Mindfulness meditation has received increased attention from clinicians and researchers alike in recent decades and subsequently has been incorporated into treatments for a variety of psychological conditions, including anxiety. Although a small body of experimental research examining the influence of mindfulness on anxiety has developed, few studies to date have experimentally tested the effects of mindfulness meditations beyond a brief breathing meditation. This gap in the literature restricts our understanding of the efficacy of various brief mindfulness interventions currently utilized as clinical tools for anxiety. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to expand upon previous studies by examining the differential effect of two mindfulness exercises – a mindful body scan and a breathing meditation. More specifically, the current project investigated the influence of each intervention on 1) state mindfulness, 2) state cognitive anxiety, and 3) state somatic anxiety. Further, the project examined the moderating influence of participants’ reactions and compliance to each condition on pre-to-post intervention changes in cognitive and somatic anxiety. The current study suggests that brief mindfulness tasks induced state decentering, but not curiosity. However, there appears to be relative uniformity in the effect of both interventions on cognitive and somatic anxiety. Finally, the current study indicates that enjoyment while completing a mindfulness exercise is an important moderating factor on the efficacy of mindfulness interventions for anxiety.

Hearing impairment (HI) is a growing health issue in today’s ageing society. Research has suggested that individuals with HI may experience increased levels of anxiety. Previous research has mainly focused on anxiety as a trait; recent research, however, has looked at state anxiety in the hearing impaired population. Cognitive anxiety is a state anxiety that occurs when people encounter a situation which does not lie within their construct system. As a result, they may experience anxiety as they are unable, or only partially able, to interpret the event meaningfully and are therefore unable to judge the implications of this event. The following study aimed to use the Cognitive Anxiety Scale to investigate relationships between cognitive anxiety and client variables in hearing impaired individuals, adding to the small amount of research currently available in this area. The following research questions were investigated: (1) Is there a relationship between cognitive anxiety level and (a) age, (b) gender, (c) audiometric variables, and (d) quality of life? (2) Is there a significant difference between the level of cognitive anxiety for the participants who purchased and kept hearing aids and those who did not? Twenty-five hearing impaired individuals who were consulting an audiologist for the first time participated in this study, with the cognitive anxiety interview conducted prior to the audiological assessment. The results indicated that cognitive anxiety was significantly related to an ability to understand speech in noise and quality of life, and that hearing aid adopters exhibited greater levels of cognitive anxiety than non-adopters. These results confirm that cognitive anxiety is indeed experienced by adults with HI, and suggest that it may be a factor which motivates people to adopt hearing aids. Further research is needed to confirm and further investigate the relationships with client variables. By listening for signs of cognitive anxiety, an audiologist may be able to gauge if a client is ready for rehabilitation, and encourage the process by exploring the effects of HI on communication situations, employing speech in noise testing, and including the significant other in the process.

Objectives: The main objective of the research in this thesis was to investigate the psychological skills, state anxiety and coping of senior rugby players in South Africa. Methodology: The first manuscript (Chapter 2) was a literature review that investigated whether the coping model suggested by Moos and Shaefer (1993) could be applied to investigate the interaction between various psychological factors involved in the coping process, within a sports context. The model was evaluated by examining the relevant factors, including the environmental system, personal factors, life crises and transitions, cognitive appraisals and coping responses, as well as the general health and well-being of individuals. The manuscripts presented in Chapters 3, 4 and 5 made use of a cross-sectional design to assess the constructs central to the stated aims of the study. The participants in this research project were from the following teams during the 2003 and 2004 seasons: South African Super 12 teams (Stormers, Bulls, Cats and Sharks); South African provincial teams (Free State Cheetahs, Gauteng Lions, North-West Leopards and the Falcons); South African club rugby teams (North-West University 1st team, Tswane University of Technology 1st team, Kimberley Combined Forces and the Leopards amateur club team). The players were psychometrically evaluated in the week leading up to an important game (usually 2-3 days before the game). The number of players included in this study was 139 Super 12 rugby players, 106 provincial rugby players and 95 club rugby players, resulting in a cumulative total of 340 senior rugby players. The Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28) was used to evaluate the players' psychological skills (manuscripts 2, 3 and 4). The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) was used to ascertain the state anxiety of the rugby players (manuscript 3) and a biographical questionnaire (compiled by the researcher) was used to gather demographical and biographical information of the players (manuscript 4). Results and conclusions of the individual manuscripts: - Manuscript 1 concluded that there were substantial literature findings that supported and explained the influence of the different psychological factors that form part of the Moos and Shaefer (1993) coping model regarding the coping abilities of athletes. It appeared that this model could potentially be applied in a sports context to clarify the factors influencing the coping process of athletes. - The results in manuscript 2 reported significant differences between the psychological skills of the Super 12 and club rugby players on four of the seven ACSI-28 subscales. No differences, however, could be found between Super 12 and provincial rugby players. The research further concluded that no statistically or practically significant differences in psychological skills could be found between forwards and backline rugby players or between the different positional groupings (props, hookers, locks, loose forwards, inside backs and outside backs) in senior South African rugby. - Manuscript 3 concluded that senior South African rugby players with high levels of psychological skills experienced lower levels of state anxiety, and that they interpreted the state anxiety that they experienced as more facilitative to their performance. This might suggest that rugby players with high levels of psychological skills could generally cope better with the challenges of competitive rugby. Rugby players with high levels of psychological skills also experienced higher levels of self-confidence and interpreted their self-confidence as more facilitative to performance. - The results in manuscript 4 suggested that certain prior experiences and a number of sports-specific perceptions could have an influence on the psychological skills of rugby players. However, the only biographical variable that appeared to be a common denominator between the high psychological skills groups on all three levels of rugby were the players' perceptions regarding their own abilities to do optimal psychological preparation before a game. The research could not indicate the direction of the interaction between prior experience, cognitive perceptions and psychological skills, but acknowledged the strong association between these factors and the levels of psychological skills of South African senior rugby players. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Hearing impairment is a chronic health condition that affects increasingly younger age groups. Prevalence rates in the working population are estimated to be between four and nine percent when defined by audiometric loss, and between 30 – 40% when using self-report of hearing problems. Hearing impairment can limit and threaten the social functioning of the affected person. It interferes with oral communication, causing activity limitations and participation restrictions. Additionally, a stigma is attached to hearing loss that can lead to feelings of embarrassment, guilt, anxiety and social exclusion. The stigma also poses a threat to the identity of the hearing impaired person who, in return, manages this threat by concealing or disclosing their hearing impairment depending on the social implications. As a consequence, help–seeking is delayed by a considerable amount of time. Although proven to be an effective intervention, amplification is often rejected by working adults. Another available effective intervention is participating in audiologic rehabilitation (AR) programmes. These programmes focus on stigma reduction and communication strategies. Most existing programmes target an elderly population that had been fitted with hearing aids. No programme for working adults who do not wear amplification is published in the literature. The new AR programme “See it! Hear it! Say it!” had been designed for adults who do not wear amplification and previously trialled in the USA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short and mid-term outcomes of a version adapted for the New Zealand context, specifically changes in health related quality of life (HRQoL) and cognitive anxiety. Thirteen participants in two groups participated in the study. The design was a quasi–randomised pre-test/post-test/follow-up test with waitlist design. Outcomes were measured with the International Outcome Inventory – Alternative Interventions (IOI-AI), the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA), the Cognitive Anxiety Scale (CAS) and a non-standardised online questionnaire. Results demonstrated statistically significant differences between pre-group and follow-up assessment outcomes. Effect sizes ranged between 0.606 and 2.114. Participants reported implementing communication strategies in a number of adverse listening environments. These findings provide evidence that the New Zealand specific version of “See it! Hear it! Say it!” is effective in improving HRQoL and reducing cognitive anxiety.

Objectives: The main objective of the research in this thesis was to investigate the psychological skills, state anxiety and coping of senior rugby players in South Africa. Methodology: The first manuscript (Chapter 2) was a literature review that investigated whether the coping model suggested by Moos and Shaefer (1993) could be applied to investigate the interaction between various psychological factors involved in the coping process, within a sports context. The model was evaluated by examining the relevant factors, including the environmental system, personal factors, life crises and transitions, cognitive appraisals and coping responses, as well as the general health and well-being of individuals. The manuscripts presented in Chapters 3, 4 and 5 made use of a cross-sectional design to assess the constructs central to the stated aims of the study. The participants in this research project were from the following teams during the 2003 and 2004 seasons: South African Super 12 teams (Stormers, Bulls, Cats and Sharks); South African provincial teams (Free State Cheetahs, Gauteng Lions, North-West Leopards and the Falcons); South African club rugby teams (North-West University 1st team, Tswane University of Technology 1st team, Kimberley Combined Forces and the Leopards amateur club team). The players were psychometrically evaluated in the week leading up to an important game (usually 2-3 days before the game). The number of players included in this study was 139 Super 12 rugby players, 106 provincial rugby players and 95 club rugby players, resulting in a cumulative total of 340 senior rugby players. The Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28) was used to evaluate the players' psychological skills (manuscripts 2, 3 and 4). The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) was used to ascertain the state anxiety of the rugby players (manuscript 3) and a biographical questionnaire (compiled by the researcher) was used to gather demographical and biographical information of the players (manuscript 4). Results and conclusions of the individual manuscripts: - Manuscript 1 concluded that there were substantial literature findings that supported and explained the influence of the different psychological factors that form part of the Moos and Shaefer (1993) coping model regarding the coping abilities of athletes. It appeared that this model could potentially be applied in a sports context to clarify the factors influencing the coping process of athletes. - The results in manuscript 2 reported significant differences between the psychological skills of the Super 12 and club rugby players on four of the seven ACSI-28 subscales. No differences, however, could be found between Super 12 and provincial rugby players. The research further concluded that no statistically or practically significant differences in psychological skills could be found between forwards and backline rugby players or between the different positional groupings (props, hookers, locks, loose forwards, inside backs and outside backs) in senior South African rugby. - Manuscript 3 concluded that senior South African rugby players with high levels of psychological skills experienced lower levels of state anxiety, and that they interpreted the state anxiety that they experienced as more facilitative to their performance. This might suggest that rugby players with high levels of psychological skills could generally cope better with the challenges of competitive rugby. Rugby players with high levels of psychological skills also experienced higher levels of self-confidence and interpreted their self-confidence as more facilitative to performance. - The results in manuscript 4 suggested that certain prior experiences and a number of sports-specific perceptions could have an influence on the psychological skills of rugby players. However, the only biographical variable that appeared to be a common denominator between the high psychological skills groups on all three levels of rugby were the players' perceptions regarding their own abilities to do optimal psychological preparation before a game. The research could not indicate the direction of the interaction between prior experience, cognitive perceptions and psychological skills, but acknowledged the strong association between these factors and the levels of psychological skills of South African senior rugby players. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

<p>E-mail: 400amanetta@gmail.com</p>

Title: Competitive anxiety in female gymnasts: Association with age and length of sports career Objectives: The main aim of the diploma thesis is to describe levels of competitive anxiety and its association to age and length of sports career in young female gymnasts from Prague. Methods: The thesis has a character of empirical and theoretical research and includes elements of quantitative research with an application of a survey. Specifically the thesis represents a cross-sectional study. A multidimensional questionnaire, the Competitive state anxiety investory-2 was administered to a sample of N = 18 female gymnasts. The questionnaire consists of three subscales measuring: somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, self-confidence. Data were analyzed using basic descriptive statistics, and the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the hypotheses about relationships. Results: The results have shown that age is related to somatic and cognitive anxiety, whereas both components of competitive anxiety increase with increasing age. On the other hand age was not associated with self- confidence. The length of sports career was positively associated with somatic anxiety and self-confidence, however was not related to cognitive anxiety. Keywords: activation, emotions, cognitive anxiety, somatic...

Låg självkänsla och hög maladaptiv perfektionism har visat sig öka risken för tidig debut och vidare utveckling av ångest- och depressionssyndrom hos studenter. Studien syftade till att undersöka relationen mellan faktorerna självkänsla, perfektionism och kognitiv ångest, fysiologisk ångest och ångestreglering hos studenter. Detta genomfördes genom tre frågeställningar med tillhörande hypoteser. Studiens enkät besvarades av 141 deltagare; 89 kvinnor och 52 män, med varierande huvudämnen. Resultatet visade att kvinnor uppgav högre grad av kognitiv- och fysiologisk ångest än män, medan män erhöll högre grad av ångestreglering än kvinnor. Vidare påvisades en negativ korrelation mellan självkänsla och kognitiv- och fysiologisk ångest. Dessutom erhölls positiva korrelationer mellan rigid- och självkritisk perfektionism och kognitiv- och fysiologisk ångest. Självkritisk perfektionism kunde förklara störst varians hos både kognitiv- och fysiologisk ångest, medan självkänsla förklarade störst varians hos ångestreglering. Ett intressant resultat var att inneha hög självkänsla bidrar till en ökad upplevd förmåga att hantera prestationsångest.

Bakgrund: Trots den synliga framgången inom idrotten kan tävlingsångest vara en dold utmaning som potentiellt påverkar prestationen negativt. Könsskillnader på tävlingsångest är komplicerad och kan härledas till en kombination av biologiska, psykologiska och sociokulturella faktorer. För att hantera tävlingsångest och optimera prestationen kan flera metoder tillämpas för mental träning, som visualisering, coping-strategier, mindfulness och self-talk. Genom att förstå och hantera tävlingsångest kan atleter uppnå bättre resultat och bidra till en hälsosammare idrottsmiljö. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att belysa eventuella könsskillnader på upplevelsen av tävlingsångest hos atleter. Studien syftar även till att belysa potentiella faktorer som påverkar tävlingsångest samt potentiella åtgärder för att minska tävlingsångest hos atleter. Metod: Studien är en strukturerad litteraturöversikt med en deskriptiv ansats. Fyra olika databaser (Medline, APA PsycInfo, Scopus, Cinahl) användes för att inhämta relevant litteratur, vilket resulterade i inkluderingen av totalt tretton artiklar. Resultat: Resultaten tyder på att kvinnliga atleter rapporterade högre somatisk och kognitiv ångest samt lägre självförtroende än manliga atleter. Även ålder och erfarenhet är avgörande faktorer för tävlingsångest. Äldre och mer erfarna atleter visade lägre nivå av både somatisk och kognitiv ångest samt högre självförtroende. Flera åtgärder utforskades för att hantera tävlingsångest, inklusive self-talk och mental träning, vilket visade sig vara effektivt för att minska tävlingsångest och öka självförtroendet hos atleter. Slutsats: En väsentlig betoning läggs på att individualisera interventioner för att hantera tävlingsångest utifrån enskilda behov och förutsättningar. Dessutom identifieras könsskillnader och individuella skillnader i upplevelsen av tävlingsångest, vilket bidrar till utformningen av skräddarsydda och effektiva stödåtgärder för atleter. För framtiden förespråkas en ökad forskningssatsning i Sverige där forskningsläget är otillräckligt.