Psychology of Sport and Exercise最新文献

Until recently, research examining the application of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in sports settings was virtually absent in South Africa. Despite the growing evidence of REBT's potential as a psychological intervention in Western nations, its use within the multicultural and sports-fervent context of South Africa remains unexplored. Moreover, limited research has addressed the impact of REBT on rugby players, with only a few case studies being reported. The current experiment employs a cluster randomized trial (CRT) to compare the effects of a 7-week preferential REBT program with a 7-week Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) program on irrational beliefs, competitive anxiety and subjective performance, among adolescent South African rugby players. We also include a wait-list control group who received neither REBT nor MAC. Results indicate that athletes receiving REBT reported greater improvements in irrational beliefs, anxiety, and subjective performance, while that athletes receiving MAC also reported some improvements in anxiety. This study highlights the potential of REBT as a valuable psychological intervention in the context of South African adolescent rugby players.

Previous research on affordance perception has shown that elite athletes can relate the environmental features to their motor abilities to detect the opportunities for action. In playing badminton doubles, experienced players can often anticipate whether a flick serve will go out-of-bounds or not. A field study was performed to examine if such an ability was associated with a developed affordance perception. Twenty-two players with and without badminton playing experience were asked to play a receiver on court to judge without looking back whether a flick serve was out-of-bounds in both standing and retreating conditions. Forty flick serves were randomly delivered to either inner or outer rear corner of the receiver’s box and land adjacent to the back service line. Each player’s ability to reach high and retreat backward with a racquet was assessed on court. The results showed that predictions were better in the inner direction than the outer direction, but experienced players were more sensitive and conservative overall. Playing experience appeared to be a consistent predictor for judgment accuracy. In identifying the affordance information that could have been utilized by players for accurate predictions, only experienced players demonstrated the ability to utilize both body-scaled and action-scaled affordances effectively and reliably for better predictions in both standing and retreating conditions.

The dichotomous classification of self-talk statements into goal-directed as a more controlled type of self-talk and spontaneous as a more uncontrolled type of self-talk might be an oversimplification. To address this issue, two studies were conducted aiming to explore the idea that the distinction between the two self-talk types should rather be proportional and not mutually exclusive. In Study 1, football players took part in a penalty competition and were subsequently asked to state the self-talk they had before and after the penalty. In Study 2, table tennis players took part in two activities (i.e., a precision task and a competitive set) and were subsequently asked to state the self-talk they had before the individual rounds in each activity. In both studies, the players subsequently rated for each self-talk statement the extent to which it was spontaneous and the extent to which it was goal-directed. The majority of self-talk statements were rated to some extent as both spontaneous and goal-directed. For Study 1, paired-sample t-tests showed that before a penalty kick self-talk was more goal-directed than spontaneous and after the penalty kick it was more spontaneous than goal-directed. In the more exploratory Study 2, multilevel regression analyses showed that the two types of self-talk could not predict sports performance. While the results support the usefulness of the distinction between spontaneous and goal-directed self-talk, treating the two types of self-talk as proportional rather than dichotomous might reflect more accurately the mental activity. Key words: dual-process, organic self-talk, self-regulation, System 1, System 2

Athletes and coaches often feel a great deal of passion for sport. But are these highly passionate individuals also highly engaged in sport? Based on the theoretical underpinnings and empirical findings from the dualistic model of passion (Vallerand, 2015), it is unclear if the highest levels of sport engagement are associated with high levels of passion, or with specific combinations of high/low levels of harmonious and obsessive passion. We examined this issue in samples of athletes (N = 403) and coaches (N = 208). Participants completed online questionnaires assessing dimensions of sport passion (i.e., harmonious and obsessive passion) and engagement (i.e., confidence, vigor, dedication, enthusiasm). In both samples, we found that the highest levels of engagement were associated with high harmonious passion. This means that those who are passionate toward sport are not necessarily engaged in sport; engagement is found when passion involves high harmonious passion.

The Multi-Action Plan model offers an idiosyncratic, sport-specific, and applied framework categorising two peak (Type 1 & 2) and two non-peak performance types (Type 3 & 4). The purpose of the present study was to examine the transitions between these Performance Types across three competition-simulating training judo fights. After videoing three judo fights per participant, we interviewed six high-level judo practitioners (Md_age = 19 years) using video-stimulated recall. While watching their fights, participants indicated which Performance Types they experienced during each fight and, subsequently, discussed their experience with the lead researcher. Findings indicated that participants spent most time in effortful mental states (Type 2 & 3). Additionally, they identified currently not defined states ‘between’ current typologies, e.g., T2.5. Overall, participants reported more down- than upregulations. Specifically, they described downregulations as mostly uncontrolled and related to fatigue, technical-tactical, or cognitive-emotional transition cues. In contrast, they characterised upregulations as deliberate and proactive mental resets, utilising strategies such as self-talk. Lastly, we discussed our findings in relation to existing literature and offered implications for research and practice.

To ride successfully and safely, cyclists must perceive and act on the affordances that are available in a given situation. This study investigated whether experience in perceiving and acting with respect to a person-plus-object system would influence whether and how a person choses to cross an aperture of different widths, especially in relation to their maximal action capabilities. We also explore whether the distribution of action modes reflects this effect. We examined the performance (i.e., the probability of successfully crossing the aperture) and the decision (i.e., the probability of attempting to cross the aperture) of 8 experienced cyclists and 16 occasional cyclists in an aperture crossing task. In term of performance, experienced cyclists demonstrated greater ability to cross narrower apertures than occasional cyclists, but there were no such differences when aperture width was scaled to maximal action capabilities. In term of decision, both experienced and occasional cyclists tended to over-estimate their abilities, but the experienced cyclists did so to a greater extent. Our findings indicate that experience improves the ability to perform more complex tasks due to utilizing a wider repertoire of actions, but not necessarily the ability to perceive and actualize (action-scaled) affordances.

Grounded in role strain theory, this study explored the dual career experiences of North American female ice hockey players who were also involved in full-time non-sporting work, focusing on factors that produced and reduced their role strain. We interviewed ten professional ice hockey players who held full-time non-sport jobs at the time of their interview. Our reflexive thematic analysis revealed that the multitude of factors leading to role strain among professional female working-athletes were notably significant, spanning societal expectations and environmental complexities. The imposition of the superwoman persona, demanding excellence in both hockey and work roles, combined with inconsistent expectations from professional and athletic supervisors intensified stress and undermined well-being. The study’s findings emphasize the need for robust support systems and adaptive strategies, such as effective communication, careful planning, and proactive self-care, which can mitigate these pressures. Furthermore, the athletes’ narratives revealed a pressing call for empathy and flexibility from coaches, employers, and the broader sports community, suggesting that improvements in these areas could enhance the professional and personal experiences of these working-athletes. The findings provide valuable insights into the challenges faced by dual career female athletes, as well as current strategies aimed at supporting and enhancing their experiences. Furthermore, these results deepen our understanding of how professional female athletes in North America can achieve greater well-being by addressing the factors that produce and reduce role strain factors.

Elite athletes often make large personal sacrifices to pursue excellence, but there is insufficient support for them when they leave elite sport. Identity loss is central to athletes’ transition trajectories and hence the management of identity change is a crucial area for support. The More Than Sport (MTS) program is a novel digital intervention that aims to provide this support—helping athletes manage identity change in the process of leaving elite sport. The present research aims to study elite athletes’ experiences with the MTS program and their perceptions of its usefulness in managing the transition away from elite sport. We undertook a qualitative study with athletes (N = 25) from three countries (the United Kingdom, Australia and Belgium) using reflexive thematic analysis to explore their experiences of the program and their feedback on program content. We identified three key themes and eight subthemes. The first key theme was Value of the Program, and this was underpinned by four sub-themes that centred on Program importance and novelty, how Positive and confronting experiences afford insight, the Value of developing shared understanding, and Realising the value of social groups. The second key theme was Engagement with Program Elements and here participants commented on Program content and Delivery format. The final key theme was Time and Place for Identity Management Programs which included the sub-themes of Optimal timing and Additional program beneficiaries. Overall, the results highlight the value of MTS specifically, and identity management efforts more broadly, to help elite athletes adjust successfully to life beyond sport.

Outdoor programs involving recreational physical challenges are becoming increasingly popular for training and development purposes among adults, but rigorous studies investigating their effectiveness remain scarce. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of an outdoor adventure-based program on measures of self-efficacy, resilience, risk-taking propensity, and perceived stress. Participants were randomly assigned either to an intervention condition (half-day high ropes course) or a wait-list control group. Measures were taken at baseline and four days post-intervention and on the day to measure intervention perceptions. Significant increases in self-efficacy and risk-taking propensity were observed for the intervention arm compared to the control arm. Greater intervention engagement and affective valence ratings were associated with self-efficacy change. These findings highlight the practical relevance of adventure-based experiences for organizations and educational institutions seeking to enhance young adults' self-confidence. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of tailoring interventions to individual needs and ensuring positive participant experiences to achieve desired outcomes.

This case study utilized the holistic ecological approach (HEA) to explore a successful athletic talent development environment (ATDE) in China. As a case, we selected a basketball team in one Shanghai sport-friendly high school with outstanding individual and team achievements and aimed at (a) describing the ATDE, and (b) identifying environmental success factors (ESF). Using participant observations, document analysis, informal talks, and formal interviews with key stakeholders, including coaches, teachers, athletes, and administrators from sports and education departments, we derived the ATDE and ESF empirical models. The findings showed that (a) the ATDE demonstrated effective interactions between macro- and micro-levels, and (b) the experienced head coach, dedicated assistant coach, and support from athletes’ parents contributed to overcoming barriers of preconditions (e.g., limited financial and human resources) within the environment. Further, a coherent and robust cultural paradigm led by the head coach helped the environment maintain its success for a long period. Although some features are similar to successful ATDEs in other countries, unique characteristics (e.g., not prioritizing athletes’ autonomy) specific to this ATDE within the Chinese cultural context have been identified. Our findings supplement current studies on ATDEs using the HEA and reflect the environment within Chinese context, offering insights for researchers and practitioners.