An interventional study of Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII) and MCII + WhatsApp Reminders in Self-Efficacy, Self-Regulation and Sport Participation, sponsored by Inonu University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 31 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-23.
Sponsored by Inonu University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a self-regulation strategy called Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII) can improve university students' confidence in participating in tennis training. The study also examines whether adding WhatsApp reminder messages makes the strategy more effective.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does using MCII help students feel more confident about joining and continuing tennis training?
Do WhatsApp reminders increase the effect of MCII on sport self-efficacy?
Researchers compared two groups. One group used the MCII strategy alone, while the other group used MCII together with reminder messages sent through WhatsApp.
Participants were university students who were already enrolled in a tennis training program. Participants:
Completed a questionnaire about their self-efficacy before the study started
Took part in a four-week intervention during regular tennis training sessions
Completed MCII planning exercises before training sessions
Received WhatsApp reminders before sessions if assigned to the reminder group
Completed the same questionnaire again after the intervention
The study aims to better understand how simple digital reminders may support self-regulation and improve students' confidence to continue participating in sports.
This study is grounded in self-regulation theory and investigates the effectiveness of a structured psychological strategy, Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII), in supporting self-efficacy related to university students' participation in tennis training. In addition, the study examines whether digitally delivered reminder prompts enhance the effectiveness of the MCII intervention compared with the standard MCII procedure alone.
The study used a two-arm randomized experimental design with pretest-posttest assessments. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of two conditions: (1) MCII-only or (2) MCII combined with WhatsApp reminder prompts. Randomization was conducted using an SPSS-generated allocation sequence prepared by an independent researcher. Due to the behavioral nature of the intervention and the use of self-reported measures, blinding was not feasible.
The intervention was implemented over a four-week period within a structured university tennis training program. All participants received standardized instruction on the MCII strategy and completed structured MCII worksheets before training sessions. The worksheets guided participants through mental contrasting (identifying desired outcomes and possible obstacles) and implementation intentions (forming "if-then" action plans). Participants assigned to the digital reminder condition received structured WhatsApp prompts one day before scheduled sessions to support anticipatory self-regulation and preparation.
The primary aim of the study is to evaluate whether integrating low-cost digital reminders into a self-regulation intervention produces stronger improvements in self-efficacy compared with using MCII alone. The intervention was designed as a brief, low-intensity behavioral support strategy embedded within regular training activities rather than a standalone program. Data were collected at baseline and immediately after the intervention period using standardized self-report instruments, and analyses focused on within-group and between-group changes associated with intervention condition.
168 studies on the registry are indexed under Self-Control; 22 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 22 is below the median of 88 across 144 interventional studies indexed under Self-Control.
Browse Self-Control studies →Inonu University is the lead sponsor of 394 studies on the registry; 95 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants completed Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII) exercises before training sessions using a structured worksheet designed for tennis training.
Behavioral: Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII)
Participants completed the same MCII exercises as the comparison group and additionally received structured WhatsApp reminder messages before scheduled training sessions.
Behavioral: MCII + WhatsApp Reminders
Participants completed structured Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII) exercises before tennis training sessions. The intervention included identifying training-related goals, reflecting on potential obstacles, and creating specific if-then action plans to support self-regulation and goal-directed behavior.
Participants completed standardized Mental Contrasting with Implementation Intentions (MCII) exercises before tennis training sessions. In addition, they received structured WhatsApp reminder messages one day before each scheduled session to prompt mental preparation and reinforce engagement with the MCII self-regulation strategy. The reminder messages were the only procedural difference from the MCII-only intervention.
General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) Score
Self-efficacy was measured using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), a 10-item self-report instrument assessing participants' perceived ability to cope with challenges and perform goal-directed behaviors. Scores were collected at baseline (pretest) and immediately after completion of the 4-week intervention period (posttest). Higher scores indicate greater perceived self-efficacy.
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 4-week intervention
Plan to share: Yes — De-identified individual participant data used for the primary analyses will be shared. This includes baseline and post-intervention self-efficacy scores, group allocation, and relevant demographic variables collected during the study.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Analytic code
Time frame: Beginning 6 months after publication and continuing for 5 years.
Access criteria: Access will be granted to qualified researchers upon reasonable request to the corresponding author. Requests will be reviewed based on scientific merit, and data will be shared in de-identified form for research purposes only.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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