MUSIC AS PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT AMONG UITM ATHLETES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i4.1299Keywords:
motivation, psychological endurance, athletic performance, gender differences, physical strengthAbstract
Music is widely used in sport and exercise settings, yet evidence from Malaysian university athletes remains limited. This quantitative cross-sectional survey examined UiTM athletes' perceived effects of music on psychological endurance, physical strength and performance, and motivation, and tested gender differences in these perceptions. Data were collected from 131 athletes (58 male, 73 female) using a structured questionnaire adapted from the Impact of Music on Sportive Activities Scale and analysed using descriptive statistics and Welch independent-samples t-tests. Results showed that athletes frequently perceived music as beneficial during sport activities. Motivation recorded the highest overall mean score (M = 3.64, SD = 0.81), followed by psychological endurance (M = 3.63, SD = 0.77) and physical strength and performance (M = 3.60, SD = 0.80). At item level, music was most strongly associated with relaxation, energy, stress reduction, emotional regulation and concentration. Welch t-tests showed no significant gender differences across the three dimensions (p > .05), with small or negligible effect sizes. The findings suggest that music may be managed as a low-cost psychological support strategy shaped by athlete preference, session purpose and training intensity rather than by gender alone.
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