Document Type : Original research study
Authors
1 Post-doctoral researcher of strategic management in sport organizations and events, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2 Professor (Full) of sport management, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili
Abstract
Given the uncertainty of gender differences in decision-making, the question arises whether men and women respond differently to electrical stimulation and its impact on risk-taking behaviors. The current study aimed to determine the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the risky decision-making of chess-playing students based on gender. Thus, 28 high school students; 14 female (16±0.87), and 14 male (16.5±1.22), who participated in regional and national chess competitions, were enrolled. Each subject attended three separate sessions in the laboratory with at least 72 hours of rest between sessions. In each session, before and after each type of stimulation (one of three types of electrical stimulation: right anodal/left cathodal, right cathodal/left anodal, and sham for 20 minutes at 2 mA intensity on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), they performed a risky decision-making task and the Lichess computer game. Data analysis using two-way mixed ANOVA showed a significant difference between anodal right/cathodal left and cathodal right/anodal left stimulation (p=0.001), while there was no significant difference between gender and different modes of tDCS. As a new finding, these results support the potential use of tDCS as a tool to enhance risky decision-making in sports.
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