The placebo effect is a fascinating phenomenon that has advanced beyond the medical field into the field of sport and exercise psychology. The goal of the present study was to expand this literature by investigating the effects of expectation manipulation on perceived physical, affective, and cognitive benefits following exercise. To address this aim, 77 young adults (Mage = 29.84, SD = 9.83) were asked to rate the expected cognitive, affective, and physical benefits of a stretching program, and to elaborate on their ratings via an online survey. Participants were randomly allocated to three expectation conditions: expectation-benefit, expectation-no benefit, or no expectation control. All participants were evaluating the same stretching program, but read fictitious testimonies and watched videos that were aimed at manipulating their expectations. Analyses revealed that the expectation-benefit group expected higher cognitive and affective benefits from the stretching program than the expectation-no benefits group (ps < 0.001). No significant differences emerged on the expectation to receive physical benefits among all three groups. The thematic analysis of participants’ rationale for their ratings revealed that beliefs about benefits were modified through the testimonies and videos provided. Participants also relied on their previous knowledge or experience about stretching to inform their predictions about the expected benefits of the stretching program. Results from this study expand the knowledge on expectations manipulation in exercise settings, and provide exercise professionals with strategies to maximize the benefits participants can receive from exercise.
Athletes' perfectionism is influenced by personality, which in turn leads to differences in athletic performance. This study investigates the intricate relationship between perfectionism and the Big Five personality traits, particularly within the context of athletes. We apply fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to survey data to identify which personality combinations lead to perfectionism. The study sample selected through purposive sampling from various sports disciplines within Macao and Anhui Province. Personality traits and perfectionism levels were assessed using the Simplified Chinese Big Five Personality Questionnaire (CBF-PI) and the Chinese Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Questionnaire (CFMPS). Results indicate that neuroticism and conscientiousness are crucial in predicting perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings, respectively. Three personality configurations leading to perfectionistic concerns were identified, with high neuroticism, high conscientiousness, low extraversion, and low openness being core conditions. Four configurations leading to perfectionistic strivings were identified, with low neuroticism, high conscientiousness, high agreeableness, and either high extraversion or high openness as core conditions. The study reveals the complex interactions between personality traits and challenges the variable-centered research approach. The results underscore the importance of understanding the multidimensionality and complexity of perfectionism in athletes and offer directions for further research.
The current study analyzed the effect of virtual reality-based intervention on depression and quality of life in stroke patients. Databases (National Assembly Library, DBpia, RISS, KISS) were searched to extract studies for meta-analysis by using the PICOS framework. From this procedure, two dissertations and five journal articles were selected for the literature on the effect on depression, and four dissertations and three journal articles were selected for the literature on the effect on quality of life. The R program(ver.4.0.5) meta-analysis package was used to calculate the effect sizes for depression and quality of life. Results using random-effects model indicated that the effect size of depression was -0.82 (95 % CI=-1.29, -0.35), which was a large effect size, and also the effect size of quality of life was 1.12 (95 % CI=0.56, 1.67), showing a large effect size. The current study concluded that VR-based intervention has positive effect on depression and quality of life in stroke patients.
The Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ-Sport-52) is a tool developed to measure the frequency of stress associated through recovery activities with strong theoretical foundations. The study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Malay version of RESTQ-Sport-52 using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). A cross-sectional study with purposive sampling method was employed. There were 617 undergraduate university students in Malaysia participated in the study with mean age of 20 years old (SD = 1.5). The majority of the participants were female (66.1 %), Malay (76 %) and participated in at least one sport or exercise. The RESTQ-Sport-52-M consisted of 52 items with two main sections; (1) general stress and recovery scales and (2) sport-specific stress and recovery scales. Mplus 8.3 was used to perform the CFA and ESEM analysis to examine the construct validity and reliability of RESTQ-Sport-52-M. For measurement model assessment using CFA, the final model of general-stress/recovery and sport-specific stress/recovery indicated a fit based on several fit indices. However, in the measurement model assessment using ESEM, the fit indices for model of general-stress/recovery (CFI = 0.935, SRMR = 0.037, RMSEA = 0.045) and sport-stress/recovery (CFI = 0.923, SRMR = 0.036, RMSEA = 0.044) were generally improved. The construct reliability for measurement models of RESTQ-Sport-52-M ranged from 0.76 to 0.89. The ESEM approach yielded a better fit indices compared to the CFA approach for both scales. The RESTQ-Sport-52-M (50 items) were considered a more valid and reliable questionnaire to measure recovery and stress in sports for Malaysian sample.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is thought to be shaped around emotional dysregulation. Physical exercise is an effective way to improve emotional regulation in individuals both with and without mental disorder. However, to this day no study examined the effect of regular physical exercise on emotion regulation in adults with BPD. This study used a series of single case experimental design (A-B-A) combined with ecological momentary assessment and individual interviews to explore and analyze the effect of physical exercise on emotion regulation in adults with BPD. Emotions of participants were monitored thrice daily with an app that prompted them to report their emotions on a 0–100 analogue scale. Both A (control) phases lasted 2 weeks and the B phase (intervention) lasted 4 weeks (3 1-hour supervised sessions of physical exercise weekly). Emotion-related data were analyzed by piecewise linear regression and qualitative data with thematic analysis. Seven women with BPD completed this study and five of them participated in the interviews. Three participants showed an increase in positive emotions and four participants showed a decrease in negative emotions throughout the study and those results are confirmed with interindividual analyses. Participants reported enjoying the exercise program and the trainer they were assigned. Finally, participants also reported being less reactive and more patient when encountering irritating or stressing events. In conclusion, adult women with BPD found that physical exercise decreases their negative emotions and reactivity to psychological stressors.
Life Skills (LS) are essential in the COVID era because people acquire LS (learn different abilities) to adapt to problems that arise in their daily lives at different times. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to categorize and clarify the characteristics of LS acquisition and mental health among international students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study surveyed 407(The final analysis included 134 undergraduates: M = 69, F = 65; Mean age=19.55) international students enrolled at two universities in the Kansai region of Japan, regardless of their nationality or subject major, from October to November 2021. Utilizing the University Student Edition of the Daily Life Skills Scale (English version) and three scales measuring Loneliness, Satisfaction, and Anxiety. Firstly, the target participants were classified into three clusters using the K-means method, denoted as "Maladaptive Type," "Adaptive Type," and "Expansive Type." Secondly, the results of correlation coefficients between three mental health questions and LS indicated significant correlations among Satisfaction, Anxiety, and Interpersonal and Personal skills. Significant correlations of 0.20 or more were observed among Satisfaction, Anxiety, Interpersonal (Satisfaction (r = 0.25, p < 0.01), Anxiety: (r=-0.28, p < 0.01)), and Personal skills (Satisfaction (r = 0.39, p < 0.01), Anxiety: (r=-0.47, p < 0.01)), as well as between Personal skills and Loneliness (r=-0.28, p < 0.01). Thirdly, while focusing on exercise frequency, exercise intensity, and total exercise time in the exercise habits of international students, an examination was conducted regarding the relationship with mental health and LS acquisition. The results indicated no significant relationships, and the study concluded that exercise habits did not affect the relationship between mental health and LS acquisition among international students during the COVID-19. In the future, to enhance support for international students, educational institutions are expected to promote LS acquisition to help students adapt to the new lifestyle resulting from the pandemic.
The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of an intervention program focused on career transition psychological support for retired Olympic athletes in Japan. It was expected that the intervention program would significantly enhance knowledge about career transition support for athletes and also enhance attitudes towards seeking career transition support. 24 retired Japanese female athletes who had competed in the Olympics between 1996 and 2016 participated in the study. The content of the support program was delivered in a three-part workshop, focusing on career transitions in sport, post-retirement psychological adjustment difficulties, and coping strategies. Pre-workshop and post-workshop assessment were conducted. Career transition support knowledge for athletes and attitudes about seeking career transition support significantly increased. The current results suggest that increasing knowledge helps retired and retiring athletes seek professional help. Practical applications and future research recommendations are provided.