Sport Psychology Studies

Sport Psychology Studies

The Effect of Rational Emotive Behavioral Intervention Training (REBT) and َAnodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ( Anodal tDCS) on Irrational Beliefes and Performance Under Pressure in Adolescent

Document Type : Original research

Authors
Abolfazl Barzegar Mohamadhasni 1
Alireza Farsi 2
Alireza Bahrami 3
Behrouz Abdoli 4
Ebrahim Moteshareie 2
1 Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences and Technology in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health,Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran, Iran.
2 Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences and Technology in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Motor behavior and sports psychology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Arak, Arak, Iran
4 Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences and Technology in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health,Shahid Beheshti
10.22089/spsyj.2025.18855.2635
Abstract
Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (Anodal tDCS), and the combined effects of these interventions, on irrational beliefs and performance under pressure in adolescents.
Materials and Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design including a control group. Sixty adolescent male soccer players (16–18 years) were selected using convenience sampling. The sample size was calculated through statistical power analysis (G*Power). Participants were randomly assigned via simple random sampling into four groups of 15: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, anodal transcranial direct current stimulation, combined, and control/sham. The instruments included the Irrational Beliefs Inventory and the player performance scoring form. The Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy groups received 8 sessions of 45 minutes every five days. The anodal transcranial direct current stimulation group received 8 sessions of 15-minute stimulation at 2 mA, and the control/sham group received 2-minute anodal stimulation every five days. Data were analyzed using mixed factorial analysis of variance, one-way analysis of variance, and Bonferroni tests.
Findings: The results showed that Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, both alone and in combination, significantly reduced irrational beliefs (p < 0.05). However, it did not have a significant effect on performance under competitive pressure (p > 0.05). Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation did not have a significant effect on irrational beliefs (p > 0.05), but through interaction, it increased performance under pressure (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The findings indicated that Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy effectively reduces irrational beliefs and is an efficient tool for managing irrational beliefs. Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation alone can improve performance under stress, but requires more rigorous research. However, their combination did not have a synergistic effect. Given the limitations, such as the small sample size and the specific characteristics of the study population (adolescent soccer players), generalization of these preliminary findings to real competitive environments should be made with caution.
Keywords
Irrational Beliefes
Performance Under Pressure
Rational Emotive Behavioral Intervention
Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Subjects
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Sport Psychology Studies
Volume 15, Issue 58
Autumn 2026
Pages 24-42

  • Receive Date 24 October 2025
  • Revise Date 22 December 2025
  • Accept Date 27 December 2025