While many studies have examined the effects of mental training programs on anxiety and concentration as they pertain to performance, none have examined the effects simultaneously as they relate to performance. Few studies have examined mental training programs, especially individualized mental imagery scripts, as they relate to the athlete's attentional profile and level of trait anxiety. The purpose of this study was to determine if a mental training program alters attentional profiles and trait anxiety. Additionally, this study determined if a mental training program had a transfer effect on performance. The following null hypotheses were examined: 1) There would not be a significant difference in attentional profiles before or after a mental training program; 2) there would not be a significant difference in trait anxiety scores before or after a mental training program; 3) there would not be a significant difference in an athlete's performance before or after a mental training program. The subjects (N = 20) in this study were comprised of Ball State University Women's Softball members. The age range of the subjects was between 18 and 23. The instruments used in this study were the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Styles Self-Assessment (TAIS-SA) (Nideffer, 1980) for attentional styles and the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) (Martens, 1977) for competitive traitanxiety. Batting performance was recorded by the investigator as the subjects took batting practice (from a pitching machine) during the normal course of practice. Each subject was given a log sheet and was asked to keep a record of the number of times she used the mental training program per week. This study was a pretest, posttest design, and dependent t-tests (p < .05) were calculated for the six subscales of the TAIS, the SCAT, and performance. There was a statistically significant difference from the pretest to the posttest on the levels of anxiety as measured by the SCAT and on hitting performance. While all scores on the six subscales of the TAIS-SA changed, they were not statistically significant. / School of Physical Education

The main reasons behind women's participation in sport have been identified as team membership, cooperation and friendship. This is seen in contrast to competition, status and possible career opportunities found in relation to men's participation in sport. Research also suggests that participation in physical activity and sport increases women's sense of well- being and acceptance of body size and shape. This thesis set out to explore the sporting experiences of women within rugby, cricket and netball. The first aim of the research was to investigate the participation motivation of women within three sports that differ in their levels of acceptability and required physical contact. The second and third aims were to examine how that participation might affect the development of self-esteem and body satisfaction. The fmal aim of the thesis addressed the issue of sporting identity development through exploring how participants in physical/non-physical, 'feminine'/'masculine' sports reflect on their sporting experiences. In addition the thesis considered how distinct parts of sporting participation such as clothing, team dynamics, physical contact and perceptions of sexuality synthesise to form the sporting identity of women rugby players, cricketers and netballers. The research was based on Constructivist/Interpretivist principles and combined both quantitative and qualitative methods. Initially, three questionnaires were used to assess participation motives (Participation Motivation Questionnaire), body image (Multi dimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire) and self-esteem (Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory). The questionnaires were sent to rugby players, cricketers and netballers through their organising bodies. Following the questionnaire stage of the thesis, 30 interviews were conducted to further explore the relationship between participation in sport, perceptions of femininity and the function the body took in developing body satisfaction. Key to the investigation was how sport participation impacted on identity development and the strategies used to maintain that image. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the interview accounts, focusing on the meanings given to sport by the individuals themselves. Social constructionism was used as a framework for interpreting the data. This produced a rich account of sporting experience highlighting how body satisfaction and perceptions of femininity are constructed and reconstructed by sportswomen. Findings from the questionnaires indicated that all sports rated team membership as the most important reason to participate in sport. Key fmdings demonstrated that satisfaction with physical appearance was strongly related to body areas satisfaction and global self-esteem for all sports. There was also no difference between sports on perceptions of physical attractiveness and all sports demonstrated significant relationships between satisfaction with physical appearance and body functioning. Following Stage One of the research process an interview schedule was developed that combined the key fmdings from each questionnaire and questions raised from the literature. The main findings from Stage Two highlighted how important sport is to these women, indicating a variety of techniques used to sustain an athletic image. It was also found that perceptions of femininity focused on the association of physical activity and sexuality. The assumption being that regardless of sport choice women were perceived as lesbian. Other key findings highlighted the transiency of body satisfaction. This refers to increases in body satisfaction through playing sport not being sustained once the athlete has transferred herself to a social context. Other findings relate to the use of the body in sport and the enjoyment of overpowering an opponent. School experiences of sport are identified as key to the development of gender stereotypes and why being regarded as a 'sporty' person is so important. The research on which this thesis is based suggests that sport comes to play an integral part in these women's lives and an activity that guided overall identity development. The thesis also highlights the transiency of body satisfaction and the inevitability of the lesbian stereotype due to participation in sport. The social constructionist interpretation of the data suggests how the shared vocabularies of body idioms that individuals embrace and use to judge other people determine the way in which we value physical behaviours and define physical attractiveness. The respondents demonstrated that regardless of prejudice and poor funding they still want to and enjoy the experience of sport participation. Potential research opportunities are also identified.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological and social processes of regular physical exercise use by women who consider themselves "exercisers." In using grounded theory method, the primary objective of this study was to generate a substantive theory that described (a) the experiences of women who self-identified as exercisers and engaged in regular physical exercise, (b) the contextual factors that influenced their participation, and (c) explained the experience of participating in regular exercise, considering both the positive and negative effects of exercising, and the process of change through its use. Twenty-two women (age range, 21 to 60 years) were interviewed about their exercise experience. Twenty participants self-identified as exercisers. Two other participants, a former exerciser, and a nonexerciser, were interviewed in order to explore theory limits. A middle-range theory of "shaping self through exercise" was identified as the basic process of these women's experience of regular physical exercise. The process involved the reciprocal connection between two intrapersonal phases: "shaping up" and "experiencing self as shaped." Through interactions among the subprocesses of shaping up ("talking to self," "experiencing exercise," "diverting from self" and "feeling good about self") exercisers in this study experienced self as shaped through "growing into self," "grounding self in exercise," and "expressing self through exercise." Influenced by personal meaning and contextual conditions (one's personal exercise background, current life context, and socialcultural environment), exercisers frequently re-experienced both phases. Aspects of each conceptual element of the theoretical model are identified and illustrated by narrative data. This grounded theory provides insight into the complexity of women's physical exercise experience. To appreciate this experience it is necessary to view the social-psychological process from an interactionist perspective. Findings suggest that women's exercise may be more than physical movement in reaction to environmental and personal influences, but may also be an intrinsically motivated endeavour towards self-growth, self-care, and selfexpression. Awareness of the complexity of this process, including personal and contextual influences, may provide guidance towards more successful adoption and maintenance of exercise. Implications include future research directions to extend theoretical boundaries and specificity. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Research indicates the existence of an eating disorder continuum. The two-component model of disordered eating suggests that certain personality traits may increase an individual's vulnerability to develop more severe variants of disordered eating symptomatology. The present study investigates pre-clinical elevations on a measure of personality based on the Five-Factor Model (FFM) and pre-clinical elevations on a measure of eating disorder symptomatology in a sample of nonclinical undergraduates. The personality dimensions Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Agreeableness accounted for 7% of the variability in Body Dissatisfaction. Subcomponents comprising the personality dimensions of the FFM as determined by Saucier (1998) (see Appendix A) were analyzed. The Self-Reproach and Intellectual Interests subcomponents were the strongest predictors of Drive for Thinness and Body Dissatisfaction. The subcomponent Sociability was the strongest predictor of Bulimia. Findings present implications for prevention and treatment interventions. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the temporal directionality of personality and disturbed eating.

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a cognitive-dissonance based intervention in reducing disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. The intervention program created dissonance through discussion, exercises, and homework aimed at addressing and countering internalized sociocultural pressures, beliefs and values about women's bodies, attractiveness, and worth in the U.S. Seventy-seven female undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: cognitive-dissonance, combined cognitive-dissonance, healthy weight placebo control, and wait-list control To determine effectiveness of the intervention, MANCOVA procedures were used, with Time 1 scores serving as the covariate. Overall, the women who received the dissonance based interventions produced the strongest effects among measures assessing sociocultural pressures, internalization, and body dissatisfaction in comparison to the control group, and experienced significant reductions in dieting behaviors and bulimic symptoms over the course of the study, suggesting that the creation of dissonance via the intervention assisted the women in reducing eating disorder risk factors.

No description available.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present research study formed part of a larger longitudinal project concerned with low-income South African women’s subjective experiences of depression (Lourens & Kruger, 2013). The present study specifically focussed on how depressed women experienced their relationships with their children. The study aimed to provide a descriptive overview of how one group of depressed South African mothers experience their relationships with their children, as well as to compare the findings with existing literature. Therefore, the scope of this study does not include in-depth analyses of findings. While numerous researchers have examined and identified the important negative effects of depression in mothers on children during the past decade, a very limited number of studies have been focussed on the opposite direction of the depressed mother-child relationship. Very few studies have explored how relationships with their children may influence the development and subjective experience of depression and emotional distress in mothers, as well as, on the other hand, may protect against depression and emotional distress (Dix & Meunier, 2009; Greig & Howe, 2001; Leung & Slep, 2006; Rishel, 2012; Turney, 2012). The present study attempted to address this gap in the literature. The feminist social constructionist perspective was utilised as theoretical framework (De Vos, Strydom, Fouché, & Delport, 2011). Consistent with social constructionism, the study was conducted within the qualitative research paradigm (De Vos et al., 2011). Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants most suitable for the aims of the study (APA Dictionary of Psychology, 2007). Data were collected by means of in-depth semi-structured interviews. A semistructured interview schedule was utilised as data collection instrument. Each interview was recorded by video camera, as well as by voice recorder, in order to ensure back-up recordings. The interviews were then transcribed. Social constructionist grounded theory was used to analyse the data (Charmaz, 1995). The results indicated that the depressed women and children in this study seem to be different from the stereotype of the depressed mothers and children in the literature. Depressed mothers are typically portrayed in the literature as not able to form a close and secure bond with their children, while the children of depressed mothers are almost always portrayed in the literature as showing behavioural and emotional problems, as well as being “parentified” (Coyne & Thompson, 2011; Dix & Meunier, 2009; Turney, 2012). Although the depressed women in the present study did report child factors which contributed to their depression, they - to the contrary - also emphasised that their children are an important protective factor against their experience of depression. The participants also highlighted that they have the ability to be protective, supportive and caring towards their children, despite their depressive symptoms. The majority of depressed women also described a “very good” mother-child relationship. As such, the participants in the present study showed us a brighter picture of the depressed mother-child relationship. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingstudie het deel gevorm van ‘n groter longitudinale projek wat op lae-inkomste Suid-Afrikaanse vroue se subjektiewe ervarings van depressie gerig was (Lourens & Kruger, 2013). Die huidige studie was spesifiek gerig op hoe depressiewe vroue hul verhoudings met hul kinders ervaar. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om ‘n beskrywende oorsig te voorsien van hoe een groep depressiewe Suid-Afrikaanse vroue hul verhoudings met hul kinders ervaar, asook om die bevindinge te vergelyk met bestaande literatuur. Om hierdie rede sluit die omvang van hierdie studie nie ‘n diepgaande analise van bevindinge in nie. Terwyl talle navorsers die belangrike newe-effekte van moeders se depressie in terme van hul kinders gedurende die laaste dekade ondersoek het, is ‘n baie beperkte aantal studies op die teenoorgestelde rigting van die depressiewe moeder-kind verhouding gerig. Slegs ‘n paar studies het hoe verhoudings met hul kinders die ontwikkeling en subjektiewe ervaring van depressie in moeders kan beïnvloed, ondersoek, of daarteenoor, hoe dit die moeder kan beskerm teen depressie (Dix & Meunier, 2009; Greig & Howe, 2001; Leung & Slep, 2006; Rishel, 2012; Turney, 2012). Die huidige studie het gepoog om hierdie gaping in die literatuur aan te spreek. Die sosiaal konstruksionistiese feministiese perspektief is as teoretiese raamwerk gebruik (De Vos, Strydom, Fouché, & Delport, 2011). In ooreenstemming met sosiale konstruksionisme, is hierdie studie binne die kwalitatiewe navorsingsparadigma uitgevoer (De Vos et al., 2011). Gerieflikheid steekproeftrekking is gebruik om die mees gepaste deelnemers vir die doelstellings van hierdie studie te werf (APA Dictionary of Psychology, 2007). Data is deur middel van in-diepte semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude ingesamel. ‘n Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudskedule is as data-insamelingsinstrument gebruik. Elke onderhoud is op videokamera, sowel as op band opgeneem, ten einde meer as een opname van elke onderhoud te verseker. Die onderhoude is getranskribeer. Data-analise het plaasgevind deur van sosiale konstruksionistiese gegronde teorie gebruik te maak (Charmaz, 1995). Die resultate het aangedui dat die depressiewe vroue en hul kinders in hierdie studie verskil van die stereotipe van depressiewe moeders en hul kinders in die literatuur. Depressiewe moeders word in die literatuur tipies voorgestel asof hulle nie in staat is om ‘n naby en veilige binding met hul kinders te vorm nie, terwyl die kinders van depressiewe moeders amper altyd in literatuur met gedrags- en emosionele probleme voorgestel word (Coyne & Thompson, 2011; Dix & Meunier, 2009; Turney, 2012). In teendeel – alhoewel die depressiewe vroue in die huidige studie wel gerapporteer het dat hul kinders bydra tot hul depressie – het hulle ook klem geplaas op die feit dat hul kinders ‘n belangrike beskermende faktor is teen hul ervaring van depressie. Die depressiewe vroue het ook beklemtoon dat hulle die vermoë het om beskermend en ondersteunend teenoor hul kinders te wees, ten spyte van hul depressiewe simptome. Die meerderheid deelnemers het ook ‘n “baie goeie” verhouding met hul kinders beskryf. As sodanig, het die depressiewe vroue in die huidige studie vir ons ‘n helderder prentjie van die depressiewe moeder-kind verhouding getoon.

The effects of attitudes and perceived constraints on behavior and the choices females make about involvement in recreational sports, exercise, and other physical recreation activities are important to consider if females physical, social, and emotional quality of life is to be enhanced. The main aim of this study was to explore the perception held by female undergraduate students at UWC regarding the physical and socio-cultural constraints that influence their participation in recreation sport.

This investigation was designed to determine whether or not a significant relationship existed between personality and the selection of a required physical education activity and whether or not personality traits exhibited by freshman women were related to specific type activities. Sources of data were 107 freshman women enrolled in activity classes at North Texas State University, 1974-75. The Cattell 16 Personality Factor Inventory, Form A and an information sheet were the instruments utilized in the study. An analysis of variance was calculated to ascertain whether or not differences existed among the four groups in personality scores. This study concluded that no significant relationship appeared to exist between personality and the selection of specific physical activities.

A positive psychosocial intervention comprised of high autonomy support, task-involvement, and caring was implemented in physical activity classes to examine its effects on college women’s basic psychological needs (i.e. autonomy, competence, relatedness), exercise regulations (i.e. external, introjected, identified, integrated, intrinsic) and social physique anxiety (SPA). We hypothesized that at the end of the semester, participants in the intervention group (N = 73) would report greater need satisfaction, more self-determined regulations and less SPA than participants in the non-intervention group (N = 60). At T1 and T2, both the intervention and non-intervention participants reported “agreeing” with experiencing an autonomy supportive, task-involving, and caring environment. Furthermore, both groups at T1 and T2 reported moderate SPA. No significant group differences were found at T1. At T2, significant group differences were observed in the intervention and non-intervention groups’ report of external regulation and intrinsic regulation. The results suggests that group exercise instructors are capable of creating a positive psychosocial environment to enhance students’ intrinsic motivation.