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

NCT07794228 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2025/450
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief 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

Healthy Adult Participants

Keywords

tennis; tennis performance; multiple object tracking; mental imagery; executive functions; cognitive control; working memory; anxiety; heart rate variability; electrodermal activity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Tennis Performance-Dyer Wall Test

  Tennis performance was assessed using the Dyer Wall Test, a wall-based tennis performance test evaluating participants' ability to perform repeated forehand and backhand strokes against a wall. Performance was quantified based on the number of successful returns according to the standardized scoring procedure of the test.

  Baseline (pre-test) to post-test, approximately 3 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Cognitive Control-Flanker Task

  Baseline (pre-test) to post-test, approximately 3 weeks

• Working Memory-Corsi Block Test

  Baseline (pre-test) to post-test, approximately 3 weeks

• Anxiety-Revised Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2

  Baseline (pre-test) to post-test, approximately 3 weeks

• Heart Rate Variability

  Baseline (pre-test) to post-test, approximately 3 weeks

• Electrodermal Activity

  Baseline (pre-test) to post-test, approximately 3 weeks

Study Arms (3)

Multiple Object Tracking Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm received multiple object tracking (MOT) training in addition to their regular tennis classes during the intervention period.

Other: Multiple Object Tracking Training

Mental Imagery Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm received structured mental imagery (MI) training in addition to their regular tennis classes during the intervention period.

Other: Mental Imagery Training

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this arm continued their regular tennis classes without receiving additional multiple object tracking or mental imagery training during the intervention period.

Interventions

Multiple Object Tracking Training OTHER

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

Multiple Object Tracking Group

Mental Imagery Training OTHER

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

Mental Imagery Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18-25 years
• Enrolled in the Faculty of Sport Sciences
• Actively participating in the elective tennis course
• Obtaining a valid score on the Dyer Wall Test pre-test administered after the course's first six weeks
• No prior regular training or competitive background in tennis
• Not a licensed or national-level tennis athlete
• Not concurrently enrolled in any other mental training program
• Voluntary consent to participate
• No health condition precluding participation

You may not qualify if:

• Incomplete or improperly completed personal information forms
• A prior competitive tennis background, tennis license, or tournament participation identified after enrollment
• Voluntary withdrawal at any stage
• Failure to complete the full testing protocol
• Injury occurring during the study that prevents continued participation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Halic University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Halic University

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 26, 2026
• First Posted: August 31, 2026
• Study Start: February 9, 2026
• Primary Completion: February 27, 2026
• Study Completion: February 27, 2026
• Last Updated: September 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)