dc.description.abstract | Wearable fitness devices such as a smartwatch are common among athletes, however,
these devices may manipulate perceptions of their health status as well as their psychological
rest. Psychology of rest or “mental rest” is an essential part of recovery for overall health (Eccles
& Kazmier, 2019). The psychology of rest model includes the resting process (i.e., always
thinking one’s sport, being externally controlled, tedium, performance demands and non-sport
opportunity costs), the state of being well rested, and wakeful rest (Eccles & Kazmier, 2019).
The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of wearable fitness devices on
collegiate athlete’s psychological rest. It is hypothesized that collegiate athletes will report
higher levels of being poorly mentally rested as well as lower levels of wakeful rest while
wearing the fitness trackers versus not wearing it. Participants included 20 NCAA Division I
female athletes. The measurements consist of a mixed quantitative and qualitative analyses based
on Eccles and Kazmier’s research (2019). The counterbalance, six-week study include
participants wearing a fitness device, Fitbit Inspire 2, for two weeks and without it for another
two weeks while responding to two psychology of rest questionnaires each week. On the last
week, the researchers will conduct a stratified random sampling for an interview. Results found
no significant differences in both questionnaires; however, the interview displayed the impact of
the participant’s psychological rest related to stress demands from school and sport. This
research benefits sport psychology professionals and coaches to better understand the athlete’s
mental rest to improve their overall performance, and for sport science practitioners to utilize
WFDs to enhance athlete sport performance. | en_US |