The effect of smartphones and playing video games on decision-making in soccer players: A crossover and randomised study

Fortes, Leonardo de Sousa; Dalton de Lima‐Júnior; Fiorese, Lenamar; José Roberto Andrade do Nascimento Júnior; Mortatti, Arnaldo Luís; Ferreira, Maria Elisa Caputo · 2020 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2020.1715181

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Summary

This study investigated whether using smartphones for social networking or playing video games induces mental fatigue that impairs decision-making performance in professional soccer players. Soccer requires rapid, accurate decision-making based on environmental cues, a process known to be vulnerable to mental fatigue. While previous research established that laboratory-induced mental fatigue (e.g., via the Stroop task) degrades performance, the ecological validity of such findings was limited. This research aimed to determine if common pre-match activities—specifically 30 minutes of smartphone use or video gaming—produce similar detrimental effects on passing decisions during simulated matches. The researchers employed a randomized, crossover experimental design involving 25 male professional soccer athletes. Participants completed three conditions: a control (CON) involving watching advertisements, a smartphone (SMA) condition involving social media use, and a video game (VID) condition involving FIFA 2018. Each condition lasted 30 minutes. Mental fatigue was assessed using the Stroop Task before and after each intervention to measure changes in accuracy and response time. Following the intervention, athletes participated in a 90-minute simulated soccer match. Passing decision-making was evaluated using the Decision-Making Index (DMI), calculated from video analysis using the Game Performance Assessment Instrument. Secondary measures included hydration status, perceived recovery, internal load (blood lactate and RPE), and weather conditions to control for confounding variables. Results indicated that both SMA and VID conditions significantly induced mental fatigue, evidenced by decreased accuracy and increased response times on the Stroop Task compared to the control condition. Crucially, this mental fatigue translated to impaired on-field performance. The DMI was significantly lower in both the SMA and VID conditions compared to CON (p = .01, effect size = 0.5 for both). No significant differences were found between conditions regarding the number of passes, hydration, perceived recovery, internal load, or environmental conditions, isolating mental fatigue as the primary cause of the performance decline. The study concludes that engaging in smartphone social networking or video gaming for at least 30 minutes prior to competition impairs passing decision-making in professional soccer players. The authors suggest that this impairment stems from reduced cognitive flexibility and attention, likely due to altered activity in the anterior cingulate cortex associated with mental fatigue. Practically, these findings imply that coaches and technical committees should consider restricting athletes' use of smartphones and video games immediately before official matches to preserve optimal decision-making capabilities. The study highlights the importance of managing cognitive load alongside physical preparation in high-level sports.

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