The Effect of Psychological Strategies on Dart Throwing Performance at Different Arousal Levels

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of psychological strategies, including imagery and positive self-talk, on dart-throwing performance at normal, low, and high arousal levels among adolescent female students. This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test, and retention-test design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of female high school students aged 16–18 years in Boein Zahra County. Twenty-four participants were selected through convenience sampling and assigned into experimental and control groups (12 participants in each group) after matching based on pre-test scores. The experimental group participated in eight training sessions involving dart-throwing practice combined with listening to audio files containing psychological strategies, including imagery and positive self-talk, whereas the control group only performed physical practice. Arousal levels were manipulated through calm music for low arousal and stimulating music for high arousal conditions. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS software. The results demonstrated that psychological strategies significantly improved dart-throwing performance at normal arousal levels in the experimental group compared with the control group (p = .021). Similarly, at high arousal levels, the experimental group showed significantly superior performance compared to the control group (p < .001). However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups under low arousal conditions (p = .477). These findings indicate that the effectiveness of psychological strategies is dependent on arousal level and is more prominent under normal and high arousal conditions. The findings suggest that psychological strategies are most effective for improving fine motor performance when individuals experience an optimal or elevated level of arousal. Low arousal conditions may reduce attentional engagement and cognitive activation required for effective processing of imagery and self-talk instructions. Therefore, integrating arousal regulation with psychological interventions may play an important role in enhancing athletic performance and can assist coaches and sport psychologists in designing more effective training programs