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Inability to cope with stress in sport has been associated with sport withdrawal (Klint & Weis, 1986; Smith, 1986), decreased performance (Lazarus, 2000), and athletes not being able to pursue careers in professional sport (Holt & Dunn, 2004). It is therefore crucial to both researchers and practitioners working with athletes to have a greater understanding of coping in sport in order to design effective interventions and to make sport a more satisfying experience (Nicholls & Polman, 2007a). Since the 1990s there has been an increase in published studies in coping in sport. However, the understanding of factors which might influence coping in sport is still unclear and under researched. For example, gender appears to be a moderator variable influencing the stress and coping process. Nevertheless the relationship between gender and coping in sport appears to be equivocal. Some studies have reported gender differences in coping preferences (e.g., Hammermeister & Burton, 2004; Nicholls, Polman, Levy, Taylor, & Cobley, 2007) whereas other studies did not find differences between male and female athletes in coping preferences (e.g., Bebetsos & Antoniou, 2003; Kowalski, Crocker, Hoar & Niefer, 2005). Also, as suggested by the mainstream psychology literature, personality has been considered to be a moderator factor that could influence each aspect of the stress-coping process. However, little is known about this relationship between personality and coping in sport. This is true for the basic dimensions of personality (The Big Five) and the sport specific personality trait mental toughness. An understanding about male and female coping preferences is essential from both an applied and theoretical perspective. For example, it would allow practitioners to develop gender specific programmes for males and females to cope more effectively with stress. Also, further knowledge into the relationship between personality and coping is required, in order to design effective intervention programmes that fit individual needs.

The present thesis explores psychological well-being (PWB), practice and context within a professional football academy. The thesis also focuses on the processes of action research as a catalyst for practice-change in the academy environment, towards a culture of well-being. During the initial stages, pre-reconnaissance discussions took place with key academy practitioners to explore practitioner perceptions of well-being and coaching practice within context. The thesis is divided into two distinct phases; the reconnaissance phase, and the action phase. The reconnaissance phase encouraged the researcher to 'live the experience' alongside the research participants. Therefore emersion into the field of an academy football environment was required on a daily basis. The action research from reconnaissance-to-practice provided a detailed account of day-to-day events and on-going lived experiences of players and practitioners within the academy football environment. Consequently, qualitative data collection took place regularly in order to monitor and capture the personal experiences of academy players and practitioners, to follow individual threads of inquiry. Also field notes, player focus groups, informal interviews and formal taped interviews provided sufficient data for triangulation to occur. This multi-method approach enabled the researcher to take advantage of the rich variety of sources upon which were available (Tomlinson, 1983). The data collection protocol investigated how practitioners engaged in culturally specific practice within the academy. The action phase introduced collaborative practitioner meetings as part of the action research process to address practice that could later be linked specifically to psychological well-being (PWB) dimensions. The overall aim of the collaborative practitioner meetings was to drive debate and change, based on the notion that well-being can be related to everyday practice. Although there was similarity in how the meetings were described, the primary analysis differed, in particular the first two collaborative practitioner meetings underwent thorough content analysis from both an inductive (cultural and situational) and deductive (concept-oriented) stance. The reality of the research reflected the unpredictable process and dilemmas that may occur within the processes of action research and practice-change. The research provided detailed insight into the culture of football and the perceptions and experiences of full-time academy players, practitioners and the researcher's own reflections on the research journey, with regards to psychological well-being (PWB). Within the processes of action research, the practical utility of theory and the personal- contextual dynamic of a practice-change process within a youth football setting were considered and discussed. The research encouraged notions of emancipation within a participatory and collaborative process. Key Words: Psychological well-being (PWB), subjective well-being (SWB), action research, context and practice.

This research study is a qualitative research study which examines the experiences of adolescents in Soshanguve who are participating in sport. The aim of the study is to explore the value of sport participation as a therapeutic tool. The problem statement is how adolescents experience the effects of sport participation. The research study was conducted using ethnomethodology which examines how people make sense of their daily lives. The intention was to focus on how the participants interpreted their everyday activities. The absence of symptoms that one would expect from the participants was viewed as an indicator of therapeutic effects of sport participation. There appeared to be an absence of depressive and anxious symptoms, no substance use and sound academic results. Participants also displayed a generally positive outlook on their futures. The conclusion was that sport participation has some benefits for adolescents. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Cette thèse a pour objet d'étudier les conduites agressives en analysant comment celles-ci s'intègrent ou non dans un système global de valeurs mis en œuvre par chaque individu en fonction de son éducation et de sa personnalité. La question est donc de savoir quels peuvent être les facteurs favorisant l'émergence de réponses agressives chez l'athlète en fonction de différents paramètres, tels que le sexe, le type de pratique, les réactions aux décisions de l'arbitre, les comportements socio-moteurs, les capacités de résistance à la frustration ou à la provocation. Il s'agit d'arriver à expliquer comment le système de valeurs des athlètes peut avoir ou non une influence directe et indirecte sur leurs conduites agressives à travers des mécanismes sociocognitifs d'autorégulation à identifier. Dans ce cadre, cinq études empiriques ont été réalisées chez plus de 1393 compétiteurs. Les résultats principaux de ces différentes enquêtes : 1) Confirment la validité de la théorie des valeurs de base (Schwartz, 1992) dans le domaine sportif ; 2) Proposent un nouveau Questionnaire des Valeurs Sportives de l'Athlète (QVSA) ; 3) Mettent en évidence que les valeurs des athlètes peuvent exercer un double impact (négatif ou positif) sur les conduites agressives à travers différents mécanismes sociocognitifs. Ces études concluent que plus l'athlète valorise des valeurs telles que les Respect des règles, la bienveillance, et le plaisir, plus il pacifie ou inhibe ses conduites agressives. Au contraire, si l'athlète valorise des valeurs fondées sur l'affirmation d'un statut social, ou l'exercice d'un pouvoir, plus il aura tendance à exprimer son agressivité et moins elle sera acceptable selon les règles de jeu / This thesis aims to study aggressive behavior by analyzing how they fit or not in a global value system implemented by each individual according to on his or her education and personality. Thus, the question is to study what are the factors that can lead to the emergence of aggressive responses of the athlete according to different parameters such as sex, type of practice, reactions to the referee's decisions, socio motor behavior, and resilience to frustration or provocation. The aim is to explain who the athlete’s system of values may or may not have a direct and indirect influence on their aggressive behavior through sociocognitive self-regulatory mechanisms which well be identified. In this context, five empirical studies have been conducted about more than 1,393 competitors. The main results of these surveys : 1) Confirm the validity of the theory of basic values (Schwartz, 1992) in the sports field ; 2) Propose a new athlete’s sports values questionnaire (QVSA) ; 3) Make it clear that the values of the athletes can have a double impact (negative or positive) on aggressive behavior across different socio-cognitive mechanisms. These studies conclude that the more athlete promote values such as Respect the rules, Benevolence and Enjoyment, more pacifies or inhibits his or her aggressive behavior. On the contrary, if the athlete values based on the assertion of social status, or the exercise of power, his or her more likely to express aggression, which will be all the less acceptable according to the rules of the game

This research study is a qualitative research study which examines the experiences of adolescents in Soshanguve who are participating in sport. The aim of the study is to explore the value of sport participation as a therapeutic tool. The problem statement is how adolescents experience the effects of sport participation. The research study was conducted using ethnomethodology which examines how people make sense of their daily lives. The intention was to focus on how the participants interpreted their everyday activities. The absence of symptoms that one would expect from the participants was viewed as an indicator of therapeutic effects of sport participation. There appeared to be an absence of depressive and anxious symptoms, no substance use and sound academic results. Participants also displayed a generally positive outlook on their futures. The conclusion was that sport participation has some benefits for adolescents. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

A travers la présente thèse, nous nous intéressons à la prévention des accidents d’avalanche survenant à l’occasion de la pratique du hors-piste. Les jeunes pratiquants du hors-piste (15-30 ans) sont repérés comme les principales victimes des avalanches par les données statistiques de l’Association Nationale pour l’Etude de la Neige et des Avalanches. L’objectif principal de la présente thèse est de parvenir à une meilleure connaissance de ce public adepte de sports de glisse. Pour cela, nous proposons d’investiguer leurs habitudes et motivations de pratique du hors-piste, leurs perceptions des risques liés à cette pratique, les explications qu’ils donnent spontanément pour les accidents d’avalanche en hors-piste, ainsi que les comportements qu’ils adoptent en hors-piste et les critères qu’ils utilisent pour prendre la décision de sortir des pistes. Les données recueillies devraient contribuer à l’enrichissement des stratégies de prévention des accidents d’avalanche en hors-piste. Elles permettent de concevoir des stratégies et des messages ciblés et adaptés à cette population de jeunes pratiquants. En effet, les travaux sur la perception des risques (Kouabenan, 2006) et sur l’explication naïve des accidents (Kouabenan, 1999) suggèrent que si l’on souhaite que les individus adhèrent aux messages de prévention, il est nécessaire de connaître la façon dont ils appréhendent les risques, et pour ce qui nous concerne les risques en hors-piste, notamment le risque d’avalanche. Il importe aussi de connaître les causes qu’ils invoquent pour expliquer la production des accidents d’avalanche. Ce travail de thèse comprend quatre études dont la méthodologie repose sur deux questionnaires. L’élaboration des questionnaires s’appuie sur des entretiens préalables menés avec des pratiquants aux profils divers, et sur l’exploitation de la littérature sur les travaux empiriques empruntant le même cadre théorique ainsi que sur les rapports sur les accidents d’avalanche. Concernant les études 1, 2 et 4, nous avons interrogé 304 jeunes pratiquants de sports de glisse. Pour l’étude 4, nous avons questionné 238 pratiquants. Pour le recueil des données concernant les quatre études, nous avons rencontré les participants sur le terrain, dans des stations de sports d’hiver en Isère, en Savoie et en Haute-Savoie, ainsi que sur le campus universitaire et lors de manifestations sportives. Le recueil des données s’est fait par entretien en face à face avec le participant. / Through this thesis, we examine the avalanche accident prevention occurring in out-of-bounds (OB) practice. Young out-of-bounds practitioners (15-30 years-old) are identified as the core of avalanche victims. The main aim of this thesis is to get better knowledge about these boardsports enthusiasts. To do this, we suggest to investigate their habits and motivations relative to OB practice, their perception of the risks associated to this practice, the spontaneous explanations they give for avalanche accidents in OB, as well as the behaviours they adopt in OB, and the criteria they use to decide to go or not to go OB. The data collected would contribute to improve prevention strategies for avalanche accidents in OB, by targeting and adapting these strategies to young practitioners. Indeed, research on risk perception (Kouabenan, 2006) and naive causal explanations of accidents (Kouabenan, 1999) propose that if we want people to adhere to prevention messages, it is necessary to know the way they understand risks, for our case OB risks, particularly avalanche hazard. It is also essential to know the causes they invoke to explain avalanche accidents. This thesis work consists of four studies for which the methodology relies on two questionnaires. The questionnaires were carried out from preliminary interviews conducted with practitioners of varied profiles, and from literature and empirical works of the same theoretical framework, as well as accidents reports. Concerning the studies 1, 2 and 4, we interviewed 304 young boardsports practitioners. For study 3, we questioned 238 practitioners. For the data collect of the four studies, we met participants in the field, in winter sport resorts in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie (France), as well as at the university campus and during sport events. Data collection was done with face-to-face interview with the participant.

The aim of this study was to investigate the young child's experience of intensive sport participation. The study concentrated on the following aspects: The role that adults play in children's sport experience. The reasons for children's sport experience becoming negative. Children's sport experience with special focus on enjoyment, pressure to win, competition anxiety, sportsmanship, crowd behaviour and withdrawal from participation. A comparison between children's sport experience and the perceptions of parents and coaches of those experiences. It was found that children experience aspects such as pressure to win, competition anxiety and crowd behaviour as negative. Another outcome of this study was the finding that children experience their sport participation more negative than parents and coaches think they do. Lastly it was found that children, in spite of having a negative experience of some aspects of sport, still enjoy participating in sport and are not considering withdrawal from it. / Educational Studies / M. Ed (Guidance and Counselling)

A study was conducted on 74 school first- and second-team rugby players from four Pretoria high schools, to investigate whether start-up A-team players differ significantly from other (B-team start-up and reserve) players on emotional intelligence. It was further investigated whether emotional intelligence is a predictor of rugby performance if measured as being included into the study’s ‘best team’ or being a start-up A-team school rugby player. Various other physical, psychological, social and spiritual predictors were also investigated singularly and in combination with the emotional intelligence predictor to indicate performance. Data were gathered through a self-reporting questionnaire developed by the researcher. The main methods for analysing data used included the Mann-Whitney Test and the Logistic Regression analysis. The study found certain spiritual and social predictor aspects to be significantly related to performance in rugby but not emotional intelligence. Certain underlying emotional aspects where more significant to the study’s B-team players’ performance. / Spiritual aspects / M.A. (Psychology)

Much has been researched and written on the concept of intelligence in the last century and while much of it has been applied in educational settings and commercial organisations, little has been investigated and applied within a sports context. Early research in the 1970s identified sport intelligence as comprising primarily of reaction time and recall and it was only in 2002, some 30 years later, that it again appeared in the literature with sport intelligence being considered a psychological characteristic of Olympic champions. The research of Gould, Diffenbach and Moffet (2002) into sport intelligence hypothesised that sport intelligence included having “the ability to analyse, being innovative, being a student of the sport, making good decisions, understanding the nature of elite sport, and being a quick learner” (p. 5). Later research by Blue (2009) proposed a comprehensive model of sport intelligence as it applied to golf wherein he posited that sport intelligence – albeit in a golfing context – comprised a ‘competition’ and ‘developmental’ intelligence. Other than the thematic assessment of Gould et al. (2002) and the golf-specific study of Blue (2009) no literature, data or research was available internationally, on the African continent nor in South Africa. The researcher responded to the call for further research and decided to complete a qualitative, exploratory study in South Africa. The research commenced by covering what was available on sport intelligence literature and to build on it by reviewing and considering general intelligence theories. Both orthodox and unorthodox approaches were considered and the review suggested that sport intelligence would conceptually and theoretically consist of a number of dimensions and constructs including a series of cognitive processes like memory, reasoning, problem solving, decision making and other rational processes. The third source of literature was a review of sport psychology and it emphasised the importance and significance of emotional, motivational and other psychological factors in addition to the influences of personality. The literature review led to the researcher identifying 14 hypotheses which were explored with 15 credible sport participants, whereafter a thorough content analysis of the 14 hypotheses was performed. 13 of the 14 initial hypotheses were accepted with one included as a theme within another. The thematic assessment resulted in the identification and development of a systems model of sport intelligence comprising six components as follows:  A neurophysiological component;  A cognitive/rational component;  An emotional/affective component;  A team/group component;  A societal/ecological component; and  A metaphysical component. The investigation and analyses furthermore indicated that the components do not exist in isolation of one another and each dimension seems of equal significance. The data suggested a parallel process and dynamic interplay between these components and this led to a systemic perspective being adopted when synthesising the model into a logical and coherent framework. Each of the components were critically evaluated from a cognitive and systemic perspective. The systemic perspective proposed challenges the view that performance is not only an individual endeavour but also a systemic endeavour. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Consulting Psychology)