There is growing concern for eating pathology and body dissatisfaction in sports; particularly, in sports that emphasize a lean body type. In 325 female collegiate swimmers/divers and gymnasts, we examined psychosocial well-being (i.e., perception of weight pressures, levels of internalization, body satisfaction, dietary intent, negative affect) at the beginning and end of an athletic season and predict their eating disorder classification at the end of their athletic season. Logistic regressions revealed that a model containing all 14 predictors at the beginning and end of an athletic season significantly predicted eating disorder classification at the end of an athletic season. Specifically, in the longitudinal logistic regression, with every one unit of increase on a measure of the pressure felt within the sport environment regarding their weight and every unit increase on a measure of their intentions to diet, respectively, the female athletes were 49% and 89% more likely to be classified in the subclinical/clinical group at the end of their sport season. Surprisingly, with every one unit of increase on a measure of sociocultural pressure to exercise, female athletes were 43% less likely to be classified in the subclinical/clinical group six months later. The cross-sectional logistic regression found that only dietary restraint was significant. Specifically, with every one unit of increase on a measure of their intentions to diet the female athletes were 3.6 times more likely to be classified in the subclinical/clinical group at the end of their sport season. The implications of this study may emphasize the importance of body healthy sport systems to reduce sport specific pressures and dieting among female collegiate athletes. Limitations of this study include self-report measures and longitudinal timeframe was only across one athletic season.

No description available.

Self-construal (SC) refers to the way people perceive their identities in relation to self and others (Markus & Kitayama, 1991b). It has been found in the literature to influence thinking, decision-making, and preferences (e.g., Sung, Choi, & Tinkham, 2012) which suggests that a person's SC may affect her/his preference on psychological interventions. However, no empirical studies can be located that examined this relationship. The study examined the effects of independent SC, interdependent SC, general autonomy (GA), and sport autonomy (SA) on athletes' preferences and desire to use the interventions in the future, especially how these relations might vary as a function of the type of intervention. It was hypothesized that the relationship between each of the predictors and preference for and desire to use intervention would be moderated by the type of intervention received. Four hundred and thirty-one current and former athletes were recruited to participate in this study. Participants completed a questionnaire that measured SC, GA, and SA and were then randomly assigned to receive one of two self-talk interventions, representing either a self- or other-focused intervention. Participants were asked to rate their preference for and desire to use the given intervention in the future. Results found positive significant relationships with all predictors and intervention preference, in both self- and other-focused groups. Initial hierarchical multiple and logistic regression analyses did not support a significant moderation effect of intervention type on the relationships between the independent and dependent variables. However, a post-hoc analysis that conducted a hierarchical multiple regression with participants separated by gender found a significant moderation effect of intervention type on the relationship between independent SC and preference for intervention for females only. Additional post-hoc analyses were conducted to replicate Sung et al.'s (2012) analysis procedures in which the SC continuous variables were transformed into categorical ones, and a 2x2 ANOVA and Pearson chi-square analyses were conducted. Post-hoc analyses revealed significant interaction effects of intervention type and participants' dominant self-construal type on their desire to use intervention. Limitations, implications for counseling/consulting, and future research directions are discussed.

This study investigated how active female hockey players at the high school, university/college, and national/elite levels perceive that the skills acquired in sport transfer to another career or other facets of their lives. One hundred and seventeen athletes were surveyed. The Transferable Skills Survey was comprised of four parts. Athletes provided responses that included general information, identity, career transition, and transferable skills. The findings indicate that there is a need for psychologists to be involved in the athletic career transition and that the best way to help female hockey players represented in this study may be to teach their parents the skills to assist their daughters through the career transition. Further, the findings reveal that transferable skills aid in successful career transition out of sport. / 142 leaves ; 29 cm. --

This study examined the effects of frame-by-frame video-computerized feedback on competitive state anxiety, self-efficacy, effort, and baseball performance of high school players. Players were randomly assigned to one of three feedback conditions: (a) Hitting score, (b) Hitting score and frame-by-frame analysis of a mechanically correct swing, (c) Hitting score and frame-by-frame analysis of participant's swing and a mechanically correct swing. Once per week for six weeks, the players completed three questionnaires: (a) Hitting Self-Efficacy Scale, (b) Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2C, and (c) Performance Effort Scale, and performed a hitting task. Results of the 3 (Group) x 6 (Trials) ANOVAs revealed no significant effects. This study does not support previous confidence-baseball hitting research.

Collegiate and elite female athletes have been identified as a subpopulation at heightened risk for disordered eating and pathogenic weight management practices. It was hypothesized that this increases risk may be related to sport specific pressures (such as team conducted weigh-ins), or the use and frequency of self-weighing. It appears that mandatory, team conducted weigh-ins are not salient to female athletes in regards to experiencing internalization, body image concerns, dietary restraint, negative affect, and bulimic symptomatology. Results, however, indicate that frequency of engagement in self-weighing may be influential in the engagement of disordered eating symptoms. Specifically, athletes who weighed themselves three or more times per week reported significantly more internalization of general societal ideals and athletic body ideals. For body image concerns, athletes who weighed three or more times per week reported being more concerned with their body size/shape than all others. With respect to dietary behaviors, athletes who weighed themselves three or more times per week reported engaging in significantly more caloric restriction than did those who weighed less frequently. For negative affect, the athletes who weighed themselves three or more times per week reported significantly higher levels of both anger and guilt. Finally for bulimic symptomatology, athletes who weighed themselves three or more times a week had significantly higher levels than those who weighed once or twice or not at all.

Grounded in self-determination theory and achievement goal theory, the purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the underlying motivational processes from social environments created by coaches, peers, and parents to motivational outcomes in high school athletes, with an emphasis on the relative influence of social agents in basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness). The quantitative part of this study tested a hierarchical model of high school sport motivation in a final sample of 311 student athletes (204 boys, 107 girls) using structural equation modeling: social factors (coach-, peer-, and parent-created motivational climates) -> psychological mediators (need satisfaction and frustration) -> types of motivation (autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and amotivation) -> consequences (subjective vitality, athlete burnout, and intention to drop out). Invariance across gender and across team type (varsity vs. non-varsity) was also tested. Adequate model fits were achieved in separate "brighter side" and "darker side" models across the overall sample, gender, and team type. The follow-up qualitative part of this study explored "how" beyond "what" coaches, peers, and parents contribute to the social environments, need frustration, and negative motivational outcomes in sport in a subsample of 37 student athletes (24 boys, 13 girls) who reported high amotivation/burnout and higher than average dropout intentions in the quantitative survey. Content analysis and observation were conducted to interpret the focus group interview data among athletes across gender and team type. The results of both quantitative and qualitative parts were integrated and compared to summarize the roles of coaches, peers, and parents in the "brighter and darker sides" of athletic experience in high school athletes.

This study investigated the relationship between specific psychosocial factors and susceptibility to the common cold in a sample of 124 distance runners. A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the role of life events, coping, hardiness, training workload and competition frequency in the athlete's risk of infection. Using correlational statistical techniques, it was found that the magnitude of recent life changes and the avoidance coping strategy of denial were positively related to self-reported symptoms of the common cold. Furthermore, a significant inverse correlation was observed between hardiness and symptom duration scores. However, approach coping, training workload and competition frequency were not significantly related to the dependent measures. The results of this study suggest that certain stress-related psychosocial factors are associated with susceptibility to the common cold in distance runners. Several strategies for the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract infections in this group are implied by these findings. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Ho, Wing-yee. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-82). / Text in English; abstracts in English and Chinese. / Ho, Wing-yee. / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgments --- p.iv / List of Table --- p.viii / List of Figure --- p.ix / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background information --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Purpose of the study --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3 --- Definition of terms --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4 --- Delimitations --- p.9 / Chapter 1.5 --- Limitations --- p.10 / Chapter 1.6 --- Significance of the study --- p.10 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- Review of Literature --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1 --- Global self-esteem --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Theoretical background --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Self-esteem in children --- p.17 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Self-esteem and sports --- p.19 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Self-esteem and academic achievement --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- Self-esteem and gender --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2 --- Attributional style --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Theoretical background --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Attributional style and academic level --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Attributional style and sports --- p.28 / Chapter 2.3 --- Attribution and self-esteem --- p.29 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.31 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- Method --- p.33 / Chapter 3.1 --- Participants --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2 --- Instrumentation --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- In assessing global self-esteem --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- In assessing general attributional style --- p.34 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- In assessing perceived sports competence --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- In assessing sports specific attributional style --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3 --- Procedures --- p.37 / Chapter 3.4 --- Statistical analysis --- p.38 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- Results --- p.40 / Chapter 4.1 --- Descriptive statistics --- p.40 / Chapter 4.2 --- Reliability for internal consistency --- p.41 / Chapter 4.3 --- The effect of gender and age on global self-esteem and attributions --- p.43 / Chapter 4.4 --- The effect of school banding and perceived sports competence on global self-esteem by gender --- p.45 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- The relationship between academic achievement and global self-esteem by gender --- p.46 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- The relationship between perceived sports competence and global self-esteem by gender --- p.47 / Chapter 4.5 --- The effect of school banding and perceived sports competence on general attributions --- p.48 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- The relationship between academic achievement and general attributions --- p.48 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- The relationship between perceived sports competence and general attributions --- p.49 / Chapter 4.6 --- The effect of school banding and perceived sports competence on sports specific attributions by high school level --- p.50 / Chapter 4.6.1 --- The relationship between academic achievement and sports specific attributions in junior high schools --- p.51 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- Discussion --- p.53 / Chapter 5.1 --- The effect of gender and age on global self-esteem and attributions --- p.53 / Chapter 5.2 --- The effect of school banding and perceived sports competence on global self-esteem by gender --- p.56 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- The relationship between academic achievement and global self-esteem in high schools' female athletes --- p.57 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- The relationship between perceived sports competence and global self-esteem in high schools' athletes --- p.58 / Chapter 5.3 --- The relationship between school banding and general attributionsin high schools' athletes --- p.59 / Chapter 5.4 --- The relationship between perceived sports competence and general attributions in high schools' athletes --- p.63 / Chapter 5.5 --- The relationship between academic achievement and sports specific attributions in junior high schools' athletes --- p.65 / Chapter 5.6 --- Conclusion and Recommendations --- p.67 / References --- p.70 / Appendix A --- p.83 / Appendix B --- p.85 / Appendix C --- p.86 / Appendix D --- p.87 / Appendix E --- p.91 / Appendix F --- p.102 / Appendix G --- p.103 / Appendix H --- p.104 / Appendix I --- p.108

This study investigated the relationship between specific psychosocial factors and susceptibility to the common cold in a sample of 124 distance runners. A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the role of life events, coping, hardiness, training workload and competition frequency in the athlete's risk of infection. Using correlational statistical techniques, it was found that the magnitude of recent life changes and the avoidance coping strategy of denial were positively related to self-reported symptoms of the common cold. Furthermore, a significant inverse correlation was observed between hardiness and symptom duration scores. However, approach coping, training workload and competition frequency were not significantly related to the dependent measures. The results of this study suggest that certain stress-related psychosocial factors are associated with susceptibility to the common cold in distance runners. Several strategies for the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract infections in this group are implied by these findings. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)