Golfers have been encouraged to develop consistent pre-performance routines (PPRs) in order to enhance their performance. However, the theoretical underpinning of these recommendations is unclear. Issues relating to the overall function(s) of the PPR, psychological components; routine usage across different shot types; and the impact of task difficulty on routine execution have yet to be explored in detail. The general purpose of this thesis was to quantify differences in the duration / composition of PPRs across shot types and task difficulty while developing a greater understanding of the psychological skills utilised and the function of the PPRs To achieve this general purpose four studies were completed. Study one (n=6, age M = 22.5yrs) explored the behavioural and temporal consistency of the PPRs utilised by the participants within shot type and across three different environmental conditions (competition, practice, and simulated). PPR behaviours were classified according to four categories (head, club, posture, still). The results revealed that the participants were very consistent in their routines and no significant differences were identified between environmental conditions. In Study two (n= 6, age M= 22.5years) the extent to which participants utilised different routines for different shots (putter, driver, wedge) as well as the impact of task difficulty on routine duration were explored. Significantly different routines were used for the three shot types. However, with the exception of one component for one participant, there were no significant differences between the conditions of task difficulty (easy Vs hard Vs very hard). In Study three (n=6, Age M= 23.7yrs) heart-rate deceleration (HR-D) characteristics for each participant prior to shot execution were explored for good versus poor shots as an indicator of attentional focus. There were clear differences between good and poor performance in the duration of the inter-beat intervals (IBIs). The specific purpose of Study four was to explore the psychological strategies utilised by golfers during their PPRs and the function of the PPRs. A number of key psychological skills were identified including: imagery, self-talk, relaxation techniques, trigger-words, concentration/focusing strategies, and achieving a ‘flow state’. The evidence suggested that the function of PPRs is to focus attention on the task. The findings of all four studies informed the development of practical guidelines for the future use and development of PPRs in golf.

The writer of this thesis with the counsel of Dr. Lee F. Jones of the Education Department, and Dr. E. Kelly Thompson, President of Western, decided to make a survey of the status of physical education in the Ohio Valley Conference by means of a questionnaire and through personal interviews. With the materials obtained from the questionnaire and personal interviews with the Directors of Physical Education of the various colleges a proposed program of physical education was organized for Western Kentucky State College.

This study presents the results of a comparison of traditional grass-twist backstops frequently used on indoor ranges with one of corrugated cardboard design. The findings indicate that the corrugated cardboard design is substantially superior. The four factors selected for testing were: Arrow pass-through levels and subsequent arrow repair costs Arrow penetration levels, tested over several distances and using several bow weights Arrow-stopping potential with beginning and inexperienced archers Storage Testing showed the first three factors supporting the corrugated cardboard design. The last factor, storage, was found to be about equally supportive of both designs. Several recommendations are made. These recommendations include the adoption of the corrugated cardboard backstop design for use on indoor ranges and the use of shorter distances in the instruction of beginning and inexperienced archery students.

National parks have famously been called "America's best idea" and preserve the nation's natural and cultural resources for the enjoyment of all. One of the current working priorities of the National Park Service (NPS) is enhancing the relevancy and engagement of the national parks with diverse audiences, especially for underserved groups. To address this priority, transportation is needed to provide access to national parks, but transportation may not be equally accessible to all groups in society. Understanding the effects of transportation on visitation to the national parks by racial/ethnic groups is essential for the NPS to improve the accessibility of transportation systems and encourage greater visitation by racial/ethnic minority groups. Moreover, transportation can be more than a means of access, it can also be a form of recreation itself, providing opportunities for visitors to experience and appreciate parks and related areas. But, differences in desirability of transportation recreation opportunities across recreation settings and among racial/ethnic groups are rarely addressed. The intent of this dissertation is three-fold: 1) identify transportation related barriers impacting visitation to national parks by racial/ethnic groups, and the effects of transportation on the visiting national parks, 2) identify the differences in indicators of the transportation recreation opportunity spectrum among racial/ethnic visitors and across recreation settings, 3) measure spatial accessibility of national parks and the effects of spatial accessibility and other factors on visitation to national parks among racial/ethnic groups. The first phase of research is designed to identify barriers to visiting national parks that are related to marginality, subculture, and discrimination hypotheses, and examine the effects of transportation incentives on visitation among racial/ethnic groups. Study results found that racial/ethnic minority groups visited national parks less frequently than Whites. Hispanics were more likely to perceive transportation-related barriers to visiting national parks than Whites. Moreover, providing transportation incentives can increase visitation by Hispanics significantly. The second phase of research developed indicators for a transportation recreation opportunity spectrum (T-ROS), and examined the differences in desirability for T-ROS indicators among alternative transportation modes, different types of recreation settings, and different racial/ethnic groups. Study results identified the important indicators for transportation service in different types of recreation areas, which can help inform transportation planning and management for the NPS. The final phase of research examined the spatial accessibility of national parks from different geographic locations by incorporating geospatial analytics, assessed the spatial accessibility of different types of national parks among racial/ethnic groups, and estimated the effects of spatial accessibility on visitation to national parks. Results showed that Hispanics and Blacks had higher accessibility to national parks than Whites within short distance radii, however, Blacks and Hispanics were more likely to perceive distance as a barrier to visiting national parks than Whites. Study results can help the NPS understand the spatial structure of national parks, provide visual information for visitors about proximate national parks and recreation opportunities, and identified effective management strategies for enhancing visitation of racial/ethnic minority groups from different geographic areas.

The Journal of Health, Physical Education and Recreation was subjected to a content analysis for the period 1963-1973 using subject philosophy, pedagogical style, and contributors as the content indicators. The study examines how curriculum change and subject content reflect change and ideology in the wider society. Justifications for teaching physical education have shifted from a traditional emphasis on fitness and character training to education for leisure and lifetime sports and the desirability of self-actualization via movement education. The study argues that those changes parallel a move in the requirements of the social and economic structure, from mass wage labor to a highly differentiated work force, and the utilization of leisure as a means of social control in a period of change in work structure and patterns. Theoretically, it suggests that subjects within the curriculum delimit and frame the notions available to individuals and groups. Thus, it attempts to show how structural relationships are reproduced in the consciousness of individuals, by arguing the curriculum content limits consciousness development as well as transmitting specific forms of ideology; furthermore, subject maintenance is achieved by the sanctioning of dominant ideology via the process of curriculum change, in terms of subject philosophy and pedagogical style.

There was a need to determine the recreation needs of girls in the pre-adolescent age range of nine through fourteen years old so that municipal recreation professionals may program activities to meet the desires of this specific population. In order to do this, a testing instrument was developed. The test, a recreation preference schedule, used closed questions exclusively, unlike many of the available checklist surveys. The recreation preference schedule was modeled after the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule that was used in counseling. The new test, containing one hundred questions, utilized ten recreation activity categories. It was checked for reliability and validity, then administered to one hundred and forty-eight pre-adolescent girls enrolled in three elementary schools. A trend appeared that indicated pre-adolescent girls have a strong preference to engage in outdoor and nature activities that provide aesthetic qualities. They also desire social activities and sports activities that allow their individual abilities to surface. There was a marked rejection of non-active games and crafts and hobbies and a similar disinterest in dramatics. There appeared to be a middle-of-the-road attitude towards music, team sports and athletics, special events and active games.

This study was conducted in order to determine the effects of educational budget cuts on student programming in universities and colleges. It was stated that the universities monies allocated specifically for student programming had decreased, the number of full-time university employees had decreased, the number of national performers brought to campus had decreased, and student participation had decreased A questionnaire was designed to send to those institutions that were NECAA, Great Lakes Region, members. A 62 percent return was received, the questionnaires were tabulated and data accumulated. The data indicated that most universities had received sufficient funds for student programming from their institutions. However, from 1979-1982, those respondents that felt they had sufficient funds decreased. The number of full-time, as well as part-time, employees in the area of student activities had decreased slightly. The number of national performers brought to campus decreased, while the number of local performers increased. It was also found that the cost of a national performance had decreased. The data indicated that student participation within student activities had increased. Recommendations were made based upon the findings and conclusions. It was suggested that the questionnaire be revised in order to obtain more useful information. It was also recommended that similar studies be repeated within this and other NECAA regions so as to provide continuous and current data in the field. It was further suggested that Western Kentucky University be made aware of the results of this study and participate actively in further endeavors.

Nonmarket activities such as gardening and cooking are often correlated with increased well-being and happiness. Additionally, nonmarket, casual activities such as gardening and food preparation are often internally motivated, and provide observable examples of self-concordant experiences. Self-concordance, i.e., internalized motivation, has been shown to increase satisfaction and increase efficacy of goal attainment. Further, experiential hobbies such as gardening may help individuals feel more satisfied, adopt more intrinsic life aspirations, and be less materialistic. This study explored satisfaction, materialism, and food activities by focusing on first-person, lived experiences of eight urban gardeners in Portland Oregon who grow, prepare, and eat their own food. Little is known about what specific food experiences lead to increased feelings of well-being and satisfaction. Whereas previous research focused on defining and assessing materialism based on life aspiration measures, this study explored how intrinsic life aspirations translate into concrete, lived experiences expressed through food activities. The goal of the current study was to gain a deeper understanding of how food experiences satisfied the psychological needs of urban gardeners. Qualitative analysis of interviews and other data revealed that food experiences: 1) were motivated by intrinsic reasons, such as competency, creativity, and curiosity, and also sometimes for extrinsic reasons such as status and security, 2) were affected by enabling factors such as social relationships, and disabling factors such as time, energy, and financial limitations, and 3) resulted in increased life satisfaction, and feelings of strength, and confidence. Additionally, participants' level of general materialism often corresponded with their level of materialism regarding their food experiences. The results indicated that individually tailored experiential long-term food related hobbies are highly valued and a source of great satisfaction for a variety of psychological needs, such as relatedness, connection, work-life balance, and abundance. These results show that food activities can be intrinsically satisfying and can mitigate the negative effects of materialism. The findings from this study build theory and provide direction for potential future research in reducing materialism by developing measures for types of satisfaction from food activities and testing correlations with materialism and life satisfaction.

This study examines Midwestern collegiate and metropolitan newspapers to explore the differences in writing about disability language, terminology and tone. Specifically, this study focused on whether referential language and tone about people with disabilities differs depending on the source of the newspaper. Data from six metropolitan papers and eight collegiate papers over forty randomly selected dates in the year 2014 was collected. The metropolitan newspapers analyzed were The Chicago Tribune, The Indianapolis Star, The Des Moines Register, Detroit Free Press, Omaha World-Herald, and the Journal Sentinel. The collegiate newspapers examined were The Daily Illini, Indiana Daily Student, The Daily Iowan, The Michigan Daily, The State News, Daily Nebraskan, The Exponent, and The Badger Herald. A list of key search terms was electronically searched in each newspaper and articles that fell on the forty dates were saved and analyzed. Each term that appeared in the article was evaluated on a Likert scale for language use and tone; the total number of pages of each article was also calculated. Statistical tests used were T-Tests and analysis of covariance (ANCOVAR). A visual analysis was also conducted using an online word generator called Wordle. The results indicated that metropolitan papers used more preferred disability language than their collegiate counterparts. Both sources used an informational tone when referencing people with disabilities. Page length differences were statistically insignificant. Specific words repeatedly appeared throughout both newspaper sources: mental, disabilities, crazy, health and illness. While metropolitan papers also displayed preference for the following terms: elderly, elder, people, wheelchair, and older adults. Collegiate newspapers highlighted these terms: students, insane, madness, elderly and wheelchair. An implication of the study is that the media sources selected represented people with disabilities in an informational tone rather than a sensationalistic manner. However, disability language needs to continue to improve and become more sensitive to people with disabilities and professionals who work with them.

This research examined notions of belonging and sense of community through a set of layered lenses that integrated a social model of aging with phenomenology to gain a better understanding of the lived experiences of individuals residing in a long-term care (LTC) home. Conducted in a for-profit LTC home in Ontario, this study analyzed messaging in marketing materials supplied to potential residents and their families in anticipation of a move to a LTC home and in the staff policies and procedures manuals using document and narrative analysis. Themes emerging from this phase were then compared with the first-hand experiences of living in a LTC home as told by residents through the use of a focus group (n=6) and individual interviews (n=6) and experiences of working in a LTC home as described by interviews with staff (n=6). Analysis of marketing documents revealed the theme of let us be your caring community. As messaged in these documents, the LTC home supported residents by caring, embodying the ideals of home through natural living spaces, and supporting meaningful personal connections. This contrasted with messages found in the staff policy manuals. Divided discourses highlighted the tangible complexities of implementing a person-centered philosophy within a business model by describing the industry of care, prescribed customer service, fabricating normalcy and, to a much lesser extent, promoting the practice of person-centered care. Residents’ phenomenological stories illustrated variable un/belonging within a LTC home. Personal experiences of the institutional erosion of belonging, congregate nature of living in a LTC home, changing nature of personal relationships and the prescriptive living environment routinized day-to-day experiences and provided a stark contrast between belonging in community and un/belonging in a LTC home. Weaving belonging into daily tasks described how staff members laboured daily at working to personalize LTC home living, and how they were helpless to prevent losses in community and belonging. After completing the research and analysis of the promotional materials, policy and procedures manuals, and resident and staff transcripts I conducted a broader level analysis of all four sets of themes in order to get a sense of the whole. I concluded there were five tensions of: constructing home from the outside; person-centered care within a biomedical, business model; promoting individuality in a congregate structure; synthetic connections at the expense of long-standing relationships; and fostering living in a death-indifferent culture which justified society’s need to divide and regulate. Incorporating a range of data including promotional materials, policy and procedures manuals, and the voices of both residents and staff, these tensions are not only implicit in the culture of Manor House but within the overarching structure of LTC homes in general and have deep implications on the standing and status bestowed upon older adults in Canadian culture. My intention was to bring to light the contextualized lived experiences of individuals living at Manor House and highlight the structural and social barriers that continue to produce discrimination by “problematizing” aging and subsequently fostering notions of presumably acceptable dividing practices (Foucault, 1982) within society. By examining meanings and experiences of community in a LTC home, and also recognizing the systemic, structural and cultural factors that may shape those experiences, I sought to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the lifeworlds of individuals living within a LTC home.