Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In social psychology, social scientists have become interested in explaining social behaviour: how and why individuals become attached and why they pursue on-going close relationships. The investment model was developed that suggests how attachment to a relationship is formed. It has been suggested that the investment model can be applied to a wide variety of interpersonal relationships. In the same way as a relationship is formed between two individuals, the attachment that supporters have to a sports team is also formed. To understand the psychological connection supporters have to a sports team, the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM) was developed. PCM suggests supporters first become aware of a sports team, then supporters may become attracted, this leads to attachment to the sports team and allegiance to the sports team may then occur. Past research has focused on different aspects of the PCM. However, very few studies have yet explained how supporters become attached to a sports team. This study combines the PCM and the investment model to assess how supporters become attached to a sports team. Understanding the psychological connection that supporters have to a sports team was required thus, the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM) was used. How supporters become attached (based on the PCM) to a sports team was further understood by the investment model variables. Thus, the PCM was adapted and applied with the investment model. The study comprised of a 2x2x2 full factorial experimental research design. For the purposes of the study, respondents were first made aware of the sport, fistball. Respondents completed a questionnaire that was used to measure their attraction and attachment to a fistball team. During the interview, respondents were shown one of eight treatments, in the form of a newspaper clip on a poster that was manipulated using the investment model variables. The eight posters comprised of fictitious fistball teams to avoid any bias that may have been formed had another sport been chosen. There were 36 respondents per treatment group, ensuring that respondents could be split between the different levels of supporters. A repeat group was also conducted to ensure the validity of the study. The realised sample comprised of 318 respondents. The target population was South African supporters in LSM groups 8 to 10. Judgement sampling was used as no sampling frame exists for supporters. Respondents were selected in shopping malls in Gauteng due to the culturally diverse nature of the province. The results revealed that based on the level of support, attachment to a sports team varies. The results suggested that low supporters have a higher attraction than high supporters. High supporters are already attached to a sports team, and are not necessarily interested in being attracted to a different sports team. It would be recommended to attract high supporters by having initiatives that involve teams, where supporters‟ attachment to the team already exists. High supporters were considered to be those who were attached to a sports team. To package and deliver products and/or services most effectively, sport marketers should appeal to high supporters‟ attitudes, as it is their attitude that guides their behaviour. Based on the findings, there is an opportunity for sport marketers to encourage low supporters to become attached to a sports team by using the investment model variables. By incorporating social psychology with sport consumer behaviour, a better understanding of sport supporters was attained. In the same way that a dating relationship has various stages of courtship that may eventually lead to marriage, the relationship that supporters have with a sports team also goes through stages which may lead supporters who show allegiance. The study reveals that, similarly to a dating relationship where an attraction to an individual first needs to be formed, the type of sport plays a role in attracting supporters to a sports team. Likewise, whether an individual pursues a relationship depends on the investment model variables, which is also the case for supporters. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die sosiale sielkunde stel sosiaal-wetenskaplikes toenemend daarin belang om sosiale gedrag te verklaar: hoe en waarom individue geheg raak aan sosiale objekte en waarom hulle voortgesette verhoudings nastreef. Die beleggingsmodel, wat aan die hand doen hoe gehegtheid deur middel van ʼn verhouding tot stand gebring word, is ontwikkel. Daar word voorgestel dat die beleggingsmodel toegepas kan word op ʼn wye verskeidenheid van interpersoonlike verhoudings. Op dieselfde wyse waarop ʼn verhouding tussen twee individue gevorm word, word die verbintenis wat ondersteuners met ʼn sportspan het, ook verwesenlik. Ten einde die psigologiese verbintenis tussen ondersteuners en ʼn sportspan te verstaan, is die Psigologiese Kontinuummodel (PCM) ontwikkel. Die PCM suggereer dat ondersteuners eerstens van ʼn sportspan bewus word, dan moontlik aangetrokke voel tot die sportspan. Dit lei tot ʼn gehegtheid en moontlik uiteindelik getrouheid aan die sportspan. Vorige navorsing het die soeklig op verskillende aspekte van die PCM laat val, maar baie min ondersoeke het al verduidelik hoe ondersteuners ʼn verbintenis vorm met ʼn sportspan. Hierdie studie kombineer die PCM en die beleggingsmodel om vas te stel hoe ondersteuners ʼn verbintenis vorm met ʼn sportspan. Die PCM is gebruik omdat dit nodig was om die psigologiese verbintenis te verstaan wat ondersteuners met ʼn sportspan tot stand bring. Deur die veranderlikes van die beleggingsmodel in ag te neem, is daar verder lig gewerp op hoe ondersteuners geheg raak aan ʼn sportspan (gebaseer op die PCM). Die PCM is dus aangepas en tesame met die beleggingsmodel toegepas. In die studie is gebruik gemaak van ʼn 2x2x2 volle faktoriale eksperimentele navorsingsontwerp. Vir die doel van die studie is respondente eers bewus gemaak van die sport vuisbal. Die respondente het ʼn vraelys voltooi wat gebruik is om hul aangetrokkenheid tot en gehegtheid aan ʼn vuisbalspan te meet. Tydens die onderhoud is agt afsonderlike behandelings aan die respondente vertoon, elk in die vorm van ʼn koerantknipsel op ʼn plakkaat wat gemanipuleer is met die gebruik van die beleggingsmodel se veranderlikes. Die agt plakkate het fiktiewe vuisbalspanne uitgebeeld om enige vooroordeel uit te skakel wat moontlik sou voorkom as ʼn ander sportsoort gebruik was. Daar was 36 respondente per behandelingsgroep om te verseker dat respondente tussen die verskillende vlakke van ondersteuners verdeel kon word. ‟n Herhalingsgroep is ook gebruik om die geldigheid van die studie te verseker. Die gerealiseerde steekproef het uit 318 respondente bestaan. Die teikenpopulasie was Suid-Afrikaanse ondersteuners in LSM-groepe 8 tot 10 aangesien hulle die meeste mediablootstelling ontvang het. Daar is gebruik gemaak van oordeelsteekproefneming, aangesien geen steekproefraamwerk vir ondersteuners bestaan nie. Respondente is in groot winkelsentrums in Gauteng geselekteer vanweë die kultuurdiverse aard van die provinsie. Die resultate het getoon dat, gebaseer op die vlak van ondersteuning, die vlak van gehegtheid aan ʼn sportspan varieer. Die resultate suggereer dat laevlakondersteuners meer geneë is om ʼn verbintenis te vorm as hoëvlakondersteuners. Hoëvlakondersteuners het reeds „n band met ʼn sportspan en voel nie noodwendig die behoefte om ʼn verhouding met ʼn ander sportspan te vestig nie. Daar word dus aanbeveel dat hoëvlakondersteuners aangetrek word deur inisiatiewe aan te bied waarby spanne betrokke is wat reeds vaste aanhangers het. Hoëvlakondersteuners is beskou as diegene wat ʼn verbintenis met ʼn sportspan het. Ten einde produkte en/of dienste op die effektiefste wyse te verpak en te lewer behoort sportbemarkers op hoëvlakondersteuners se ingesteldheid te fokus, aangesien dit hul ingesteldheid is wat hul gedrag rig. Volgens die bevindinge bestaan daar ʼn geleentheid vir sportbemarkers om, deur van die beleggingsmodel se veranderlikes gebruik te maak, laevlakondersteuners aan te moedig om hulle aan ʼn sportspan te verbind. Deur sosiale sielkunde met sportverbruikersgedrag te kombineer is ʼn beter verstaan van sportondersteuners bereik. Net soos daar tydens ʼn liefdesverhouding verskillende stadiums van hofmakery is wat uiteindelik tot ʼn huwelik kan lei, gaan die verhouding wat ondersteuners met ʼn sportspan het ook deur stadiums wat uiteindelik getroue ondersteuners kan oplewer. Die studie toon ook dat, net soos in ʼn verhouding waar individue eers net met mekaar uitgaan, en hulle later sterk aangetrokke raak tot mekaar, daar in sport ook ʼn dieper verhouding moet ontwikkel. Dit blyk dat die soort sport ʼn belangrike rol speel wanneer ondersteuners tot ʼn sportspan aangetrek word. Net soos by ʼn liefdesverhouding, hang die sportondersteuner se verbintenis ook af van die veranderlikes van die beleggingsmodel. produkte en/of dienste op die effektiefste wyse te verpak en te lewer behoort sportbemarkers op hoëvlakondersteuners se ingesteldheid te fokus, aangesien dit hul ingesteldheid is wat hul gedrag rig. Volgens die bevindinge bestaan daar 'n geleentheid vir sportbemarkers om, deur van die beleggingsmodel se veranderlikes gebruik te maak, laevlakondersteuners aan te moedig om hulle aan 'n sportspan te verbind. Deur sosiale sielkunde met sportverbruikersgedrag te kombineer is ʼn beter verstaan van sportondersteuners bereik. Net soos daar tydens 'n liefdesverhouding verskillende stadiums van hofmakery is wat uiteindelik tot 'n

Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-17T16:51:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-12-09. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2016-05-17T16:55:54Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000863083.pdf: 1094276 bytes, checksum: 57bb9b04ea70fac5aad22004c4a56ab6 (MD5) / As torcidas fazem parte do contexto esportivo e, consequentemente, geram influências sobre as equipe e atletas. Dentro do grupo torcidas, existem algumas subdivisões, uma delas é as torcidas organizadas, presentes em várias modalidades esportivas, porém neste caso serão consideradas as torcidas ligadas as equipes de futebol de campo. Suas ações são um tema que sempre é discutido, especialmente as ações violentas, e sua relação com a diretoria do clube também, já que existe uma ligação entre essas duas partes, relação esta que vêm diminuindo após certos episódios de violência. Com o crescimento das redes sociais, as torcidas também passaram a se utilizar delas, tanto para divulgar as suas atividades quanto para marcar brigas com outras torcidas. Frente a isso, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar as páginas oficiais de algumas torcidas organizadas no Facebook, buscando categorizar os conteúdos postados verificando a existência de conteúdos referentes ao tema violência, por meio da análise de conteúdo online, utilizando-se de técnicas da netnografia e da análise de conteúdo. O universo desta pesquisa foi constituído pelas fanpages do Facebook de três torcidas organizadas de equipes de futebol da cidade de São Paulo. Foram analisadas todas as postagens destas torcidas referentes ao período do ano de 2014. Para a análise dos dados foi utilizado à análise de conteúdo, onde houve a categorização e hierarquização dos conteúdos e, após isso, análise e interpretação dos dados. Os resultados são apresentados em porcentagem. Notamos que as categorias jogos, mídia e festas foram as que apresentaram maior destaque em relação ao resultado geral das três torcidas. Foi verificado que a questão da violência acontece em segundo plano, juntamente com o clube, o qual também não recebe destaque principal. Dentre as festas que representam grande número das postagens... / Fans are a part of the sports context, and consequently generate influences on teams and athletes. Inside the fans group, there are some subdivisions, one of them are the organized fans. Although they are presented in many sports, this dissertation focuses on the soccer ones, whose actions, especially the violent ones, are a topic that is always on discussion as well as its relationship with soccer teams' board of directors. This relationship, however, is becoming weaken due to violent episodes. Besides that, the growth of social networks and its use by soccer organized fans, create an important mechanism to publicize its activities and to mark fights with other fans. Taking all these into consideration, this dissertation aims to analyze the official pages of some soccer organized fans on Facebook, to seek to categorize the content posted, to check for content related to the topic violence, to use the method of online content analysis, using techniques of nethnography and content analysis. The universe of this research was made up of Facebook fanpages of three differenet soccer organized fans' team of São Paulo city. We analyzed all the posts of these groups for the period of the year of 2014. For data analysis was used content analysis, which there was the categorization and prioritization of content and, after that, analysis and interpretation of data. The results are presented in percentage. We noted that the categories games, media and parties showed the most outstanding in relation to the overall outcome of the three organized fans analyzed. It was found out that the issue of violence happens in the background, as well as the club, which does not receive major highlight. Among the parties, that represent large number of the posts, we highlight the carnival, and we realized then, the existence of different subgroups within the organized fans. We understand that this work presents advances on this topic, especially in mapping...

Orientador: Afonso Antonio Machado / Banca: Graziela Pascom Caparroz / Banca: Silvia Deutsch / Banca: Gustavo Lima Isler / Banca: Rubens Venditti Junior / Resumo: As discussões sobre as políticas públicas relacionadas aos equipamentos de esporte e lazer ganharam destaque após a realização dos megaeventos esportivos que o país sediou, afinal, não é raro encontrar equipamentos abandonados, sem utilização pela população. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar os equipamentos públicos de esporte e lazer de São José do Rio Pardo/SP e elaborar uma proposta de plataforma virtual para realização de debates sobre o esporte e lazer no município. Trabalhamos com uma pesquisa qualitativa, com levantamento de dados bibliográficos e de campo. Para a pesquisa de campo utilizou-se de levantamento de dados através da Lei de Acesso à Informação e de visitas in loco, com registros fotográficos e anotações em caderno de campo. Os dados coletados foram registrados na ferramenta de georeferenciamento Google My Maps. Os resultados demonstram que o município possui 26 equipamentos de esporte e lazer, com uma concentração ampla na região Oeste. Apesar da quantidade a distribuição é falha, seja pela presença nas regiões Leste e Norte, seja pela realização de atividades na região Oeste, caracterizando assim, uma centralização da oferta de atividades de esporte e lazer. Por fim, apresentamos uma proposta de plataforma virtual para a participação da população em debates sobre os equipamentos de esporte e lazer. A formulação é baseada em três eixos, denominados: "Conheça", onde os cidadãos recebem informações e tiram dúvidas; "Construa", onde é possível registrar su... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Discussions on public policies related to sports and leisure equipment gained prominence after the sportive mega events which the country hosted, once, it is not uncommon to find abandoned places, unused by the population. The objective of this research was to evaluate the public sports and leisure facilities of São José do Rio Pardo / SP State to elaborate a proposal of a virtual platform for conducting debates on sport and leisure in the city. We work with a qualitative research, with bibliographical and field data collection. For field research, we did a data recovery using publics records, available by the national law on information access (Lei de Acesso à Informação) and on-site visits, with photographic records and annotations in a field notebook. The data collected was recorded in the Google My Maps georeferencing tool. The results show that the municipality has 26 sports and leisure equipment, with a wide concentration in the west region. Despite the number, the distribution is flawed, either by the presence in the East and North regions, or by the performance of activities in the West region, characterizing, therefore, a centralization of the offer of sports and leisure activities. Finally, we present a proposal for a virtual platform for the participation of the population in debates on sports and leisure equipment. The formulation is based on three axes: "Know", where citizens receive information and ask questions; "Build", where it is possible to register suggest... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Orientador: Afonso Antonio Machado / Banca: Flávio Rebustini / Banca: Daniel Presoto / Resumo: As torcidas fazem parte do contexto esportivo e, consequentemente, geram influências sobre as equipe e atletas. Dentro do grupo "torcidas", existem algumas subdivisões, uma delas é "as torcidas organizadas", presentes em várias modalidades esportivas, porém neste caso serão consideradas as torcidas ligadas as equipes de futebol de campo. Suas ações são um tema que sempre é discutido, especialmente as ações violentas, e sua relação com a diretoria do clube também, já que existe uma ligação entre essas duas partes, relação esta que vêm diminuindo após certos episódios de violência. Com o crescimento das redes sociais, as torcidas também passaram a se utilizar delas, tanto para divulgar as suas atividades quanto para marcar brigas com outras torcidas. Frente a isso, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar as páginas oficiais de algumas torcidas organizadas no Facebook, buscando categorizar os conteúdos postados verificando a existência de conteúdos referentes ao tema violência, por meio da análise de conteúdo online, utilizando-se de técnicas da netnografia e da análise de conteúdo. O universo desta pesquisa foi constituído pelas fanpages do Facebook de três torcidas organizadas de equipes de futebol da cidade de São Paulo. Foram analisadas todas as "postagens" destas torcidas referentes ao período do ano de 2014. Para a análise dos dados foi utilizado à análise de conteúdo, onde houve a categorização e hierarquização dos conteúdos e, após isso, análise e interpretação dos dados. Os resultados são apresentados em porcentagem. Notamos que as categorias "jogos", "mídia" e "festas" foram as que apresentaram maior destaque em relação ao resultado geral das três torcidas. Foi verificado que a questão da violência acontece em segundo plano, juntamente com o clube, o qual também não recebe destaque principal. Dentre as festas que representam grande número das postagens... / Abstract: Fans are a part of the sports context, and consequently generate influences on teams and athletes. Inside the fans group, there are some subdivisions, one of them are the organized fans. Although they are presented in many sports, this dissertation focuses on the soccer ones, whose actions, especially the violent ones, are a topic that is always on discussion as well as its relationship with soccer teams' board of directors. This relationship, however, is becoming weaken due to violent episodes. Besides that, the growth of social networks and its use by soccer organized fans, create an important mechanism to publicize its activities and to mark fights with other fans. Taking all these into consideration, this dissertation aims to analyze the official pages of some soccer organized fans on Facebook, to seek to categorize the content posted, to check for content related to the topic violence, to use the method of online content analysis, using techniques of nethnography and content analysis. The universe of this research was made up of Facebook fanpages of three differenet soccer organized fans' team of São Paulo city. We analyzed all the posts of these groups for the period of the year of 2014. For data analysis was used content analysis, which there was the categorization and prioritization of content and, after that, analysis and interpretation of data. The results are presented in percentage. We noted that the categories "games", "media" and "parties" showed the most outstanding in relation to the overall outcome of the three organized fans analyzed. It was found out that the issue of violence happens in the background, as well as the club, which does not receive major highlight. Among the parties, that represent large number of the posts, we highlight the carnival, and we realized then, the existence of different subgroups within the organized fans. We understand that this work presents advances on this topic, especially in mapping... / Mestre

Orientador: Eduardo Kokubun / Coorientador: Priscila Missaki Nakamura / Banca: Tania Rosane Bertoldo Benedetti / Banca: Jamile Sanches Codogno / Resumo: Introdução: No Brasil, o diabetes mellitus e a hipertensão arterial são responsáveis por gasto anual de R$12.3 bilhões e R$1.3 bilhões e praticar atividade física (AF) reduz esses gastos. Programas de promoção de AF no lazer na Atenção Básica de Saúde têm sido incentivados, mas poucos estudos no Brasil apresentam seus custos. Objetivo: Investigar o custo da intervenção de breve aconselhamento e de exercício físico supervisionado em Unidades de Saúde da Família (USF), e a influência no nível de AF no lazer e no transporte em pessoas diabéticas e hipertensas, durante um ano. Métodos: Participaram do estudo 67 adultos diabéticos e/ou hipertensos de ambos os sexos, de 4 USF do município de Rio Claro-SP. Os participantes foram divididos em quatro grupos de intervenção por meio de sorteio. Grupo aconselhamento (GA): aconselhamento para a prática de AF; Grupo exercício físico (GEF): prática de exercícios físicos nas USF, 2 vezes por semana com duração de 60 minutos; Grupo Perda (GP): participantes que foram convidados a participarem do GEF, mas não aderiram e Grupo Controle (GC): os participantes foram orientados a manter as atividades rotineiras. Os participantes foram avaliados a cada três meses (5 momentos) quanto ao nível de AF (IPAQ), percepção de saúde, variáveis antropométricas e os custos com saúde. As variáveis foram expressas em média, desvio padrão e porcentagem. Para verificar diferença entre grupos no nível de AF inicial, custo médio com medicamentos mensal e anual foi realizada uma Anova one-way, e para diferença entre os grupos nos momentos foi realizada uma Anova fatorial com intenção de tratar no programa SPSS versão 21.0. Resultados: Houve aumento na média do nível de AF no lazer para o grupo GA (20min ± 153,37) e GEF (106min ± 108,14), e diminuição para o grupo controle (15min ± 72,22) entre ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Background: Diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension are related to more than R$ 12.3 billion and R$ 1.3 billion annual expenses in Brazil and being physically active reduces the occurrence of this expense. Programs that increase the level of physical activity (PA) in leisure time be incentived in primary care, but few studies in Brazil to show their cost. Objective: to investigate the cost of intervention with Brief advice and Physical Exercise and them influence in PA in leisure time and transport, in hypertensive and diabetic individuals of family health units (USF). Methods: the study included 67 diabetic and / or hypertensive adults of both genders from 4 USF in Rio Claro-SP, Brazil. Participants were divided into four intervention groups in a randomization fashion. Group BA: counseling for PA; Group PEFUS: exercise intervention in USF, twice a week for 60 minutes; Group lost: invited to participate in PEFUS but didn't engage; and Group control: were instructed to maintain their regular activities. Participants were evaluated every three months (5 moments) about their PA level, health perception, anthropometric variables and health cost. The variables were expressed as mean, standard deviation and percentage. One-way ANOVAs were used to compare initial PA level and average cost of annual and monthly medication between groups. Changes over time and between groups were analyzed by means of two-way factorial ANOVAs with intention to treat. Results: The GA and GEF groups increased their leisure time PA in 20 (±153,37) and 106 minutes (±108,14), respectively whereas the control group decreased by 15 minutes (±72,22) between the final and initial moment. These was not effect of interventions on annual cost with drugs in the Brazilian health system. The annual cost of GA (R$ 61,05) is cheaper than GEF (R$ 95,52) per person. However, the GEF has ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Using the narrative imagery of Instagram and the cultural narrative of the Olympics, I explore the role of agency and autonomy in modern sport with a focus on the commercial and institutional arms of surfing. This project is an attempt to evaluate visual and cultural narrative from the perspective of a literary scholar and to root theory and philosophy in issues that go beyond scholarship and academics. In chapter one, I use sports sociologists Jennifer Hargreaves and Krista Comer as well as Jean Kilbourne and Rosalind Gill to illuminate and explore two surf-centric Instagram accounts, both of which imagine a story of surfing through a mostly visual medium. In chapter two, I turn to Elizabeth Grosz and Michel Foucault to help explore the institutionalized arm of surfing through its recent inclusion in the Olympic Games. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study investigates Zambians’ construction of identities based on their following of the English soccer premier league. The study seeks to understand how Zambian supporters of this league construct their identities based on their encounter with foreign teams/players and how they appropriate the meanings obtained through such viewing in their daily lives. The study is informed by the theories of fandom. Using an ethnographic critique of the media imperialism thesis, the study attempts to explore the meanings that the fans of the English soccer league in urban Lusaka make of the mediated soccer games, while in and outside the viewing spaces – the bars – where the games are ritually watched in groups. Based on the qualitative methods of focus group discussions, individual in-depth interviews and observations, the study probes the phenomenon of the consumption of English premier league football in countries abroad, focusing specifically on the experiences of fans in Lusaka, Zambia. Observation of this phenomenon in Lusaka reveals that fans find pleasure in the tactics that the teams in the league display, the professionalism of the players, goal scoring and self-empowerment for the few women supporters. This study probes these issues in greater depth. The foremost conclusion of the research is that it neither completely rejects nor accepts the media imperialism thesis. Instead, meanings should be understood within the context of the lived experience and reality of the fans.

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)

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)