Effects of yoga in a physical education course on attention control and mental health among graduate students with high sensory processing sensitivity

摘要

This study aimed to examine the effects of yoga on attention control (AC) and mood states in graduate students with high and low sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) in a physical education course setting. Participants included 20 master’s students in Japan who attended a yoga course for a semester and completed the Japanese version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale, the AC subscale, and Profile of Mood States before and after the yoga course. The high SPS group students had lower AC and higher negative mood states before the course. Significant improvement in scores was observed, although differences between the two groups after the yoga course were not statistically significant. Although a positive correlation was found between SPS and variation in AC, there was a negative correlation between variation in AC and mood states. The results suggest that yoga in physical education for graduate students with high SPS promoted AC and improved mood states.