The application of sport psychology principles and theories have now moved beyond the athletic arena and branched off into non-athletic domains. Gould (2002) noted, "moving beyond the psychology of athletic excellence is an important development in our field" (p.247). Recently the mental strategies of various non-athletic domains such as musicians (Talbot-Honeck & Orlick, 1998), performing artists (Hays, 2002) and business people (Jones, 2002) have been researched and discussed. Research of actors regarding their memorization of lines (Voice, 1991; Noice, 1992; Noice & Noice, 1997), their experience of flow (Martin & Cutler, 2002), and their experience of stage fright (Steptoe et al., 1995) has been conducted, however, no research has explored the mental strategies used by professional stage and film actors. The purpose of this research has been to explore and understand the mental strategies used by professional North American actors. Twelve (n = 12) professional actors from Canada and the United States were interviewed using a semi-structured open-ended interview guide. Inductive analysis revealed that the actors used seven major mental strategies including: character preparation, focus while performing, pre-performance routines, imagery, confidence, optimal energy level, and performance evaluation. Elements of career success were also discussed. These findings shed light on specific strategies and techniques regarding the use of mental strategies by professional actors. It is hoped these findings will open the door to future research in this field and bring an understanding of relevant mental strategies for improving performance in the field of acting.

L'objectif de ce travail consiste a identifier, à l'aide de la technique de modélisation par équations structurelles, un certain nombre de marqueurs psychologiques qui sont sous-jacents aux comportements pathologiques des adolescents et des jeunes adultes envers les jeux de hasard et d'argent. Des marqueurs furent donc identifiés à partir de la littérature; leur choix fût supporté par la théorie générale de l'addiction de Jacobs (1986), la théorie sur le cycle d'une addiction de McCormick (1994) et la théorie conflictuelle de la prise de décisions de Janis et Mann (1977). Ce travail propose donc d'explorer s'il existe une relation entre le jeu pathologique et des marqueurs tels que les émotions de honte et de culpabilité, les processus décisionnels et les stratégies de coping qui sont utilisées par les adolescents et les jeunes adultes. Deux cent quatre-vingt-quinze universitaires composent le premier échantillon de jeunes adultes. Deux cent dix-sept adolescents composent un échantillon dit clinique, en raison des problèmes de consommation et de comportement et de jeu qui affligent ces derniers. Leurs réponses furent comparées à 244 adolescents qui composent le groupe non-clinique. La cueillette de données s'est faite à l'aide de questionnaires auto-rapportés. Les liens entre les différents facteurs furent consacrés par un modèle statistique pour les jeunes adultes, alors que des analyses exploratoires sont venues décortiquer les résultats obtenus auprès de nos adolescents. Ainsi, des comparaisons multi-groupes entre les variables latentes des échantillons d'adolescents furent possible grâce à la technique de modélisation par équations structurelles. Les résultats obtenus viennent supporter certains concepts de la théorie de McCormick (1994). En général, les adolescents et les jeunes adultes ne font pas la distinction entre les émotions de honte et de culpabilité. Il ne semble pas avoir de relation entre le fait de ressentir de la honte et/ou de la culpabilité et le fait d'avoir recours a des stratégies de coping inadequates ou inadaptées chez les adolescents, comme c'est le cas chez les adultes. De plus, toujours chez les adolescents, l'absence de lien entre les processus décisionnels et les stratégies de coping laisse présager la présence d'un facteur intermédiaire jouant un rôle de médiateur entre ces deux entités. Ce résultat viendrait raffiner le modèle conflictuelle de la prise de décision de Janis et Mann (1977). Enfin, les résultats des comparaisons multi-groupes démontrent que les adolescents qui composent le groupe clinique ressentent davantage de honte et/ou de culpabilité que leurs pairs et qu'ils possèdent un répertoire plus limite de stratégies de coping adaptées, et qu'ils les utilisent moins comme facteur de protection contre les problèmes liés au jeu excessif. Des implications pratiques ainsi que des pistes pour des recherches ultérieures sont aussi présentées.

Despite numerous benefits associated with regular physical activity, the majority of North American women remain insufficiently active. Accordingly, researchers have examined a multitude of variables associated with women's physical activity participation. Two theoretical frameworks that may be extended to predict women's physical activity behaviour are the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Self-Determination Theory. This thesis examined physical activity behaviour change in a community based-sample of middle-aged women by integrating concepts from these two conceptual frameworks. Specific objectives were (1) to examine the relative influence of social support, TPB variables, and SDT variables on intentions to increase physical activity; (2) to assess the relative influence of intentions and motivation on physical activity behaviour change over time by testing mediating and moderating models; and (3) to examine relationships among barriers, environmental characteristics, and change in physical activity behavior. To these ends, two empirical investigations were conducted. In the first study, French-speaking women (n=109) completed a questionnaire package assessing the aforementioned variables. In the second study, English-speaking women (n=149) complete similar questionnaire packages at baseline and at six months follow-up. All women were recruited from community-based facilities, including community centres and fitness clubs. Overall, results demonstrated that attitudes, perceived behavioural control, subjective norms, and autonomous motivation were associated with intentions to increase physical activity. Intentions were also related to reported physical activity behaviour change over time. Among the most commonly reported barriers to physical activity increase were daily activities and fatigue. Inactive women reported higher levels of barriers than women who remained active or increased their physical activity level over time. Environmental characteristics (e.g., enjoyable scenery and the presence of others exercising) were also associated with change in physical activity behaviour. Collectively, results support the utility of integrating concepts from different theoretical frameworks as a means of understanding physical activity behaviour change and physical activity behaviour change intentions. Findings also suggest a number of ways in which physical activity behaviour change could be fostered in middle-aged women.

Barely touched on and resulting in unsettled findings in previous research, the effect of simultaneous deprivation of pollen and nectar on pollen collection in bumblebee colonies is investigated in the present thesis. This investigation is further expanded to include the roles of colony growth and foraging experience in mediating the effect of deprivation on foraging behaviour. In all experiments colonies were presented with one of two treatment conditions: Pollen-deprivation (-P) or pollen-and nectar-deprivation (-P-N). In Study One, the effect of type of deprivation on colony growth was examined. Results showed that colony growth in -P-N did not differ from colony growth in -P. Study Two includes two experiments. Experiment 1 examined the role of prior foraging tasks combined with resource deprivation in pollen collection. Colonies were first assigned to either -P or -P-N treatment conditions and were subsequently tested while deprived of both resources (-P-N). Colonies that had experience in managing both foraging tasks collected more pollen and allocated greater foraging effort than did colonies that only had experience in collecting pollen. Experiment 2 examined the role of colony size combined with resource deprivation in pollen collection. Larger colonies collected more pollen although smaller colonies collected more pollen relative to their colony size. Taken together, these experiments provide a comprehensive understanding of the interrelatedness between colonies' nutritional requirements, foraging experience, colony development and foraging behaviour. Also, they clarify the effect of simultaneous deprivation on pollen collection. Contributions of this thesis are placed within the context of practical implications for greenhouse pollination, as well as research implications for bumblebees' foraging currencies and foraging decisions.

With the aim of shedding light on potential strategies to enhance preparedness for terrorism in Canada, the overarching goal of the present thesis was to develop, test, and refine a social-cognitive model of individual response to terrorism. The specificity of terrorism risk perceptions was explored in a first multi-hazard study, where they were compared with those of other hazards. Analyses performed on data of a national telephone survey on health risk perception (N = 1,503) revealed that Canadians perceive terrorism as posing a relatively low, although uncertain threat. They also perceive themselves as having relatively little control over terrorism, perhaps resulting from the wider social contextual implications of this threat. In order to further clarify the nature of various cognitive dimensions of terrorism risk perceptions, identify potential social contextual factors of interest, and extend the examination to behavioural responses to terrorism, a qualitative analysis was performed on sections of interview transcripts, where individuals from across Canada discussed their concerns and decisions regarding terrorism (N = 73). Six related overarching themes were discussed (Threat, Uncertainty, Control, Context Issues, Psychological Response, and Behavioural Response). Behavioural responses to terrorism were discussed in relation to psychological responses such as concern or worry, and both appeared to be determined by the same factors. From findings, a social-cognitive model was developed specifying cognitive and social contextual (i.e., perceptions of authorities' regulation of terrorism) determinants of psychological and behavioural responses to terrorism. This model was tested on data of a national survey on perceived terrorism threat and preparedness (N = 1,502). As expected, worry and behavioural responses to terrorism were associated with similar cognitive and social contextual factors. Worry also partially mediated relationships of these factors with behavioural responses. Indices reflecting a greater perceived terrorism threat were associated with both favourable and unfavourable responses. By contrast, perceived coping efficacy emerged as the cognitive factor associated with the most favourable responses. Specific findings underscore the dangers of strategies that overemphasize the threat of terrorism in order to promote individual preparedness, and highlight the value of strategies aimed at enhancing individuals' perceived ability to cope with potential emergencies.

Why are some goal pursuits more successful than others? What personal variables help achieve successful self-regulation? The goal of the present program of research is to investigate the relationships between two important components of effective self-regulation: motivation and monitoring. This dissertation suggests that an organismic approach to self-regulation such as self-determination theory (SDT) can supplement the view brought forward by control theory's (CT mechanistic self-monitoring system, by proposing that people may have different regulation styles based on their motivational orientation. More specifically, it is argued that SDT and CT may be in congruence with regard to general dispositional styles of monitoring and motivation, such that that public self-consciousness may be associated with a nonself-determined motivational orientation, while private self-consciousness may be associated with a self-determined motivational orientation. However, it is also argued that SDT and CT make different predictions with regard to the effects of situational manipulations of public and private self-awareness, and that these effects may influence people differentially based on their motivational orientation. It is hypothesized that: (a) conditions conducive to private self-awareness affect individuals with self-determined and nonself-determined motivational orientations differently as they become more aware of their respective personal style of behavioural regulation and their different personal goals (i.e., intrinsic versus extrinsic goals respectively), and (b) conditions conducive to public self-awareness create a controlling environment and lead individuals with both self-determined and nonself-determined motivational orientations to focus on self-presentation, their public image and the ways others perceive them. To test these ideas, a series of four studies is proposed to answer a progression of research questions using survey and laboratory methodologies. Results from a meta-analysis (Study I) and structural equation modeling (Study 2) reveal that private self-consciousness is associated with higher levels of global self-determination and that public self-consciousness is associated with lower levels of global self-determination, across various samples. Public self-consciousness and low global self-determination also appear jointly related to detrimental self-regulatory functioning such as setting goals that are incoherent with the self, while private self-consciousness and high global self-determination appear related to positive self-regulatory functioning such as setting goals that are coherent with the self (Study 2). Furthermore, findings suggest that a situational increase of private self-awareness has a strong impact on the self-regulatory functioning of individuals with low levels of global self-determination as they become more aware of their extrinsic goals and behave in coherence with these goals, but little impact on individuals with high levels of global self-determination as this condition matches their style of regulation and their behaviour is already in coherence with their intrinsic goals (Study 3). Conversely, a situational increase in public self-awareness appears to have a strong impact on the self-regulatory functioning of individuals with high levels of global self-determination, as this condition pressures them to adopt a different way to regulate their behaviour, but a weaker impact on individuals with low levels of global self-determination, as this condition corresponds to their style of regulation (Study 4). Overall, this program of research constitutes a notable contribution to the extant literature on self-monitoring, self-determination, and behavioural self-regulation. Findings suggest that people with different motivational orientations may have different regulation styles, and that these styles could dictate how self-monitoring affects their self-regulation.

My subjects with insomnia secondary to chronic pain were assigned randomly to either a cognitive-behavioural therapy (n = 25) or a minimal contact symptom-monitoring/waiting-list control group (n = 25). The therapy consisted of a multicomponent seven-week group intervention aimed at promoting good sleep habits, teaching relaxation skills, and changing negative thoughts about sleep. Subjects in the control group monitored their sleep using a sleep diary for seven weeks; they also received weekly supportive phone calls from a therapist. Treated subjects were significantly more improved than control subjects on measures of sleep onset latency, wake time after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, sleep quality, and nocturnal activity levels (obtained from ambulatory monitors). A small, but significant, decrease in pain levels was also found in the treated subjects, but depression and medication use remained unchanged. At a 3 month follow-up, treated subjects showed good maintenance of most therapeutic gains. These results provide the first evidence from a randomized controlled trial that cognitive-behavioural therapy is an effective treatment for insomnia that is secondary to chronically painful medical conditions.

The goal of this thesis was to create and test an interest and motivation self-regulation model comprising three main components: Interest-enhancing strategies, interest, and self-determination. It was first hypothesized that when people are faced with a boring task, they will use the five following interest-enhancing strategies: Challenge enhancement, exploitation of stimulation from the physical context, introduction of variety within the task, provision of self-relevant rationales, and focused attentional involvement on the task. Second, interest-enhancing strategy use was hypothesized to be associated with interest, and interest, in turn, was hypothesized to be associated with the level of self-determination of extrinsic motivation. These relationships were also hypothesized to hold over time. That is, interest-enhancing strategy use was hypothesized to predict long term gains in interest, and long term gains in interest were hypothesized to predict long term gains in self-determination. Four studies were conducted to test the aforementioned hypotheses. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey (N = 318). Its goal was to provide an exploratory test of the interest and motivation self-regulation model. The goal of Study 2 (N = 434) was to cross-validate the results obtained in Study 1, using a similar methodology. In Study 3 (N = 354), the interest and motivation self-regulation model was tested in the context of a longitudinal survey. Questionnaire measures were obtained twice, at a 10 weeks interval. A control group was also tested at Time 2 to evaluate potential "carry-over" effects. In Study 4 (N = 120), the interest and motivation self-regulation model was evaluated using an experimental design. Interest and motivation were measured repeatedly while the participants performed a boring free recall task. The results of all four studies revealed that the participants used the five proposed interest-enhancing strategies to a moderate extent. A single strategy, namely attentional involvement, was directly and positively associated with interest in all four studies. This strategy also had an indirect positive impact on self-determination, through interest. Moreover, in Studies 1, 2, and 3, challenge enhancement and provision of self-relevant rationales were indirectly associated with interest and self-determination, through the mediation of attentional involvement. In Study 4, provision of self-relevant rationales had a direct positive impact on self-determination. Introduction of variety did not relate, directly or indirectly, to interest and self-determination in any of the four studies. The results pertaining to exploitation of stimulation were inconsistent. In Studies 1 and 2, this strategy displayed a negative indirect impact on interest and motivation, through the mediation of attentional involvement. No significant associations were found in Study 3 for this strategy. In Study 4, this strategy displayed a direct positive impact on interest and self-determination. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

In recent decades, throughout the industrialized world, youth have shown an increasing vulnerability to self-destruction. This thesis supports research which argues that modifying the availability of firearms could act as an immediate approach to the prevention of adolescent suicide. I add to existing psychological and sociological theories, which fail to address the issue of opportunity and the situational factors around an adolescent taking their life, by focusing not only on theory but on the empirical research upon which the validity of these and subsequent theories must depend. I argue that the explanations for suicidal behaviour must, in general, depend on an interactional theory in which socialization, cognitive, intrapsychic, biological factors and opportunity all play a part. For the purposes of this thesis, I have used a cross-section of studies that include the four primary methods of studying the epidemiology of suicide, including: (1) profile analyses; (2) restrospective and prospective investigations of patients who come to clinical attention on account of attempted suicide; (3) cohort analyses; and (4) psychological autopsies of suicides. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

No description available.