous use of tDCS and mindfulness was more effective than mindfulness alone.