Search

Efficacy beliefs targeting personal (self-efficacy), teammates' (other-efficacy), and conjoint (collective efficacy) abilities are each associated with performance of athlete pairs. The purpose of this study was to examine (a) congruence/incongruence of efficacy beliefs between athletes in a pair as a predictor of quality of individual and team performance and (b) quality of performance relative to efficacy congruence at high, moderate, and low levels of efficacy. Eighty-two cheerleading pairs, composed of one base and one flyer, completed questionnaires assessing self-, other, and collective efficacy prior to a national collegiate competition. Individual and team performances were assessed using objective criteria. Polynomial regression analyses indicated that team performance was predicted by congruence of (a) both athletes' collective efficacy beliefs and (b) base self-efficacy and flyer other efficacy. Findings supported that congruence at moderate to high levels of efficacy was associated with better performance relative to incongruent efficacy beliefs across the two athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine behavioral regulations and dispositional flow in exercise among university students in terms of gender and stage of change. Participants: Data were collected from American college students (N = 257; M[subscript age] ± SD = 23.02 ± 4.05) in Spring 2013. Methods: Behavioral regulations and dispositional flow in exercise were assessed, along with stage of change. Results: Exercisers in the maintenance stage of change displayed significantly more self-determined motivation to exercise and a greater tendency to experience flow than those in preparation and action stages. Significant correlations were observed among behavioral regulations and flow state. Nonsignificant differences were observed for gender on behavioral regulations and dispositional flow in exercise. Conclusions: The results suggest that promotion of self-determined motivation and dispositional flow in exercisers may improve the quality of their experiences, as well as to foster their exercise behavior.

Dyadic interactions generate direct relationships in which interdependent sport behaviors can be destructured. The focus of this investigation was to develop a two-level performance framework and corresponding measures of individual- and dyad-level sport performance. The described procedures surrounded a male-female cheerleading paired-stunt task, as only team-level outcomes are currently assessed during sport competition. Multiple observers employed the developed measures (a = 0.89-0.96; interclass correlation = 0.87-0.95) to assess the videoed performance of 132 individuals within 66 intact dyads competing at a national competition. Unique information is revealed from each partner's individual-level score, disjointedly assessed, and their dyad-level score, an assessment of combined efforts. Score differences are especially apparent when in contrast to an aggregated dyad-level score. A discussion of the outlined approach and interpretation of multilevel occurrences of interdependent processes and outcomes of sporting performance is provided.

Efficacy beliefs and communication are key constructs that have been targeted to develop task cohesion. This study's purpose was to (a) examine whether collective efficacy, team-focused other-efficacy, and team-focused relation-inferred self-efficacy are predictive of task cohesion and (b) evaluate the possibility that communication mediates efficacy–task cohesion relationships. British university team-sport athletes (N = 250) completed questionnaires assessing efficacy beliefs, communication (i.e., positive conflict, negative conflict, and acceptance communication), and task cohesion (i.e., attractions to group, group integration). Data were subjected to a multigroup path analysis to test mediation hypotheses while also addressing potential differences across males and females. Across all athletes, collective efficacy and team-focused other-efficacy significantly predicted attractions to group and group integration directly. Positive conflict and acceptance communication significantly mediated relationships between efficacy (team-focused other-efficacy, collective efficacy) and cohesion (attractions to group, group integration). Findings suggest that enhancing athletes' collective efficacy and team-focused efficacy beliefs will encourage communication factors affecting task cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual coercion in peer dating relationships was studied among 341 Year 11-12 high school students via the Adolescent Dating and Relationship Survey. Nearly 50% of females and 70% of males had relationships with similar aged partners. However, more females dated older partners and more males dated younger partners. Females also reported longer relationships than males ([greater than or equal to] 9-12 months). The most frequent coercions were made to feel guilty, being plied with alcohol and/or other drugs, being pressured via begging and/or arguing, and being lied to. Females were physically restrained more than males. Talking about the experience was a common response, and females said "Stop", "No Further", Pulled Away, or Left more than males. However, many participants reported Doing Nothing. (Contains 5 tables and 2 footnotes.)

The authors examined relationships among burnout and motivational types differing in self-determination, using simple correlational analyses as well as more sophisticated canonical correlation analyses allowing for the simultaneous examination of multiple independent and dependent variables. The authors hypothesized that: (a) motivation low in self-determination (e.g., amotivation) would be positively associated with burnout; and (b) motivation high in self-determination (e.g., intrinsic motivation) would be negatively associated with burnout. The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend the Cresswell and Eklund (2005) examination of New Zealand amateur rugby athletes. In particular, the aim of this study was to examine the motivational profiles of professional rugby players as well as the relationships between SDT motivational types that comprise this profile and the key characteristics of burnout. New Zealand male professional rugby union players (N = 199) ages 19 to 33 years (M = 25.19 years, SD = 2.98) were recruited to participate in this investigation. Burnout was positively associated with amotivation (motivation low in serf-determination) and negatively associated with intrinsic motivation (i.e., motivation high in serf-determination). The current study provides additional evidence to support a SDT explanation for athlete burnout (Cresswell & Eklund, 2005). Specifically, the results replicate and extend past associations between motivational types and athlete burnout (Cresswell & Eklund, 2005). The results of the study highlight interesting associations among motivational types and the key characteristics of burnout. Causal inferences, however, are not warranted on the basis of these analyses.

Investigated elementary and secondary teachers' intentions to teach physically active physical education classes, examining a model hypothesizing that teachers' intentions were determined by subjective norm, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and self-efficacy. Teacher surveys supported the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior. Students were as strongly related to teachers' intentions as were three adult scores of influence. (SM)

This study's purpose was to evaluate the unique contributions of self-, other-, and collective constructs in the efficacy-performance reciprocal relationship for athlete dyads involving low- and high-dependence roles. Data were obtained from 74 intact cheerleading pairs on self-, other-, and collective efficacy and subjective performance evaluations for each of 5 successive trials. Objective assessments of dyad performances were obtained from digital recordings. Across path models involving a single efficacy construct, similar reciprocal relationships between objective dyad performance and self-, other-, or collective efficacy were observed. In path models composed of multiple efficacy or performance constructs, unique efficacy contributions were observed in the prediction of objective dyad performance, and unique subjective performance contributions were observed in the prediction of efficacy beliefs. Partner effects were observed more often for athletes in the high-dependence role than for those in the low-dependence role. Findings support how self-, other-, and collective beliefs are processed by team athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether teachers' use of transformational teaching behaviors, as perceived by adolescent girls, in physical education would predict girls' moderate to vigorous physical activity via mediated effects of physical activity self-presentation motives, physical activity identity, and physical education class engagement. Self-report data were acquired from 273 Scottish high school girls in Grades S1-S3 (the equivalent of Grades 7-9 in North America) at 2 time points separated by 1 week. Significant predictive pathways were found from transformational teaching to girls' moderate to vigorous physical activity via mediated effects of acquisitive self-presentation motives and physical activity identity. This preliminary study provides a novel contribution to the research area by showing how previously unrelated psychosocial constructs work together to predict adolescent girls' moderate to vigorous physical activity. Results are discussed in relation to existing literature and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored person-related sources of variance in athletes' efficacy beliefs and performances when performing in pairs with distinguishable roles differing in partner dependence. College cheerleaders (n = 102) performed their role in repeated performance trials of two low- and two high-difficulty paired-stunt tasks with three different partners. Data were obtained on self-, other-, and collective efficacy beliefs and subjective performances, and objective performance assessments were obtained from digital recordings. Using the social relations model framework, total variance in each belief/assessment was partitioned, for each role, into numerical components of person-related variance relative to the self, the other, and the collective. Variance component by performance role by task-difficulty repeated-measures analysis of variances revealed that the largest person-related variance component differed by athlete role and increased in size in high-difficulty tasks. Results suggest that the extent the athlete's performance depends on a partner relates to the extent the partner is a source of self-, other-, and collective efficacy beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines conceptual issues associated with researching the effects of social support on health outcomes in sport injuries. Clear distinctions between support activities and messages, perceived and actual support, and support networks and behaviors are made to help facilitate accurate research on social support in sports and exercise.

Data is presented on male athletic directors and the onset of burnout. Results include the correlation between stress predictors and their influence on both burnout and burnout through stress.

An investigation into the stress and burnout of collegiate tennis coaches showed similar tendency to those of other helping professionals in high education. Women had a higher tendency than men to finding coaching issues stressful. Personality and dispositional variables directly effected the participants more then other sources.

This investigation sought to replicate and extend earlier studies of athlete burnout by examining athlete-perceived controlling coaching behaviors and athlete perfectionism variables as, respectively, environmental and dispositional antecedents of athlete motivation and burnout. Data obtained from NCAA Division I swimmers (n = 487) within 3 weeks of conference championship meets were analyzed for this report. Significant indirect effects were observed between controlling coaching behaviors and burnout through athlete perfectionism (i.e., socially prescribed, self-oriented) and motivation (i.e., autonomous, amotivation). Controlling coaching behaviors predicted athlete perfectionism. In turn, self-oriented perfectionism was positively associated with autonomous motivation and negatively associated with amotivation, while socially prescribed perfectionism was negatively associated with autonomous motivation and positively associated with controlled motivation and amotivation. Autonomous motivation and amotivation, in turn, predicted athlete burnout in expected directions. These findings implicate controlling coaching behaviors as potentially contributing to athlete perfectionism, shaping athlete motivational regulations, and possibly increasing athlete burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COPE and Modified-COPE inventories have proven to be useful in assessing coping strategies for athletes experiencing slumps. COPE and MCOPE provide foundations for evaluating individual variations in managing sports stress. Using empirical double cross-validation design analyses, researchers developed psychometric models based on COPE and MCOPE measurements.

A 1998 study performed by researchers at the Univ of North Dakota supports M. Leary's 1992 conclusion that self-presentational dynamics are related to competitive anxiety. Self-presentational concerns revolve around the image one believes one projects upon others, and include images of fatigue, physical appearance and athletic coordination. The concerns were more related to cognitive anxiety than to somatic anxiety.

The tool for measuring social physique anxiety (SPAS) has been questioned by those who claim Item 2 regularly performs poorly in analyses of scale properties. This study investigates and evaluates the Item 2 and the SPAS for invariance across gender.