Music Intervention on Golfers Under Mental Fatigue

April 27, 2025 updated by: Pan Xiaoyang

Effects of Music Intervention on Golf-Specific Skill Performance of Chinese Golfers Under Mental Fatigue

This study aims to evaluate the effects of music intervention on golf-specific skill performance under mental fatigue. It is a randomised, controlled, double-blind design. The study consists of three main phases: familiarisation with the experimental procedure, baseline testing, and the formal experiment. During the formal experiment, participants will be randomly assigned to one of the following three groups: (MF-Mu Group) Participants undergo a mental fatigue induction task followed by a music intervention; (MF-nMu Group) Participants undergo a mental fatigue induction task but do not receive a music intervention; (CON Group) Participants neither undergo a mental fatigue induction task nor receive a music intervention. The total intervention duration is 45 minutes, consisting of 30 minutes of mental fatigue induction and 15 minutes of music intervention. In conditions where mental fatigue induction or music intervention is not conducted, participants will remain in the same experimental environment and rest quietly for the same duration to control for external confounding factors and ensure experimental consistency. Immediately after the intervention, participants will complete golf skill testing, with the testing site located within a 2 minutes walking distance from the intervention area. Performance outcomes include driving performance, iron shot performance, chipping performance, and putting performance.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

60

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Malaysia
    • Selangor
      • Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia, 43400
        • Universiti Putra Malaysia
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Xiaoyang Pan, PhD Candidate

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Athletes must be between 18 and 24 years old.
  • Be registered golfers in the National Colleges and Universities Golf Championship.
  • Have at least three years of specialised golf training.
  • Engage in at least five weekly training sessions.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Colour blindness.
  • Hearing loss.
  • Insomnia.
  • Physical injuries.
  • Ongoing mental health issues.
  • The use of any medication that might influence cognitive.
  • The use of any medication that might influence physical performance.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: MF-Mu Group
MF-Mu Group: Participants undergo a mental fatigue induction task followed by a music intervention
Behavioral: Inducing mental fatigue
During the mental fatigue induction phase, a 30-minute Stroop task will artificially induce mental fatigue, simulating the mental fatigue state that athletes experience during competitions or training sessions. The Stroop task is a classic cognitive control task widely used for inducing mental fatigue. Research in sports science has shown that a 30-minute Stroop task significantly increases subjective fatigue and reduces physical performance. This study will use a smartphone-based version of the Stroop task (with brightness and touch sensitivity standardised), where colour words (such as "red" and "blue") are displayed continuously, but the font colour does not match the word's meaning. Participants must ignore the word's meaning and respond only based on the font colour. The Stroop task requires sustained attention, conflict resolution, and cognitive inhibition, leading to cognitive resource depletion and mental fatigue accumulation.
Behavioral: Music intervention
During the music intervention phase, participants will listen to 15 minutes of classical music to facilitate mental fatigue recovery. This study selects Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik as the intervention music, a piece that has been applied in previous mental fatigue recovery studies and has been validated as an effective intervention. The intervention duration is set at 15 minutes, as multiple studies have confirmed this duration to be sufficient to produce recovery effects without causing additional cognitive load or auditory fatigue. The music will be played through a smartphone, with the intervention volume controlled at 50-60 dBA. Considering that the maximum volume of a smartphone is approximately 105-113 dBA, the standardised intervention volume is set at 50% (52.5-56.5 dBA) of the smartphone's maximum volume to ensure consistency among all participants.
Active Comparator: MF-nMu Group
MF-nMu Group: Participants undergo a mental fatigue induction task but do not receive a music intervention
Behavioral: Inducing mental fatigue
During the mental fatigue induction phase, a 30-minute Stroop task will artificially induce mental fatigue, simulating the mental fatigue state that athletes experience during competitions or training sessions. The Stroop task is a classic cognitive control task widely used for inducing mental fatigue. Research in sports science has shown that a 30-minute Stroop task significantly increases subjective fatigue and reduces physical performance. This study will use a smartphone-based version of the Stroop task (with brightness and touch sensitivity standardised), where colour words (such as "red" and "blue") are displayed continuously, but the font colour does not match the word's meaning. Participants must ignore the word's meaning and respond only based on the font colour. The Stroop task requires sustained attention, conflict resolution, and cognitive inhibition, leading to cognitive resource depletion and mental fatigue accumulation.
No Intervention: CON Group
CON Group: Participants neither undergo a mental fatigue induction task nor receive a music intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The change in golf driving accuracy after music intervention compared to performance under mental fatigue.
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The golf driving performance test follows the Golf Skill Level Standards and Testing Methods issued by the China Golf Association, assessing accuracy. The target is located 210 yards from the hitting area, and expands outward at an angle, widening to approximately 20 yards additional space on either side. Accuracy is determined by the number of balls landing in the designated target area. A total of 10 shots are performed, with 1 point awarded per successful shot, resulting in a score range of 1 to 10 points.
Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The change in golf driving shot quality after music intervention compared to performance under mental fatigue.
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The driving shot quality is evaluated based on the golfer's subjective feedback after each shot, responding to the question: "Do you think this shot was solid?" Responses are recorded as "Yes" (solid contact) or "No" (poor contact). A total of 10 shots are performed, with 1 point awarded per successful shot, resulting in a score range of 1 to 10 points.
Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The change in iron shot accuracy after music intervention compared to performance under mental fatigue.
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the driving test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The 150 yards iron shot performance test follows the Golf Skill Level Standards and Testing Methods issued by the China Golf Association, assessing accuracy. The distance to the target is 150 yards. The Target Zone is a rectangle positioned 150 yards away, measuring 20 yards wide and 30 yards deep (15 yards before and 15 yards after the 150-yard line). Accuracy is determined by the number of balls landing in the designated target area. A total of 10 shots are performed, with 1 point awarded per successful shot, resulting in a score range of 1 to 10 points.
Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the driving test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The change in iron shot shot quality after music intervention compared to performance under mental fatigue.
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the driving test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The iron shot quality is evaluated based on the golfer's subjective feedback after each shot, responding to the question: "Do you think this shot was solid?" Responses are recorded as "Yes" (solid contact) or "No" (poor contact). A total of 10 shots are performed, with 1 point awarded per successful shot, resulting in a score range of 1 to 10 points.
Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the driving test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The change in chipping accuracy after music intervention compared to performance under mental fatigue.
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the iron test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The 30 yards chipping performance test follows the Golf Skill Level Standards and Testing Methods issued by the China Golf Association, assessing accuracy. The distance to the target is 30 yards. The Target Zone is a circular area with a 3-yard radius around the hole. Accuracy is determined by the number of balls landing in the designated target area. A total of 10 shots are performed, with 1 point awarded per successful shot, resulting in a score range of 1 to 10 points.
Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the iron test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The change in chipping shot quality after music intervention compared to performance under mental fatigue.
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the iron test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The chipping shot quality is evaluated based on the golfer's subjective feedback after each shot, responding to the question: "Do you think this shot was solid?" Responses are recorded as "Yes" (solid contact) or "No" (poor contact). A total of 10 shots are performed, with 1 point awarded per successful shot, resulting in a score range of 1 to 10 points.
Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the iron test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The change in putting accuracy after music intervention compared to performance under mental fatigue.
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the chipping test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The putting performance test follows the Golf Skill Level Standards and Testing Methods issued by the China Golf Association, assessing accuracy . Participants perform putts of two different distances from the Ball-striking Zone. A successful putt is defined as either holing the ball (for the 1.5-yard putt) or stopping the ball within the 1-yard radius Target Zone (for the 7-yard putt). A total of 10 shots (5 1.5-yard putt and 5 7-yard putt) are performed, with 1 point awarded per successful shot, resulting in a score range of 1 to 10 points.
Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the chipping test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The change in putting shot quality after music intervention compared to performance under mental fatigue.
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the chipping test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
The putting shot quality is evaluated based on the golfer's subjective feedback after each shot, responding to the question: "Do you think this shot was solid?" Responses are recorded as "Yes" (solid contact) or "No" (poor contact). A total of 10 shots are performed, with 1 point awarded per successful shot, resulting in a score range of 1 to 10 points.
Baseline and immediately after the music intervention (after the chipping test) (No more than 40 seconds per shot, with a total duration of about 5 minutes).
Mental fatigue
Time Frame: Baseline, before mental fatigue induction, immediately after mental fatigue induction, and immediately after the music intervention (about 30 seconds per test).
The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) assesses participants' subjective perception of mental fatigue. The scoring is based on a 100 mm linear scale, where participants mark a point between 0 (none at all) and 100 (extremely intense) to describe their current level of mental fatigue.
Baseline, before mental fatigue induction, immediately after mental fatigue induction, and immediately after the music intervention (about 30 seconds per test).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Immersive Tendency
Time Frame: Baseline (about 1 minute).
The Immersive Tendency Questionnaire (ITQ) assesses participants' degree of immersion in the virtual environment (music). This questionnaire consists of 18 items categorised into four factors: immersive tendency, individual alertness, physical state, and attention-shifting ability. Each item is rated on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree).
Baseline (about 1 minute).
Motivation
Time Frame: Baseline, before mental fatigue induction, immediately after mental fatigue induction, and immediately after the music intervention (about 30 seconds per test).
The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) assesses participants' subjective perception of motivation levels. The scoring is based on a 100 mm linear scale, where participants mark a point between 0 (none at all) and 100 (extremely intense) to describe their current level of motivation.
Baseline, before mental fatigue induction, immediately after mental fatigue induction, and immediately after the music intervention (about 30 seconds per test).
Sport Anxiety
Time Frame: Baseline, before mental fatigue induction, immediately after mental fatigue induction, and immediately after the music intervention (about 1 minute per test).
The Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2) assesses participants' trait sport anxiety levels. This scale consists of 15 items categorised into three factors: somatic anxiety, worry, and concentration disruption. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much so).
Baseline, before mental fatigue induction, immediately after mental fatigue induction, and immediately after the music intervention (about 1 minute per test).
Rating Perception of Effort
Time Frame: Baseline, before mental fatigue induction, immediately after mental fatigue induction, and immediately after the music intervention (about 30 seconds per test).
The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (Borg RPE) assesses individuals' subjective effort levels. This scale employs a 15-level scoring system, ranging from 6 (extremely easy) to 20 (extremely strenuous), to reflect athletes' subjective perception of workload intensity during testing or competition.
Baseline, before mental fatigue induction, immediately after mental fatigue induction, and immediately after the music intervention (about 30 seconds per test).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Pan Xiaoyang

Investigators

  • Study Director: Kim Geok Soh, Prof. Dr., Department of Sport Studies, Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

September 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 9, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 27, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

April 30, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 30, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 27, 2025

Last Verified

April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • HUSOM2025-066

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

There are currently no plans to share IPD, although this may be reconsidered in the future depending on data privacy safeguards, participant consent, and availability of secure sharing platforms.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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