Closed-loop model of mindfulness-based psychological regulation in competitive performance

Purpose This study proposes a process-based, closed-loop model of mindfulness-based psychological regulation to address the lack of real-time mechanism accounts in competitive sport. The model aims to explain how athletes maintain functional operation and attentional stability under continuous performance pressure. Methods Drawing on converging evidence from sport psychology, cognitive science, and functional principles of Chan Buddhism, the study constructs a hierarchical regulatory framework. Results The framework establishes a hierarchical system where attentional control serves as the proximal mechanism of performance, disrupted by the core mechanism of mental proliferation. The proposed model integrates four functional dimensions (Meaning Construction, Process Orientation, Attention Anchoring, Psychological Re-centering) organized across the successive phases (initiation, propagation, execution, recovery) of the proliferation process These dimensions are dynamically coordinated through a Reference Chain (Identification-Referencing -Returning), acting as a recursive control mechanism for real-time recalibration. Conclusion This closed-loop model shifts sport mindfulness research from outcome-based descriptions toward a process-level understanding of real-time regulation. It provides a theoretically integrative and empirically tractable foundation for enhancing performance stability in high-pressure competitive environments.