the effect of rumination on cognitive performance and sports performance with the mediation of sleep quality

Objective: this study aimed to examine the impact of rumination on both cognitive and sports performance, with sleep quality serving as a mediating factor.methods: the research was practical in purpose and employed a structural equation correlation design, conducted in a field setting. the statistical population consisted of all student athletes who participated in the table tennis tournaments in khorasan in 2022, totaling 97 individuals. sampling was performed using a census method, with 80 participants consenting to engage in the study. data were collected using the rumination questionnaires developed by nolen-hoeksema and morrow (1991), a sports performance scale by charbonneau et al. (2001), a cognitive performance assessment by folstein et al. (1975), and the pittsburgh sleep quality index (1989). for data analysis, pearson’s correlation coefficient and path analysis modeling were utilized. results: the findings indicated that rumination has a direct influence on both cognitive and sports performance (p=0.01). furthermore, rumination significantly affects these performances indirectly through the mediation of sleep quality (p=0.01) among student athletes. conclusion: based on the results of this study, rumination is correlated with cognitive and sports performance both directly and indirectly via sleep quality. it is recommended to engage a sports psychologist to conduct educational workshops on rumination management and to monitor and regulate the sleep patterns of student athletes.