Extensive research on the psychological benefits of psychological skills training in sport has been conducted in Sport Psychology, with unambiguous positive results. However, psychological skills training has not yet been fully applied in the Psychology of Music. Mindfulness training, and specifically the mindfulness, acceptance and commitment (MAC) approach, has been applied in sport, but thus far no MAC intervention on musicians has been published. The combination of Psychological Skills Training (PST) and mindfulness (the MAC approach) training is more rare and has not yet been used in music studies. The configuration of mindfulness (MAC) and PST has been applied in a sport setting, but has never been tested in a proper intervention programme for music students. This study fills this gap. The primary aim of this research was to implement and evaluate the effect of PST, in combination with mindfulness, on undergraduate music students. The second aim was to determine whether the intervention programme had an impact on the students’ psychological well-being and the management of music performance anxiety. The third aim was to evaluate whether the students’ psychological skills and mindfulness have improved. The fourth aim was to determine whether the combination of PST and mindfulness training was successful. The fifth aim was to evaluate whether the cross-over from Sport Psychology to the Psychology of Music in terms of the knowledge base, intervention PST protocols and psychometric measuring instruments was meaningful. The sixth aim was to determine whether the correlations between the psychological constructs (subscales) of the pre-intervention test measurements on all the respondents were meaningful. A convenience sample of 36 undergraduate music students from the Department of Music at the University of Pretoria was selected. The students were asked to participate voluntarily. The experimental group consisted of 21 students, and the remaining 15 students formed the control group. A quasi-experimental design was implemented in this research to address problems that might occur because of the voluntary selection method employed. Voluntary participation was adopted to ensure that the participants were fully engaged in and committed to this study. The aspects of motivation and commitment were essential prerequisites for this research to be successful, because full commitment and maximum attendance of the intervention sessions were crucial to be able to determine the impact of this intervention programme. The results indicated a significant improvement in positive relationships with others within the experimental group, as measured by Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale. Pre- and postintervention test results within the experimental group indicated a statistically significant improvement in all three subscales of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (cognitive state anxiety, somatic state anxiety and self-confidence). A statistically significant improvement on five of the seven subscales of Bull’s Mental Skills Questionnaire (self-confidence, anxiety and worry management, concentration ability, relaxation ability and levels of motivation) were reported, and on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the subscales of “describe” items and “non-judge” items improved significantly from the pre-intervention test to the postintervention test in the experimental group. Interestingly, the growth mindset within the experimental group also increased significantly, while the fixed mindset decreased significantly. This significant positive increase in the scores of the experimental group might be an indication that the intervention programme had a moderately significant impact on important psychological dimensions of the participating undergraduate music students. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Psychology / unrestricted

Aggression has many faces in sport. For this reason, it is a complex but fascinating field for studying the nature of aggression. All athletes have to control and channel aggression constructively into skill in their sport in order to sustain optimal performance. The purpose of this research was to study aggression in sport and determine whether aggressive energies can constructively be expressed in the rules of the game and channelled into a powerful and inspiring performance by the athlete. In sport, any type of aggression can transmute into a destructive force that can debilitate and nullify performance. Through this study, the researcher wanted to determine if the participation in Martial Arts can reduce aggression and whether progression in belt rank (beginner, intermediate and advanced) in Martial Arts could cause a gradual decrease in the aggressive behaviour of young adolescents. The researcher also wanted to determine if participation in Martial Arts, other than other types of sports activities (for example, hockey) and those 16 participants absent from any sporting activity, may serve as a deterrent to aggressiveness. A secondary aim was to determine if Martial Arts could be used as a coping strategy for young adolescents to improve their overall mental wellbeing. The core focus of this study is to determine if the participation in Martial Arts (specifically Tae Kwon Do) can reduce aggressive tendencies in young adolescents. The researcher chose Tae Kwon Do from the various Martial Arts styles, because Tae Kwon Do has a very broad combination of traditional components or elements of what any Martial Arts program consist of. It also consists of elements that are incorporated within the program that may have the desired outcome on a participant taking part in such a training program. In Martial Arts, the emphasis is on physical fitness, self-confidence and training in mental control. Most combat activities are usually thought of as providing opportunities for the display of competence and masculinity, the development of self-confidence and a release of tension with the sublimation of aggressive impulses. The term “Martial Arts” will be used throughout this study. The researcher decided on a survey method to carry out this study. Standardised questionnaires were used to determine whether progression in belt rank (beginner, intermediate and advanced) in Martial Arts (group1) could cause a gradual decrease in aggressive behaviour among young adolescents. The results of the analysis of differences between the different levels of Martial Arts showed no statistically significant differences between the levels on all the aggression sub-scales. The personal growth scores, obtained from the responses to the psychological wellbeing questionnaire, were significantly lower for the beginner group than for the other two groups (intermediate and advanced). The results on the psychological wellbeing sub-scales indicated that the personal growth and self-acceptance scores of the Martial Arts group were significantly higher than those of the other two groups (hockey and non-participation). The group that did not participated in any sporting activity, had the lowest scores. Also to be determined was whether Martial Arts could be used as a coping strategy to improve the overall mental health of these adolescents. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / unrestricted

This study investigates how players experience psychological benefits, specifically in promoting resilience and positive behavior change, in Soulsborne games. It is important to note that this study does not suggest video games as a substitute for professional therapy or mental health treatment. This inquiry holds significance for game researchers and designers, and broadens the conversation on the psychological impacts of video games, particularly in unconventionally challenging games. The methodologies used include a close reading of common design elements and a content analysis of public online discussions, underpinned by the principles of the self-efficacy theory and Self-Determination Theory. The close reading highlights four design elements of these games and how they leveraged essential factors for developing self-competence and motivation. These elements overlap significantly with strategies used in professional resilience training programs. The content analysis reveals a strong connection between the difficulty and design philosophy of Soulsborne games and player experiences of coping with personal difficulties or challenges. The findings support the hypothesis that active engagement with Soulsborne games may boost player resilience and catalyze positive behavior alterations, with potential implications for real-life personal development. However, the potential for researcher bias in the detailed examination and content analysis techniques should be acknowledged.

The purpose of this study was to determine why South African long-distance runners start and continue to run long distances, what perceived psychological benefits and negative effects they experience as a result of their involvement in the sport, and what thoughts and emotions are associated with the runner's high. Questionnaires were sent to 2 000 1992 Two Oceans Marathon participants and 777 responded. Results show that South African long-distance runners start running chiefly for physical fitness and health reasons, and continue for these reasons as well as psychological benefit reasons. As a result of their involvement in the sport, they experience psychological benefits such as a positive mood, positive self-image and positive mental outlook. When unable to run, these benefits are reversed. They also experience negative effects such as relationship problems because of long-distance running. Many thoughts and emotions are associated with the runner's high, but most define it as an euphoric feeling / Art History, Visual Arts & Musicology / M.A. (Psychology)

Title: Fashion Killa: A study on teenager’s attitudes towards luxury fashion clothing brands. Bachelor Thesis 15HP in Business Economics (Marketing) Halmstad University School of Business, Engineering and Science  Supervisor: Thomas Helgesson Examiner: Venilton Reinert Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to examine the underlying factors that affect teenager’s attitudes towards luxury fashion clothing brands. Research question: What are the underlying factors that affects the attitudes of teenager ́s towards luxury fashion clothing brands? Literature review: The literature review introduces the theories and previous findings regarding the underlying factors that can be connected to our research question and explanation on the chosen generations as this study is supposed to relate to. Frame of reference: In these sections, our main investigation topic will be explained briefly what literatures explain and approach this matter. Our investigation topic “attitudes” have a meaningful role in this paper and it is defined in these sections as well is our choice of model. In the end of this chapter, we present our hypothesis which is based on our chosen model. Method: Based on the literature review and frame of reference a quantitative study was created where 408 Swedish respondents within the generation Z participated. Empirical findings: The survey consisted of 25 statements and questions as regard to our theories and could easily be connected to our chosen model. A Likert-scale from 1-5 was used so the respondents easy could fill in on what level they agreed or disagreed to. Conclusion: The conclusion on this study is that affect which are one of the three components that builds up attitudes. It is the component that positively influence teenagers the most. We can also see that social media have a great positive impact on their attitudes followed by luxury marketing and psychological benefits.

The purpose of this study was to determine why South African long-distance runners start and continue to run long distances, what perceived psychological benefits and negative effects they experience as a result of their involvement in the sport, and what thoughts and emotions are associated with the runner's high. Questionnaires were sent to 2 000 1992 Two Oceans Marathon participants and 777 responded. Results show that South African long-distance runners start running chiefly for physical fitness and health reasons, and continue for these reasons as well as psychological benefit reasons. As a result of their involvement in the sport, they experience psychological benefits such as a positive mood, positive self-image and positive mental outlook. When unable to run, these benefits are reversed. They also experience negative effects such as relationship problems because of long-distance running. Many thoughts and emotions are associated with the runner's high, but most define it as an euphoric feeling / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / M.A. (Psychology)