The fact that 45% of boys and 32% of girls in the United States participate in youth sports suggests that sports participation might be an important influence on children's psychosocial development. This study explored: (1) how children's gender cognitions influence sports self-efficacy and (2) how sports self-efficacy influences children's psychosocial adjustment. Results suggest that for boys, felt pressure to conform to gender standards and the belief that sports is important for boys influence sports self-efficacy. In girls, both the belief that sports is important for girls and the belief that sports is important for boys predicted sports self-efficacy. Sports self-efficacy predicted benefits for girls adjustment (high self-esteem, higher body satisfaction, lower depression and lower anxiety) but both positive and negative outcomes for boys (higher narcissism, higher aggression, and lower depression and lower anxiety). The findings overall suggest that the correlates of sports self-efficacy are somewhat different for boys and for girls. / by Patrick Cooper. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Orientador: Adriane Beatriz de Souza Serapião / Banca: Rubens Venditti Junior / Banca: André Luis Aroni / Resumo: A Educação Física, bem como todas as práticas corporais na escola, volta seu olhar, em sua maioria, para as correntes tradicionais da esportivização e do desenvolvimento motor. Porém, é nítido que as discussões em torno destas práticas podem ser ricas no sentido do desenvolvimento humano e suas relações. Sabemos que a coletividade, a imprevisibilidade a competição e cooperação são elementos que estimulam estados emocionais diversos, fazendo com que possamos para trabalhar o aprendizado emocional, de maneira eficaz. Este trabalho culmina com o que pensamos sobre a EF, uma disciplina multidisciplinar, que tem o dever de oferecer ambientes pedagógicos favoráveis para que nossos alunos experimentem e vivenciem estados emocionais e seus conflitos, oportunizando o desenvolvimento destas habilidades sociais de maneira realmente eficiente. O presente trabalho buscou entender como os alunos reagem socialmente e emocionalmente nos diferentes momentos de sua rotina escolar e como os estados emocionais são acionados nas aulas de EF durante a prática de jogos, ginástica, dança e jogos digitais. Não obstante, entender como eles conseguem identificar reações emocionais em seus pares. A opção metodológica foi a pesquisa-ação e foi realizada em estreita relação entre teoria e prática, onde participantes e pesquisadores, representantes da situação ou do problema, estão envolvidos de maneira cooperativa e/ou participativa. A pesquisa foi realizada com 120 alunos de 13 e 14 anos, do oitavo ano d... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Physical Education as well as all the corporal practices in the school looks, for the most part, to the traditional chains of the esportivization and the sports skills development. However, it is clear that the discussions around these practices can be rich in the sense of human development and their relationships. We know that collectivity, competition and cooperation are elements that stimulate diverse emotional states, allowing us to work effectively on emotional learning. This work culminates in what we think about Physical Education, multidisciplinary, that has the duty to offer good moments for our students to experience and experience emotional states and their conflicts, allowing the development of these social skills in a really efficient way. The present work tried to understand how students react socially and emotionally in the different moments of their school routine and how emotional states are activated in Physical Education classes during the practice of games, gymnastics, dance and digital games. And also, understand how they can identify emotional reactions in their peers. The methodological option was action research and was carried out in close relation between theory and practice, where participants and researchers, representatives of the situation or the problem, are involved in al situations. The research was carried out with 120 students of 13 and 14 years of age, from the 8th year of middle school in 2017, in Campinas and the instruments of participan... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

[Truncated abstract] At the commencement of this research project in February 2005, there was a paucity of empirical investigations that focused on understanding the psychological construct of mental toughness in sport (Bull, Shambrook, James, & Brooks, 2005; Fourie & Potgieter, 2001; Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton, 2002). Although impressive, the available literature did little in offering consensus in terms of a definition and operationalising the construct in a consistent manner as well as understanding those factors contributing to its measurement and development. The absence of theoretically guided research, in particular, was noted as a major limitation of this research. The potential significance of mental toughness for performance excellence combined with the conceptual confusion and lack of rigorous empirical research highlighted the need for further research on mental toughness in sport. Accordingly, the purpose of this thesis was to examine issues pertaining to the understanding, measurement, and development of mental toughness in sport, using personal construct psychology (Kelly, 1955/1991) as the guiding theoretical framework. Australian football was chosen as the context to explore these issues. In the opening empirical chapter, two qualitative manuscripts in which Australian football coaches’ perspectives on mental toughness and those factors contributing to its development are reported. Three central themes for understanding mental toughness in Australian football were generated: characteristics (self-belief, motivation, tough attitude, concentration and focus, resilience, handling pressure, personal values, emotional intelligence, sport intelligence, and physical toughness); situations (e.g., injuries, success); and behaviours (e.g., superior decision-makers, consistent performance). '...' In the final empirical chapter, two manuscripts in which the effectiveness of two different psychological skills training programs in enhancing mental toughness among youth-aged (15's) Australian footballers are reported. The first presents a quantitative analysis while the second presents a qualitative analysis. Multisource ratings (self, parent, and coach) of the AfMTI and self-reported resilience and flow indicated more positive changes in mental toughness, resilience, and flow than the control group. Similar patterns in the findings were evident across rating sources. Interviews with several players and one of their parents as well as the coaches generated their perceptions on the benefits of participating in the program (e.g., increased work ethic, tougher attitudes) and the processes by which the program had an effect (e.g., self-awareness; self-monitoring; self-regulation; and multi-perspective discussions) as well as suggestions for program improvement (e.g., parent and coach education programs). In summary, the results of the five studies presented in this thesis provide a comprehensive account of issues pertaining to the understanding, measurement, and development of mental toughness in Australian football. The findings are supportive of several aspects of previous research but also extend this line of inquiry in a number of ways. It is my hope that other researchers will be stimulated to engage in further research extending what is presented here and that practitioners will use this information to inform their professional endeavours.

Faculty of Education and the Arts. School of Social Sciences. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 247-276)

The relationship of family environment and children's goals in sport is not a well established area of research and although findings to date are equivocal, links between various dimensions do appear to exist. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between family environment, particularly the perception of achievement orientation within the family, and the youth participants' goal orientation in hockey. The sample consisted of fifty-five female senior school hockey players, as well as their parents, that attended independent girls' schools in the Pietermartizburg and Durban areas. No significant relationship was found between the perception of achievement orientation in the family and the youth participants' goal orientation in sport. There were however, indications that other aspects of social climate within family environment, as perceived by the participants, influence youth goal orientation in sport. Findings also revealed links between positive parental involvement and intrinsic motivation, and perceived parental pressure and pressure experienced by the hockey players. The results are discussed in terms of the literature reviewed, and the implication and the limitations of the study are discussed, concluding with recommendations for future research. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

In a small town in a Canadian prairie province where spots, particularly football and basketball, are the chief activities, many young men in school define their self-worth based on their thletic ability. To determine the impact that sports had on the young men in this particular town, 20 boys between the ages of 15 and 19 were selected for interviews. Due to the importance placed upon sports in the school and the small size of the school, all 20 of the boys had some association with football and basketball. They either played on one of the sports teams but spent much of the time sitting on the bench, or they desired to play but failed to qualify for team play. Only one of the boys had never tried to play on one of the teams. The boys were interviewed about how they fit into the circle of sports and how their participation or non-participation has influenced them. It was determined that sports did influence their self-esteem. Many of the boys, both those who were part of the team and those who had been cut from the team, felt left out and began to dought their abilities and their worth. The study confirms much of the current literature. Recommendations include making coaches and administration aware that boys were being negatively influenced by a successful sports program, as well as calling for further research to determine the extent and depth of the negative influence of sports on boys who are not the stars of the team. / viii, 83 leaves ; 28 cm.

This study aimed to distinguish the coping efforts of athletes who endured shorter, and longer, durations of competitive suffering. Eleven male and 15 female endurance athletes (Mage= 35.8, sd= 12.1) completed a 5km competitive suffering running time-trial task. Following the task, threat perceptions and coping function use (problem focused, PFC; emotion focused, EFC; and avoidance, AvC) were measured in 200 meter intervals using video mediated recall. Control beliefs were also assessed. Those who suffered for shorter durations used more EFC during initiation and at the peak of competitive suffering, as well as less AvC during initiation, in comparison to longer duration sufferers. PFC use did not distinguish competitive suffering duration. Non-significant correlations were revealed between control beliefs and both suffering duration and coping function use. Overall, the results imply that emotion-focused coping is the most appropriate coping function to decrease competitive suffering duration, regardless of control beliefs. / xi, 106 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm

The study investigates how participation in sport can enhance a learner’s self-esteem. There are other significant factors such as the academic performance, peer acceptance, support from school and parental support, which may contribute to increasing the self-esteem of a learner. However, sport has been chosen as the point of focus in this study. The theories underpinning the study are Self-determination Theory (SDT), Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET) and Achievement Goal Theory. SDT distinguishes between intrinsic motivation which refers to engaging in something for the pleasure and satisfaction and extrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity for some kind of reward external to the activity itself. CET suggests that people must experience both satisfaction for both competence and autonomy in order to maintain intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic rewards like material rewards undermine intrinsic motivation. Achievement Goal Theory proposes two goal orientations, that is, task orientations and ego orientations. Task oriented individuals seek personal improvement and task mastery whereas ego oriented individuals seek to outperform others. Therefore task orientation is self-referenced whereas ego orientation is externally referenced. This was a qualitative single case study research design informed by an interpretive paradigm. It is about people’s subjective experiences and how they understand and interpret the world around them. The idea was that the researcher wanted to discover the unique experiences of participants regarding sport participation and to find out what inspire them. Focus group interviews, semi-structured interviews as well as observations were used as data collection procedures. The school that was selected for this study is a school situated in the urban area in Pinetown. Six learners involved in sports were chosen to participate in a focus group session which aimed to gather information on their experiences about sports. Leaners who participated were selected from Grade 10, 11 and 12. The sports coordinator who is also a physical education teacher was requested to take part in the semi-structured interview. The intention of the session was to collect data on her views about leaners’ experiences and whether the support related to sports given by the school to the learners has benefits that could enhance learners’ self-esteem. Although the school offers a variety of sports and encourages everyone to participate, there are still learners who are not involved in sports for various reasons. This non-participation needs to be addressed as it is important for adolescents to have high self-esteem in order to lead normal lives. Therefore the government and the school need to work together to ensure that all learners take part in sport. Parents also have a role to play in ensuring that their children participate in sport. Data analysis based on the responses of the participants revealed that learners engaged in sport and have a higher self-esteem than those who do not participate. Moreover, learners participating in sports have positive relationships with their teachers, parents and peers. The results of the study indicated that there is, indeed, a positive relationship between sport participation and self-esteem. This study was therefore seen as beneficial in motivating leaners and parents to motivate their children to partake in sports at school level. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

Orientador: Carlos José Martins / Banca: Afonso Antonio Machado / Banca: Altair Moioli / Resumo: A Copa do Mundo de Futebol de 2014, realizada no Brasil, deixou claro que este esporte tem a capacidade de deixar boquiabertos até mesmo pessoas que não tem o menor interesse no esporte mais praticado no Brasil e jogado com os pés, o futebol. Ao debater sobre o rendimento da Seleção Brasileira de Futebol na Copa do Mundo de 2014 os aspectos táticos, técnicos e físicos foram objeto de questionamentos, porém, nenhum outro foi tão discutido quanto o aspecto psicológico, apesar da significativa resistência a cerca das condições de possibilidade de realização de uma preparação psicológica . Neste contexto mostrou-se incontornável, tanto quanto os aspectos físicos, técnicos e táticos o importante papel da psicologia do esporte na busca por um ótimo desempenho. Neste sentido, no momento de preparação dos atletas para o mundial indagamos se houve a adequada preocupação com a questão da preparação psicológica. Este estudo teve, portanto, como objetivo questionar se houveram condições de possibilidade de realização de uma preparação psicológica da seleção brasileira de futebol na Copa do Mundo de 2014 realizada no Brasil. A realização desta pesquisa foi pautada em uma metodologia exploratória, qualificada como estudo de caso, possível através de pesquisa documental via notícias e entrevistas disponíveis na mídia, internet e crônicas de ícones da crônica esportiva nacional - João Saldanha, Tostão, José Miguel Wisnik e Juca Kfouri - capazes de dialogar com o tema investigado nos momentos e acontecimentos de destaque da competição, os quais denotam possível recorrência em participações da seleção brasileira em Copas do Mundo de futebol. A partir da análise dos documentos coletados pudemos construir um panorama mais aprofundado da questão, de modo a aferir melhor as condições, as variáveis e as prováveis responsabilidades. A partir dos dados coletados, analisados e discutidos, suas... / Abstract: Not available / Mestre

M.A. / South Africans are known for their love of sports and rugby is one of the most popular sports in the country. Due to this nationwide love of rugby children are often exposed to the game from a very young age. However, children’s participation in competitive rugby is a complex matter. It is unclear whether children participate in rugby for the simple love of the game or because of the competitive culture that is dominant within South Africa. Numerous studies have expressed concerns about children’s participation in rugby due to the physical risks, the psychological stress that accompanies competitive sports, the emphasis on winning (pressure to perform) and the resultant disappointment of losing. Research has also demonstrated that elevated anxiety levels are an integral part of competitive sport participation and impact physiological and psychological behavioural responses. However, previous research has not focused on anxiety in relation to competitive sport participation in the South African context or on the impact that participation in competitive rugby has on children in South Africa. This study thus aimed to investigate the anxiety experienced by high school rugby players and determine the extent to which their involvement in competitive rugby contributes to this anxiety. A within-and-between, quasi-experimental design study was conducted to address this primary aim. Twenty (20) children participated in the study; 10 of the participants played high school rugby, while the remaining 10 participants were not involved in any sport.