Tenisçilerin Bilişsel Performans Belirleyicileri: İrade Kontrolü ve Konsantrasyon Arasındaki İlişkide Etkili Karar Vermenin Aracılık Rolü

Determinants of Cognitive Performance in Tennis Players: The Mediating Role of Effective Decision-Making in the Relationship Between Volitional Control and Concentration

Mehmet KARA, N. Şeyma KARA

*Correspondence: Mehmet Kara mehmetkara@mersin.edu.tr

¹Mersin Üniversitesi, Spor Bilimleri Fakültesi, Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bölümü, Mersin/Türkiye
Orcid: 0000-0001-9454-5164 mehmetkara@mersin.edu.tr

²Hatay Mustafa Kemal Üniversitesi, Spor Bilimleri Fakültesi, Rekreasyon Bölümü, Hatay/Türkiye

Orcid: 0000-0003-0460-2263 nseymasar@gmail.com

Doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23679520

https://www.ijoss.org/Archive/v3-i3/ijoss-Volume3-issue3-09.pdf

Download Full Text

Received / Gönderim: 26.08.2026 Accepted / Kabul: 12.10.2026 Published / Yayın: 25.10.2026

Öz

Bu araştırmanın amacı, tenis sporcularında irade kontrolü, etkili karar verme ve konsantrasyon düzeyi arasındaki ilişkileri incelemek; bu ilişkide etkili karar vermenin aracılık rolünü test etmek ve konsantrasyon düzeyi puanlarının cinsiyet (kadın/erkek) ile spor psikoloğu desteği düzeyine göre nasıl farklılaştığını ortaya koymaktır. İlişkisel tarama modelinde yürütülen araştırmanın evrenini Türkiye’de aktif olarak tenis oynayan sporcular, örneklemini ise kolayda örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenen toplam 691 tenis sporcusu oluşturmuştur (yaş aralığı = 12–45; X̄ yaş = 21.87 ± 6.04). Veriler, Sporcularda İrade Kontrol Düzeyi Ölçeği, Sporda Etkili Karar Verme Ölçeği ve Sporcularda Algılanan Konsantrasyon Düzeyi Ölçeği kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda, irade kontrolü, etkili karar verme ve konsantrasyon düzeyi arasında pozitif ve anlamlı ilişkiler bulunduğu belirlenmiştir (r = .40–.74, p < .01). Ayrıca etkili karar vermenin, irade kontrolü ile konsantrasyon düzeyi arasındaki ilişkide anlamlı ve kısmi bir aracılık rolü gösterdiği belirlenmiştir (dolaylı etki = .105, %95 GA [.078, .132], p < .001). Bununla birlikte, konsantrasyon düzeyi puanlarının spor psikoloğu desteği düzeylerine göre anlamlı biçimde farklılaştığı (p < .001) ve cinsiyet ile spor psikoloğu desteği etkileşimine bağlı olarak farklılık gösterdiği (p < .05) belirlenmiştir. Bulgular, daha yüksek spor psikoloğu desteği bildiren hem kadın hem de erkek sporcuların daha yüksek konsantrasyon düzeylerine sahip olduğunu; düşük destek düzeyinde erkeklerin, yüksek destek düzeyinde ise kadınların konsantrasyon puanlarının görece daha yüksek olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu doğrultuda, antrenörlerin ve uygulayıcıların sporcuların konsantrasyon becerilerini desteklemeye yönelik süreçlerde spor psikoloğu desteğini dikkate almaları önerilmektedir. Sonuç olarak, tenis sporcularında konsantrasyon düzeyinin irade kontrolü ve karar verme süreçleriyle anlamlı biçimde ilişkili çok boyutlu bir yapı olduğu görülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Konsantrasyon, İrade kontrolü, Etkili karar verme, Tenis sporcuları, Spor psikoloğu desteği, Aracılık

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among volitional control, effective decision-making, and concentration level in tennis players; to test the mediating role of effective decision-making in this relationship; and to determine how concentration level scores vary according to gender (female/male) and level of sport psychologist support. The population of this correlational survey study consisted of athletes actively playing tennis in Türkiye, while the sample comprised 691 tennis players selected through convenience sampling (age range = 12–45 years; M_age = 21.87 ± 6.04). Data were collected using the Volitional Control Level Scale for Athletes, the Effective Decision-Making in Sports Scale, and the Perceived Concentration Level in Athletes Scale. The results revealed positive and significant relationships among volitional control, effective decision-making, and concentration level (r = .40–.74, p < .01). In addition, effective decision-making had a significant partial mediating role in the relationship between volitional control and concentration level (indirect effect = .105, 95% CI [.078, .132], p < .001). Furthermore, concentration level scores differed significantly according to the level of sport psychologist support (p < .001) and the interaction between gender and sport psychologist support (p < .05). The findings indicated that both female and male athletes reporting higher levels of sport psychologist support had higher concentration levels; at low levels of support, male athletes had relatively higher concentration scores, whereas at high levels of support, female athletes had relatively higher scores. Accordingly, coaches and practitioners are advised to consider sport psychologist support when implementing strategies aimed at supporting athletes’ concentration skills. In conclusion, concentration level in tennis players appears to be a multidimensional construct that is significantly associated with volitional control and decision-making processes.

Keywords: Concentration, Volitional control, Effective decision-making, Tennis players, Sport psychologist support, Mediation

 How to Cite This Article

APA 7

Kara, M.  & Kara, N.Ş. (2026). Tenisçilerin Bilişsel Performans Belirleyicileri: İrade Kontrolü ve Konsantrasyon Arasındaki İlişkide Etkili Karar Vermenin Aracılık Rolü. International Journal of Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences, 3(3).1059-1075.

Vancouver

Kara M.  & Kara N.Ş. Tenisçilerin Bilişsel Performans Belirleyicileri: İrade Kontrolü ve Konsantrasyon Arasındaki İlişkide Etkili Karar Vermenin Aracılık Rolü. International Journal of Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences. 2026;3(3). 1059-1075.

References / Kaynaklar

• Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., & Tice, D. M. (2007). The strength model of self-control. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(6), 351–355. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00534.x
• Birrer, D., & Morgan, G. (2010). Psychological skills training as a way to enhance an athlete’s performance in high‐intensity sports. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20(Suppl. 2), 78–87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01188.x
• Brimmell, J., Edwards, E. J., & Vaughan, R. S. (2024). Executive function and visual attention in sport: A systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 17(2), 1278–1311. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2022.2145574
• Cohen, J. (2013). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Routledge.
• Coutinho, D., Gonçalves, B., Travassos, B., Abade, E., Wong, D. P., & Sampaio, J. (2019). Effects of pitch spatial references on players’ positioning and physical performances during football small-sided games. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(7), 741–747. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1523671
• Çetin, M. Ç., & Kara, M. (2024). Sporda etkili karar verme ölçeği (SEKVÖ):Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Gazi Journal of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, 29(1), 40–52. https://doi.org/10.53434/gbesbd.1377855
• Duckworth, A. L., Gendler, T. S., & Gross, J. J. (2014). Self-control in school-age children. Educational Psychologist, 49(3), 199-217. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2014.926225
• Englert, C. (2016). The strength model of self-control in sport and exercise psychology. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 314. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00314
• Field, A. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Furley, P., & Memmert, D. (2015). Creativity and working memory capacity in sports: Working memory capacity is not a limiting factor in creative decision making amongst skilled performers. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 115. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00115
• Furley, P., & Wood, G. (2016). Working memory, attentional control, and expertise in sports: A review of current literature and directions for future research. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 5(4), 415–425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2016.05.001
• George, D., & Mallery, P. (2024). IBM SPSS statistics 29 step by step: A simple guide and reference (18th ed.). Routledge.
• Golzar, J., Noor, S., & Tajik, O. (2022). Convenience sampling. International Journal of Education & Language Studies, 1(2), 72-77.
• Hagger, M. S., Sas, S. V., Balla, J., Benoit, T. Z., Majeed, R., Primoceri, P., Smith, S. R., & Hamilton, K. (2026). Trait self-control and health behavior: Meta-analysis and test of a mediational model. Health Psychology, 45(7), 713–735. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001588
• Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford publications.
• Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
• Inzlicht, M., Werner, K. M., Briskin, J. L., & Roberts, B. W. (2021). Integrating models of self-regulation. Annual review of psychology, 72(1), 319-345. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-061020-105721
• Kaiseler, M., Polman, R., & Nicholls, A. (2009). Mental toughness, stress, stress appraisal, coping and coping effectiveness in sport. Personality and individual differences, 47(7), 728-733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.06.012
• Kara, M., Genç, M., Talaghir, L. G., Bențea, C. C., Olaru, B. S., & Ivan, P. (2026). Cognitive Tendencies Influencing Decision-Making in Young Footballers and the Role of Psychological Support. Behavioral Sciences, 16(2), 205. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16020205.
• Kara, N. S., & Kara, M. (2026). The Perceived Concentration Level in Athletes Scale (PCLAS): A Validity and Reliability Study. Sportif Bakış: Spor ve Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 13(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.70736/spjses.329
• Kara, N. Ş., Uzun, N. B., & Lekesiz, G. (2025). Willpower Level Scale for Athletes (WLSA): A Reliability and Validity Study. Gazi Journal of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, 30(3), 74-84. https://doi.org/10.53434/gbesbd.1694904
• Kim, H. Y. (2013). Statistical notes for clinical researchers: assessing normal distribution (2) using skewness and kurtosis. Restorative dentistry & endodontics, 38(1), 52. https://doi.org/10.5395/rde.2013.38.1.52
• Kline, R. B. (2023). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford publications.
• Mann, D. T., Williams, A. M., Ward, P., & Janelle, C. M. (2007). Perceptual-cognitive expertise in sport: A meta-analysis. Journal of sport and exercise psychology, 29(4), 457-478. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.29.4.457
• Nicholls, A. R., & Polman, R. C. (2007). Coping in sport: A systematic review. Journal of sports sciences, 25(1), 11-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410600630654
• Öztürker, C., Şahan, A., & Erman, K. A. (2025). Impact of mental fatigue on tennis players’ attention and groundstroke performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1544785. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544785
• Raab, M. (2012). Simple heuristics in sports. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 5(2), 104-120. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2012.654810
• Reinebo, G., Alfonsson, S., Jansson-Fröjmark, M., Rozental, A., & Lundgren, T. (2023). Effects of psychological interventions to enhance athletic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine (Auckland, NZ), 54(2), 347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01931-z
• Seidel-Marzi, O., Amatriain-Fernández, S., & Cañal-Bruland, R. (2026). Are core executive functions predictive of decision-making in sport? A scoping review. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 24(3), 510–533. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2025.2454949
• Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics (6th ed.). Pearson.
• Ünver, Ş., Kaplan, A., Arslan, H., & Şimşek, E. (2023). Does tennis training improve attention? New approach. Children, 10(4), 728. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10040728
• Voss, M. W., Kramer, A. F., Basak, C., Prakash, R. S., & Roberts, B. (2010). Are expert athletes ‘expert’in the cognitive laboratory? A meta‐analytic review of cognition and sport expertise. Applied cognitive psychology, 24(6), 812-826. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.1588
• Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2023). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. Human kinetics.
• Williams, A. M., & Jackson, R. C. (Eds.). (2019). Anticipation and decision making in sport (Vol. 612). London, UK: Routledge.
• Zhao, X., Lynch Jr, J. G., & Chen, Q. (2010). Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and truths about mediation analysis. Journal of consumer research, 37(2), 197-206. https://doi.org/10.1086/651257.