Effect of music therapy applications on self-control, self-defence, and mental resilience levels in female wrestlers

Trial Information

General Information

Title

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0018068

Initial registration date

March 10, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

March 12, 2026, 4:33 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country

Turkey

Region

GÜMÜŞHANE

Primary Investigator

Name

coşkun yılmaz

Affiliation

ev

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status

Completed

Start date

2025-09-05

End date

2026-01-10

Keywords

Education

Additional Keywords

Wrestling, quality of life, mental resilience, self-control, music therapy.

JEL code(s)

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

Background: Self-control, self-defence self-efficacy, and mental resilience are among the fundamental psychological determinants of performance and competitive endurance in combat sports. However, scientific evidence regarding structured, evidence-based psychological intervention programs for female wrestlers is limited. This study aimed to examine the effect of a structured psychological intervention program based on music therapy on the levels of self-control, self-defence self-efficacy, and mental resilience in female wrestlers.
Method: The research was conducted using a randomized controlled pre-test–post-test experimental design. A total of 30 female wrestlers aged between 18 and 25 participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the music therapy intervention group (MTG; n=15) and the control group (CG; n=15). The MTG group received a structured music therapy-based psychological intervention program in addition to regular training for 8 weeks, while the control group continued only with their routine training program. Self-control, self-defence self-efficacy, and mental resilience levels were assessed before and after the intervention using valid and reliable psychometric scales. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance, and effect sizes were calculated.
Result: Significant differences over time were observed between the intervention and control groups. A highly significant group × time interaction was found for the SP variable (F = 56.525, p <.001, ηp² = .624), indicating a marked improvement in performance in the intervention group. Similarly, a significant group × time interaction was detected for DP scores (F = 9.360, p = .004, ηp² = .216). Among the subscales of self-control, a significant group × time interaction was identified for inhibition (F = 8.172, p = .007, ηp² = .194), while a stronger interaction emerged for initiation performance (F = 14.157, p <.001, ηp² = .294). A highly significant group × time interaction was found for the confidence sub-dimension of mental resilience (F = 59.976, p <.001, ηp² = .638). Similarly, a strong interaction effect was detected for the control dimension (F = 32.486, p <.001, ηp² = .489). A significant and high-level interaction was observed for the persistence dimension (F = 32.709, p <.001, ηp² = .490). The findings reveal that the intervention has a medium-to-high effect size on psychological performance indicators.
Conclusion: The music therapy-based psychological intervention program significantly increased female wrestlers' levels of self-control, self-defence self-efficacy, and mental resilience. These findings suggest that music-supported interventions aimed at developing psychological skills can be integrated into training processes as an effective and innovative approach to enhancing performance and psychological resilience in wrestling sports.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

yılmaz, coşkun. 2026. "Effect of music therapy applications on self-control, self-defence, and mental resilience levels in female wrestlers." AEA RCT Registry. March 12. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18068-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

This study was designed as a parallel, two-arm, pre-test-post-test randomized controlled trial conducted in accordance with the CONSORT 2025 guidelines [8]. Prior to participation, all volunteers were informed in detail about the study procedures, and written consent was obtained in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants were informed both verbally and in writing prior to enrollment that they could withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason and without any consequences for their routine medical care. Ethical approval was granted by the Scientific Research Ethics Committee of Hitit University (Date: 29 August 2025; No: 2025/0472).
This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a structured music therapy-based psychological performance intervention program aimed at developing mental resilience, self-control, and self-defence self-efficacy in female wrestlers aged 18-25. Thirty healthy female wrestlers were included in the study. The G*Power 3.1 program was used to determine the required number of participants. The power analysis results of the sample study showed that the study could be completed with 12 participants in each group (effect size: 0.80; actual power: 0.89). To account for possible losses, 15 more participants were assigned to each group (CG and MTG), adding 25% to the total number of participants. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the MTG group or the control group (CG) at a 1:1 ratio.
Healthy women participating in the study were asked to visit the laboratory three times. During the first visit, they were provided with information about the training procedures and scales. Each participant received a detailed explanation of the music therapy training procedure. During the second visit, which took place one week later, pre-intervention measurements were taken and the values recorded. At the end of the eight-week training program, final measurements were taken during the third and final visits

Intervention (Hidden)

This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a structured music therapy-based psychological performance intervention program aimed at developing mental resilience, self-control, and self-defence self-efficacy in female wrestlers aged 18-25. Thirty healthy female wrestlers were included in the study. The G*Power 3.1 program was used to determine the required number of participants. The power analysis results of the sample study showed that the study could be completed with 12 participants in each group (effect size: 0.80; actual power: 0.89). To account for possible losses, 15 more participants were assigned to each group (CG and MTG), adding 25% to the total number of participants. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the MTG group or the control group (CG) at a 1:1 ratio.
Healthy women participating in the study were asked to visit the laboratory three times. During the first visit, they were provided with information about the training procedures and scales. Each participant received a detailed explanation of the music therapy training procedure. During the second visit, which took place one week later, pre-intervention measurements were taken and the values recorded. At the end of the eight-week training program, final measurements were taken during the third and final visits

Intervention Start Date

2025-10-05

Intervention End Date

2026-01-10

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

The Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ-14), developed by Sheard, Golby, and Van Wersch (2009) to assess athletes' levels of mental toughness, consists of a total of 14 items. The questionnaire, which assesses overall mental toughness as well as three sub-dimensions (confidence, persistence, and control), is a four-point Likert scale.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Physical Self-Defense Scale for Women
Short Multidimensional Self-Control Scale

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Short Multidimensional Self-Control Scale (BMSCS): Developed by Nielsen et al. (2020) and subsequently adapted into Turkish by Koç et al. (2023), the scale consists of eight items and two subscales (Inhibition and Initiation).
Physical Self-Defense Scale for Women: Developed by Uyar (2022), the scale consists of 12 items and two subscales: self-defence against dangerous physical attacks (DP) and self-defence against simple physical attacks (SP). The scale does not contain any items that can be reverse-scored. This five-point Likert-type scale, consisting of two sub-dimensions and 12 items, has a minimum possible score of 12 and a maximum possible score of 60.

Experimental Design

Healthy women participating in the study were asked to visit the laboratory three times. During the first visit, they were provided with information about the training procedures and scales. Each participant received a detailed explanation of the music therapy training procedure. During the second visit, which took place one week later, pre-intervention measurements were taken and the values recorded. At the end of the eight-week training program, final measurements were taken during the third and final visits

Experimental Design Details

Healthy women participating in the study were asked to visit the laboratory three times. During the first visit, they were provided with information about the training procedures and scales. Each participant received a detailed explanation of the music therapy training procedure. During the second visit, which took place one week later, pre-intervention measurements were taken and the values recorded. At the end of the eight-week training program, final measurements were taken during the third and final visits

Randomization Method

This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a structured music therapy-based psychological performance intervention program aimed at developing mental resilience, self-control, and self-defence self-efficacy in female wrestlers aged 18-25. Thirty healthy female wrestlers were included in the study. The G*Power 3.1 program was used to determine the required number of participants. The power analysis results of the sample study showed that the study could be completed with 12 participants in each group (effect size: 0.80; actual power: 0.89). To account for possible losses, 15 more participants were assigned to each group (CG and MTG), adding 25% to the total number of participants. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the MTG group or the control group (CG) at a 1:1 ratio.
The MTG group participated in a music therapy program in addition to their wrestling training program, while the control group continued with their regular training routines. Randomization was performed using a computer-generated random sequence created by an independent researcher not involved in the assessments or intervention program. Assignment concealment was ensured using sequentially numbered, sealed, opaque envelopes opened after baseline measurements. However, to minimize detection and analysis bias, outcome assessors and the statistician responsible for data analysis were blinded to group assignment.
Initially, thirty-five female wrestlers were assessed for eligibility. Two participants were excluded from the study due to refusal to participate (n = 2), personal reasons or program conflicts (n = 2), and health-related reasons (n = 1). The remaining thirty participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the MTG group and the CG group, each comprising fifteen female wrestlers. To determine which group subjects in the sample would be assigned to, numbers from 1 to 30 were randomly assigned to the two groups using a computer program (https://www.randomizer.org/). All stages of the study were conducted under the supervision of a physician to ensure participant safety.

Randomization Unit

This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a structured music therapy-based psychological performance intervention program aimed at developing mental resilience, self-control, and self-defence self-efficacy in female wrestlers aged 18-25. Thirty healthy female wrestlers were included in the study. The G*Power 3.1 program was used to determine the required number of participants. The power analysis results of the sample study showed that the study could be completed with 12 participants in each group (effect size: 0.80; actual power: 0.89). To account for possible losses, 15 more participants were assigned to each group (CG and MTG), adding 25% to the total number of participants. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the MTG group or the control group (CG) at a 1:1 ratio.
The MTG group participated in a music therapy program in addition to their wrestling training program, while the control group continued with their regular training routines. Randomization was performed using a computer-generated random sequence created by an independent researcher not involved in the assessments or intervention program. Assignment concealment was ensured using sequentially numbered, sealed, opaque envelopes opened after baseline measurements. However, to minimize detection and analysis bias, outcome assessors and the statistician responsible for data analysis were blinded to group assignment.
Initially, thirty-five female wrestlers were assessed for eligibility. Two participants were excluded from the study due to refusal to participate (n = 2), personal reasons or program conflicts (n = 2), and health-related reasons (n = 1). The remaining thirty participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the MTG group and the CG group, each comprising fifteen female wrestlers. To determine which group subjects in the sample would be assigned to, numbers from 1 to 30 were randomly assigned to the two groups using a computer program (https://www.randomizer.org/). All stages of the study were conducted under the supervision of a physician to ensure participant safety.

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a structured music therapy-based psychological performance intervention program aimed at developing mental resilience, self-control, and self-defence self-efficacy in female wrestlers aged 18-25. Thirty healthy female wrestlers were included in the study. The G*Power 3.1 program was used to determine the required number of participants. The power analysis results of the sample study showed that the study could be completed with 12 participants in each group (effect size: 0.80; actual power: 0.89). To account for possible losses, 15 more participants were assigned to each group (CG and MTG), adding 25% to the total number of participants. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the MTG group or the control group (CG) at a 1:1 ratio.

Sample size: planned number of observations

This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a structured music therapy-based psychological performance intervention program aimed at developing mental resilience, self-control, and self-defence self-efficacy in female wrestlers aged 18-25. Thirty healthy female wrestlers were included in the study. The G*Power 3.1 program was used to determine the required number of participants. The power analysis results of the sample study showed that the study could be completed with 12 participants in each group (effect size: 0.80; actual power: 0.89). To account for possible losses, 15 more participants were assigned to each group (CG and MTG), adding 25% to the total number of participants. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the MTG group or the control group (CG) at a 1:1 ratio.

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a structured music therapy-based psychological performance intervention program aimed at developing mental resilience, self-control, and self-defence self-efficacy in female wrestlers aged 18-25. Thirty healthy female wrestlers were included in the study. The G*Power 3.1 program was used to determine the required number of participants. The power analysis results of the sample study showed that the study could be completed with 12 participants in each group (effect size: 0.80; actual power: 0.89). To account for possible losses, 15 more participants were assigned to each group (CG and MTG), adding 25% to the total number of participants. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the MTG group or the control group (CG) at a 1:1 ratio.

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

This study was designed to examine the effectiveness of a structured music therapy-based psychological performance intervention program aimed at developing mental resilience, self-control, and self-defence self-efficacy in female wrestlers aged 18-25. Thirty healthy female wrestlers were included in the study. The G*Power 3.1 program was used to determine the required number of participants. The power analysis results of the sample study showed that the study could be completed with 12 participants in each group (effect size: 0.80; actual power: 0.89). To account for possible losses, 15 more participants were assigned to each group (CG and MTG), adding 25% to the total number of participants. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to the MTG group or the control group (CG) at a 1:1 ratio.

Supporting Documents and Materials

Documents

Document Name

ethics committee decision_The effect of music therapy applications on self-control, self-defense, and mental resilience levels in female wrestlers

Document Type

other

Document Description

ethics committee decision

File

ethics committee decision_The effect of music therapy applications on self-control, self-defense, and mental resilience levels in female wrestlers

MD5: ff05d707163a46c26dc81b121c6e1b45

SHA1: db10eedc657e6035286d324bc12fe18b71b8df59

Uploaded At: March 10, 2026

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name

Ethical approval was granted by the Scientific Research Ethics Committee of Hitit University

IRB Approval Date

2025-08-29

IRB Approval Number

2025/0472

Analysis Plan

Effect of music therapy applications on self-control, self-defence, and mental resilience levels in female wrestlers

Pre-Trial

General Information

Locations

Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Registration Citation

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Experimental Design

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Documents

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Post-Trial

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