PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORT AND EXERCISE

Cognitive and neural basis of vigilance advantage in soccer players: Evidence from the drift-diffusion model and magnetic resonance imaging
Zhong X, Li J, Wang L, Chen J, Gong X, Xu L, Peng Z, Peng L, Shao Y, Jiao F and Yue Y
Soccer is a sport that requires athletes to be constantly aware of rapidly changing and unpredictable environments and to react adaptively. Previous studies have found that soccer players typically exhibit a vigilance advantage, but the underlying cognitive and neural basis for this is unclear. In this study, 27 soccer players, 17 age-matched artistic gymnasts, and 57 college students were recruited to participate in a psychomotor vigilance task. Compared to the college students, the soccer players demonstrated higher vigilance, whereas the artistic gymnasts did not. Drift-Diffusion Modeling revealed that soccer players' non-decision time was significantly lower than that of college students, while drift rate and boundary were not significantly different between the two groups. This suggests that the vigilance advantage of soccer players stems from their shorter information encoding and action generation time. Vigilance was not only correlated with Right Ventral lateral (rtVL), Left Intralaminar (ltIL), Left Mediodorsal medial magnocellular (ltMDm) and Right Mediodorsal medial mag-no-cellular (rtMDm) thalamic subregions, and also correlates with the functional connectivity be-tween the thalamic subregions of rtVL and Right Intralaminar (rtIL), and rtVL and Left Ventral anterior (ltVA). And, rtVL may be an important region of vigilance dominance in soccer players. This finding not only helps to deepen the understanding of the computational process of vigilance in players, but also provides a reference for subsequent more in-depth studies of neural computational mechanisms.
Objectively measured physical activity and mental health among asylum seekers residing in a camp
Filippou K, Knappe F, Morres ID, Tzormpatzakis E, Proskinitopoulos T, Theodorakis Y, Gerber M and Hatzigeorgiadis A
Physical activity has been linked to better mental health in the general population but also migrants and displaced populations. Studies on the latter populations have been almost exclusively based on self-reported physical activity, thus providing a limited perspective. The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between objectively measured physical activity and mental health indices, in asylum seekers residing in a camp. Participants were asked to wear the accelerometers for a period of seven days, after which they were administered questionnaires assessing depression, anxiety, and well-being in their spoken language. Out of a total of 116 participants, 79 (49 women) accomplished the criteria for valid accelerometer wear days and wear hours and completed the questionnaires. The results showed that participants accumulated adequate, according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, reported mild to moderate anxiety and depression symptoms, and were marginally above the threshold of poor well-being. Physical activity and sedentary time predicted depression (adjusted R = .11) and anxiety (adjusted R = .08) symptoms, and levels of well-being (adjusted R = .15). In particular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was linked to lower depression and anxiety, and better well-being, while sedentary time was linked with poorer well-being. The findings provide valuable evidence regarding the links between physical activity and mental health in displaced populations and highlight the need for a multimethod examination of physical activity in such populations.
Exploring coach and parent transformational leadership and their associations with social identity in adolescents
Celsi I, Raimundi MJ, Corti JF, Castillo I and Alvarez O
The main objective of this study was to explore the associations between the transformational leadership of coaches and parents and adolescent athletes' social identity and examine the roles of gender and the stage of adolescence in these relationships. Furthermore, this study aimed to provide empirical evidence on measurement invariance across gender and the adolescent stage in the adapted Spanish version of the Social Identity Questionnaire for Sport (SIQS). The sample consisted of 656 athletes (299 males and 357 females) from 12 to 18 years old (M = 15.27, SD = 1.64) who participated in various team sports. All the participants completed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Social Identity Questionnaire for Sport, and the Transformational Coaching and Transformational Parenting Questionnaires. The results confirmed the scalar measurement invariance of the adapted Spanish version of the SIQS across gender and adolescent stage. Transformational coaching and mothers' transformational parenting positively predicted adolescents' social identity across gender and adolescent stage. Additionally, during early adolescence, fathers' transformational parenting was also associated with their children's social identity. These findings emphasize the importance of transformational leadership in both team and family contexts in promoting athletes' social identity.
The impact of aerobic exercise on depression in young people: A meta regression and meta-analysis
Yang Q, Wang J and Lu Y
This systematic review aimed to 1) update the existing evidence on the antidepressant effects of aerobic exercise (AE) in youth. 2) Investigate any potential dose‒response relationships between AE interventions and depressive symptom reduction. 3) Provide evidence-based insights to inform future research and clinical depression treatment.
Perceived body acceptance by personal trainers and client body appreciation in women in the UK: A pre-registered study
Gray P, Hurst M, Ormerod T and Miles E
Research is yet to consider the potential for personal trainers (PTs) to influence their client's thoughts and feelings surrounding their body. This pre-registered study explored a model of positive body image in women personal training clients in the UK. Participants (n = 234, mean age = 51) completed an online questionnaire assessing body mass index (BMI), perceived body acceptance by their PT and various other measures related to body image. Perceived body acceptance by the PT was indirectly, positively associated with client body appreciation through greater internal body orientation and negatively associated with client BMI. Findings suggest PTs may be an important source of body acceptance for their clients. Education of PTs should be considered for promoting positive body image in women fitness industry consumers.
Self-confidence, mental toughness, and psychobiosocial experiences in elite rugby players
Robazza C, Vitali F, Bortoli L and Ruiz MC
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between self-confidence, mental toughness, coping functions, challenge and threat appraisals, and functional psychobiosocial experiences. This investigation was conducted within the framework of multi-states (MuSt) theory. The sample consisted of 76 elite male athletes, ranging in age from 19 to 33 years, representing the Italian rugby union national team participating in the 2024 edition of the Men's Six Nations Championship. Assessments took place during training camps in preparation for the Championship. The results from serial mediation analysis showed that problem-focused coping and challenge appraisal played a mediating role in the relationship between self-confidence, mental toughness, and functional psychobiosocial experiences. These findings support MuSt theory assumptions and have practical implications for the development of training programs aimed at enhancing athletes' wellbeing and performance.
People who approve of one's physical activity vs. people who are influential: A randomized cross-over experiment to compare normative referent elicitation procedures
Kim J, Eys M and Robertson-Wilson J
To compare injunctive norm scores assessed based on Ajzen's (2002) original normative referent elicitation method (e.g., norms from those who approve/disapprove of physical activity) and a revised method (e.g., norms from those who are personally influential).
'It was a fair fight' v. 'let the body do the work.' How squash players mentalizing abilities affect their experiences of playing squash: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Mitchell S and Stone M
The use of metacognitive process and skills has been the subject of considerable research in the sport performance literature over the past decade. However, there has been little qualitative research on athletes' experiences of using metacognitive processes and skills. A related but different area theoretically and practically, is mentalizing, which refers to the imaginative ability to perceive and interpret the feelings, thoughts, wishes and beliefs that explain human behaviour. This study sought to understand how mentalizing abilities affect the playing experiences of amateur squash players, who regularly played competitive squash. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten amateur adult squash players. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. This was developed into three group experiential themes (GETs): a) balanced minds, b) no-man's land, and c) an interpersonal battle. Findings indicate that mentalizing abilities of participants helped them focus, self-regulate, and enjoy playing. Conversely, participants temporary loss of mentalizing significantly affected their enjoyment, relationships with opponents and their capacity to focus and concentrate when under pressure which for some led to poorer performances. The study is novel in its application to sport, adding an important holistic dimension to the applied sport psychology literature. It is suggested that mentalizing plays a critical role in influencing competitive sport situations and further research is required to elucidate these abilities in greater depth.
Contextual and affective precursors of physical activity intention and enactment examined through ecological momentary assessment
Haag D, Smeddinck JD, Vogelsang A and Blechert J
Regular physical activity (PA) provides numerous health benefits, which is why many people intend to lead an active lifestyle. Yet, internal and external states and barriers can hinder the translation of such intentions into actual behavior. This study prospectively studied such barriers, namely, the temporal relationship between the independent variables momentary affect (stress, emotions), and the dependent variables PA intentions and subsequent PA behavior. The variables were measured using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) at the within-person level.
Determinants of physical activity adoption and maintenance in older adults: A dual process approach
Maher JP, Behler MH, Hevel DJ, Hudgins BL, Kennedy-Malone L, Khan IF, Murray E, Postlethwait EM, Seo Y, Williams K and Labban JD
Dual process models represent a useful framework for explaining physical activity (PA) in that behavior is explained by reflective (i.e., conscious, effortful) and automatic (i.e., unconscious, effortless) determinants. Yet the distinct momentary reflective and automatic determinants associated with PA adoption and maintenance are unclear.
Microsaccade behavior associated with inhibitory control in athletes in the antisaccade task
Chen JT, Chang YH, Barquero C, Jia Teo MM, Kan NW and Wang CA
The ability to achieve a state of readiness before upcoming tasks, known as a preparatory set, is critical for athletic performance. Here, we investigated these preparatory processes associated with inhibitory control using the anti-saccade paradigm, in which participants are instructed, prior to target appearance, either to automatically look at the target (pro-saccade) or to suppress this automatic response and intentionally look in the opposite direction (anti-saccade). We focused on microsaccadic eye movements that happen before saccade responses in either pro- or anti-saccade tasks, as these microsaccades reflect ongoing preparatory processes during saccade planning before execution. We hypothesized that athletes, compared to non-athletes, would demonstrate better preparation, given research generally indicating higher inhibitory control in athletes. Our findings showed that microsaccade rates decreased before target appearance, with lower rates observed during anti-saccade preparation compared to pro-saccade preparation. However, microsaccade rates and metrics did not differ significantly between athletes and non-athletes. Moreover, reduced microsaccade rates were associated with improved task performance in non-athletes, leading to higher accuracy and faster saccade reaction times (SRTs) in trials without microsaccades. For athletes, only SRTs were affected by microsaccade occurrence. Moreover, the modulation of microsaccadic inhibition on accuracy was more pronounced in non-athletes compared to athletes. In conclusion, while microsaccade responses were modulated by task preparation, differences between athletes and non-athletes were non-significant. These findings, for the first time, highlight the potential of using microsaccades as an online objective index to study preparatory sets in sports science research.
CrossFit Beyond the Barbell: Exploring the Psychological Benefits for Individuals and Organizations
Carter JW, Imbrogno J, Kang C and Lyons S
Branded as 'the sport of fitness', CrossFit is well known for its physical benefits, but the benefits may extend far beyond general fitness. Through the lens of positive psychology, we focused on a global CrossFit community to examine the potential psychological and workplace benefits behind this popular exercise program. Results showed that the frequency of CrossFit participation each week significantly predicted well-being and positive Psychological Capital (PsyCap). Additionally, both well-being and PsyCap mediated the relationship between weekly frequency and employee engagement. Our findings show support for benefits in frequent weekly CrossFit participation that reach far beyond physical health. This research underscores CrossFit's multifaceted benefits and encourages organizations to incorporate CrossFit into employee wellness initiatives. It also paves the way for further exploration into the complex impacts of physical fitness on psychological and organizational health.
Relationship between overall right pre-frontal cortex activity and learning and retention of a visuomotor adaptation task: A continuous analysis
Ramos MÁ, Busquets A, Ferrer-Uris B, Eken A, Beslija F, Zhang F, Durduran T and Angulo-Barroso R
Learning a visuomotor adaptation task (VMA) is typically assessed by describing the behavioral changes during adaption (early-fast and late-slow phases) and retention (consolidation) tests. Few studies have concurrently examined behavioral and brain activity during this type of learning and therefore their time-dependent dynamics is unknown. It has been proposed that two distinct strategies can be used during such learning: a model-free and a model-based, which distinctively involved explicit and implicit learning strategies. It has also been proposed that prefrontal cortex (PFC) is more implicated when explicit processes are more relevant as it was observed in the early adaptation (Taylor & Ivry, 2014; Wolpe et al., 2020). Additionally, an explicit model-based strategy has been inferred when prefrontal (PFC) activity increases. Therefore, the study's aims were: (1) to examine the continuous temporal dynamics of behavior and right PFC activity during adaptation and retention of a VMA, and (2) to infer the implication of explicit processes during the learning of a VMA derived from right PFC activity. Eighteen young adults (24.22 ± 3.12 years) took part in this study. Continuous measures of the performance (the initial directional error, IDE, and the root mean square error, RMSE) of a rotational visuomotor adaptation task during an adaptation (AD) and two retention sets at 1 h (RT1) and 24 h (RT24) were collected. Concurrently, measures of the right PFC activity (relative changes of the oxyhemoglobin concentration, [ΔOHb]) were registered via a three-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy device. General linear mixed models were run to explore differences across adaptation and retentions. Also, cross-correlations between performance (IDE and RMSE) and PFC activity were conducted to observe their relation during sets. The main results indicated that (1) initial fast behavioral improvement (decrease of IDE and RMSE) did not occur simultaneously with the largest increase of the [ΔOHb] in the PFC during the AD, and (2) there was similar performance in the RT1 and RT24 but possibly involving the PFC differently. While in both retentions the errors improved after the first trials, in RT1, the [ΔOHb] decreased from the very beginning, whereas the PFC activity initially increased in RT24. Our observations would suggest that various cooperating learning strategies, including model-free (i.e., exploratory) and model-based explicit (i.e., strategy) and implicit (i.e., sensory prediction errors), are coordinated in different timings to cooperate during the sensorimotor adaptation and consolidation processes. Furthermore, the involvement of these strategies during the retention may depend on the time elapsed from the end of the adaptation to the re-introduction of the task.
Dance and stress regulation: A multidisciplinary narrative review
Klaperski-van der Wal S, Skinner J, Opacka-Juffry J and Pfeffer K
Physical exercise is known to aid stress regulation, however the effects of specific exercise types are under-researched. Dance uniquely combines several characteristics that are known to have stress regulatory effects, such as music listening. Nonetheless, dance has received only little attention in studies examining the stress regulatory effects of exercise.
Decoding deception: The impact of expertise and prior information on sports anticipation through computational modelling
He H, Wang J, Ren P, Miao H and Chi L
This study investigates cognitive processes in sports anticipation, specifically the influence of deceptive versus genuine actions on evidence accumulation and the roles of athletic expertise and prior information.
Effects of chronic exercise on different central features of depression in adults with depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of random controlled trials
Li S, Jia J, Xu B and Wang X
Exercise is considered an effective treatment for improving central symptoms of depression. However, the antidepressant effects of exercise on specific central features in adults with depression and the optimal exercise prescription remain unclear. The present review aimed to explore the impact of exercise on emotion regulation (ER) and executive function (EF) among adults living with depression as well as the moderating effects of exercise prescription characteristics.
Examining the impact of perceived behavioral control and planning on closing the exercise intention-behavior gap: Insights from a meta-analytic structural equation modeling study
Lidong W, Xiuhong L, Kai Q and Donghai W
This study aims to investigate the roles of perceived behavioral control (PBC), action planning, and coping planning in bridging the gap between exercise intention and behavior. By using a Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Model (MASEM), we quantify the specific effects of these variables and explore their mediating roles in the relationships between intention, PBC, and behavior. The study provides insights into how these constructs contribute to informing effective behavioral intervention strategies.
Examination of the consistency effect between physical activity levels and approach-avoidance behaviors
Wang C and Zhang G
This study aimed to examine the relationship between physical activity levels and approach-avoidance behaviors, to promote physical activity and provide a theoretical basis for national fitness. The study examined both approach-avoidance behaviors and the influence of affective valence in the approach-avoidance task. Two experiments using approach-avoidance tasks programmed in E-prime were conducted. Experiment 1 employed a 2 (physical activity level: high, low) × 2 (image type: physical activity, sedentary) mixed design, and Experiment 2 used a 2 (physical activity level: high, low) × 2 (physical activity image types: positive, negative) mixed design. The analysis of approach tendencies revealed that: (1) individuals with high physical activity levels exhibited a stronger tendency to approach physical activity images (p < 0.05), with no significant difference observed for sedentary images (p = 0.72); (2) high physical activity individuals demonstrated a stronger tendency to approach positive images of physical activity (p < 0.05), while no significant difference was observed for negative images (p = 0.78). The analysis of approach-avoidance behaviors indicated that: (1) high physical activity individuals more quickly approached physical activity images (p < 0.001) and avoided sedentary images (p < 0.05); (2) high physical activity individuals more quickly approached positive images of physical activity (p < 0.05). The study demonstrated a clear relationship between physical activity levels and approach-avoidance behaviors, showing that individuals with high physical activity levels exhibited more positive approach tendencies and behavioral responses toward physical activity-related stimuli. These findings have important implications for designing and implementing effective physical activity promotion strategies to combat global physical inactivity.
Experiences of exercise services for individuals with severe mental illness: A qualitative approach
Austin F, Wright KE, Jackson B, Budden T, McMahen C and Furzer BJ
Regular exercise can be beneficial for people living with a severe mental illness. By better understanding the perspectives and challenges of adults with severe mental illness who are engaged in exercise, we can enhance the design and implementation of exercise programs to better support their mental health and recovery. Nineteen adults (aged 19-73 years) were recruited from transdiagnostic mental health services and local disability services in Western Australia. Patients had engaged in structured exercise services within last 6 months as part of the treatment and/or management of their mental illness. Thematic analysis was used to understand participants' experiences and health outcomes. Participants described themes relating to their exercise experience including establishment of human connection, routine and purpose, and emotional experiences in exercise. Exercise engagement was perceived to improve acute and sustained mental health effects, and behavioural replacement. Patients reported better symptom management, replacing harmful behaviours with positive ones, and reported gains in overall physical health and personal strength. Our findings demonstrate the importance of incorporating the voice of those with lived experience to better understand how exercise impacts their health, treatment, and recovery outcomes. This research has provided valuable insights for clinicians and researchers to develop sustainable client-centred interventions, that may improve health outcomes for this population.
Sampling perception-action couplings from competition create representative basketball shooting tasks: A replication and extension of
Court Gold CL, Clark B, Lascu A, Gorman AD, Ball N and Maloney MA
Designing representative learning tasks requires a theoretically informed sampling of key performer-environment interactions. This study sampled the constraints from basketball to create a representative environment by examining the effect of a defender on the shooting performance of skilled female basketballers. Participants performed a one-on-one defended shooting task and an undefended shooting task. Temporal variables were recorded during each shooting task, and a sample of the cohort completed a focus group to gain qualitative insights into each testing condition. Results found that the defended condition caused a decrease in shooting accuracy and shot execution time, with an increase in ball flight time and jump time compared to the undefended condition. Within-subject variability increased in the defended condition for jump time and shot execution time, suggesting that the presence of the defender prompted players to change their movements. Shooting accuracy in the defended condition showed a high correlation to the shooting accuracy exhibited in competition statistics. Qualitative data revealed three themes; affective-cognitive response, sampling to design representative practice tasks, and shooting as an adaptive skill. Introducing a defender into a shooting practice task created a more representative activity that influenced the players' shooting technique and accuracy. The players adapted to the presence of a defender by executing their shot faster, increasing jump time, and increasing the flight time of the ball. Sampling key performance constraints to create defended situations may encourage a more adaptable technique, resulting in greater skill transfer from training to in-game performance.
Examining the dual continua model of mental health in student-athletes
Sullivan P and Celebre J
The Dual Continua Model (DCM) views mental health and mental illness as two separate but related constructs. The current study was designed to assess the factor structure and concurrent validity of this DCM with an intercollegiate sport sample. The 2022 Canadian cohort (N = 345; 65% female) of the National College Health Assessment completed the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form, the Kessler K6, the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of obliquely related factors of mental health and illness showed strong fit of the model to the data (CFI = 0.997; RMSEA = 0.027). ANOVAs comparing different sub-groups within the DCM showed that resilience and loneliness differed among groups according to their levels of mental health and/or illness in manners consistent with the model.
A Co-design approach to develop a motivational intervention to promote physical activity engagement and maintenance among individuals in residential substance use disorder treatment settings
Thal S, Bright S, Ntoumanis N, Myers B, Jones J and Quested E
Burnout Trajectories Among Adolescent Student-Athletes: The Role of Gender, Success Expectations, and Parental Affection
Saarinen M, Phipps DJ, Kuokkanen J, Bjørndal CT, Bentzen M, Ommundsen Y and Gustafsson H
In this longitudinal study, we examined the trajectories of sport and school burnout symptoms (exhaustion, cynicism, inadequacy) during the transition to lower secondary sport school among Norwegian student-athletes aged 13-14 years (n = 265; 58,5% males, 41,5% females). We also investigated how student-athletes' gender and individual success expectations, and their parents' reported levels of affection and success expectations, were associated with different burnout trajectories. Student-athletes completed associated questionnaires at the beginning and end of the first school year, while parents completed questionnaires at the end of the school year. Linear mixed models showed that sport and school burnout symptoms increased over the school year. Females reported higher baseline levels of sport burnout, and males lower baseline levels of school burnout. Low individual success expectations were associated with higher baseline levels of sport and school burnout, and increase in school burnout symptoms over time. High parental success expectations were associated with lower baseline levels of school-related exhaustion. Sport inadequacy increased for student-athletes whose parents reported either affection levels and success expectations that were either both high or both low. The results suggest that it is important that sport schools take the dual pressure student-athletes may experience into consideration, and provide them with adequate support during the transition to lower secondary education. In addition, interventions aimed at increasing parental knowledge of beneficial and harmful ways of involvement in student-athletes' lives are needed to facilitate student-athlete wellbeing.
Examining the relationship between response inhibition and Taekwondo performance: The importance of ecological validity
Hsieh WL, Kao SC, Moreau D, Wu CT and Wang CH
The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between lab- and field-based response inhibition tasks and their associations with taekwondo athletes' on-field performance. Twenty-eight senior high-school taekwondo athletes were recruited to participate in this study. Athletes' on-field performances were evaluated by three experts (i.e., national-level coaches) using a 5-point Likert scale based on the observations of regular training and competitive performances. Further, all athletes completed a series of physical fitness and skill tests, as well as response inhibition tasks measured in the lab (i.e., the go/no-go task) and the field (i.e., the go/no-go task designed using BlazePod™ technology). The results revealed that, although a significant correlation was found between lab- and field-based response inhibition measures, only the field-based go/no-go decision-making performance correlated with expert-rated on-field performance. Specifically, this measure was found to be a stronger predictor of on-field performance than anthropometry, physical fitness and taekwondo-specific skill performance. In sum, our findings suggest that using field-based measures for assessing response inhibition offers a greater predictive power for real-life performance, which may be more beneficial for other practical applications.
Investigating cognitive-physical task interaction during self-paced cycling: A Granger causality study
Avancini C, Marinazzo D, Sanabria D, Pérez-Díaz JJ, Salas-Montoro JA and Ciria LF
Self-pacing physical exercise is thought to rely on high-order cognitive processing (e.g., attentional control to monitor afferent cardiovascular feedback for exercise goals). Therefore, performing a cognitive task during a self-paced exercise could lead to cognitive-physical interactions. We explored cognitive-physical interactions by applying time-domain Granger Causality (a correlation analysis that uses a temporal series of one variable to improve the prediction of values in a temporal series of another variable given its past values) to data that combined 20 min of indoor self-paced high-intensity cycling and a Sustained Attention to Response cognitive task, and to data that combined 30 min of indoor self-paced high-intensity cycling and a stimulus-response conflict task. Moreover, we explored whether greater experience in cycling would reduce the need for exerting cognitive attentional control and therefore dual-task effects. The results showed that the experienced cycling group (i.e., at least 4 days of weekly cycling training in the last 3 years) demonstrated better overall physical performance than the non-experienced cycling group (i.e., at least 4 days of weekly training in another endurance sport different to cycling in the last 3 years), while no evidence of differences in cognitive performance was obtained. The results also showed that reaction times and power output interacted bidirectionally in a reduced sample of experienced cyclists and non-experienced cyclists. Hence, cognitive-physical interactions may not be excluded for every single high-fit athlete, irrespective of their particular exercise experience. Our study highlights the value of GC to investigate cognitive-physical interactions during self-paced exercise at the individual level.
All exercisers are passionate for exercise in some way: Taxometric evidence of the dimensionality of harmonious and obsessive passion for exercise
Rocha RMAD, Hauck Filho N, Romano AR and Peixoto EM
The dualistic model of passion presents two important variables in the maintenance of physical exercise throughout life: harmonious passion and obsessive passion. Understanding whether the latent structure of these variables is better represented by classes (categorical) or factors (dimensional) can yield both theoretical and practical benefits. The objective of our study was to test, using taxometric analysis, whether these are dimensional latent variables (present in all exercisers, varying only in level) or categorical (present only in some exercisers). In a community sample of 1143 Brazilian exercisers with ages ranging from 18 to 71 years (M = 33.17; SD = 11.86), we conducted taxometric analysis using three non-redundant procedures at multiple base rates. Our results indicated the dimensionality of both harmonious and obsessive passion, which means that both are present, to some degree, in all exercisers. Evidence for harmonious passion was weaker due to high within-group correlations between the indicators. These findings can aid in the refinement of the construct and its measures, as well as in planning strategies to promote physical exercise by increasing levels of harmonious passion and preventing/treating exercise dependence through interventions aimed at reducing obsessive passion.
Teammate communication, loneliness, and contagion of athlete burnout
Pacewicz CE, Smith AL and Frank K
Communication among teammates can influence sport experiences of athletes, including burnout. This might occur through sharing of burnout perceptions, fostering development of burnout perceptions in teammates (i.e., contagion). Contagion of burnout may depend on communication frequency with teammates as well as intrapersonal social constructs like loneliness, which can impact attentiveness to or interpretation of communication from others. Our study purpose was to (a) examine if exposure to teammate burnout predicted athlete burnout later in the season and (b) examine if loneliness moderated this relationship. Twice across their season, adolescent softball and baseball athletes (N = 176; 15 teams) completed two network questions about the frequency of speaking with teammates and closest friends on the team, respectively, and established measures of loneliness and burnout. Hierarchical linear regression models were estimated, one for each network question, for global burnout and burnout dimensions. Initial burnout perceptions (βs = .58-.72, ps < 0.001) predicted burnout perceptions at time two. Loneliness (βs = .15-.20 p ≤ 0.05) predicted global, exhaustion, and reduced accomplishment burnout perceptions at time two. Exposure to teammates' global burnout (β = .12, p ≤ 0.05) predicted global burnout perceptions at time two. Exposure to closest friends' burnout did not predict burnout at time two and loneliness did not moderate exposure-burnout relationships. Results offered some support for burnout contagion among adolescent athletes through spoken communication with teammates at practice. Future work should examine communication content to assess if and how particular messages from teammates contribute to athlete burnout perceptions.
The structure of executive functions in athletes: A latent variable approach
Brimmell J, Edwards EJ, Uiga L, Wood G and Vaughan RS
The role of executive function (EF) in expert sport performance has become a popular topic in sport and exercise psychology research. Research in this area often adopts the unity/diversity framework of EF (i.e., inhibition, shifting, and updating). However, recent investigations into the suitability of this unity/diversity model, and other competing models (e.g., the nested model of EF), has questioned whether this model is suitable for across all populations (e.g., athletes). The aim of the present study was to use confirmatory factor analysis to outline the most suitable EF model in a sample of athletes. In total, 131 participants with varying levels of athletic expertise completed two inhibition, shifting, and updating tasks. All analyses were performed in RStudio. The results revealed the nested model of EF provided the best fit to the data indicating its suitability for athletes. Acceptable fit was also found for the unity/diversity mode of EF. Overall, the results suggest that, despite recent criticism of the nested model and unity/diversity framework of EF, such structures appear to be suitable for use with athletic populations.
"That's not fair on my kid": Carers' perspectives on sport participation and experiences for children in out-of-home care
Simpson A, Jackson B, Willis C, Lin A, Thornton AL, Furzer B, Dimmock J, Jeftic I, Rosenberg M and Budden T
Children in out-of-home care participate in less organised sport than children from other household structures, potentially reducing opportunities for improvements in social, developmental, and health outcomes. Despite this, little is known about barriers and facilitators of sport participation for children in care. We aimed to explore carers' perspectives on the influences on children in care's participation and experiences in organised sport. We interviewed 26 foster and kinship carers and analysed data through a reflexive thematic analysis approach. We identified five themes regarding participation and experiences in sport for children in care. Carers reported that (1) children in care's vulnerability, resulting from past traumatic experiences, left them feeling uncertain in their environment and 'different' to other children. Carers also described (2) the importance of their own values, and (3) the difficulties they face in navigating challenges related to out-of-home care. Finally, they discussed (4) how other people in sporting environments, and (5) overarching systems and entities, significantly impact children in care's participation and experiences in sport. Our study extends existing literature by amplifying the voices of foster and kinship carers to deepen our understanding of the influences most critical for children in care's participation and experiences in sport. Based on our findings, we encourage prioritisation of sport within policy impacting children in out-of-home care, and greater flexibility among sporting organisations to support children in care's needs. Further consideration of the interactions between intrapersonal, familial, and environmental factors influencing children in care's participation and experiences in sport is required.
Goal conflict and the physical activity intention-behavior relationship: Insights from a study of People's daily experiences
Bray SR and Harris S
Although intention is a strong predictor of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), several factors moderate the intention-behavior relationship. People experience goal conflict when one or more of their goals makes it more difficult to pursue other goals. Goal conflict was examined as a moderator of the intention-behavior relation using data from ecological momentary assessments and accelerometer-derived estimates of MVPA. Participants (N = 100; 22 males) wore an accelerometer and responded to digital surveys assessing MVPA intentions and goal conflict up to four times daily for seven consecutive days. MVPA in the 180-min epoch following each survey prompt was recorded. Multilevel modelling was used to analyze the data using the disaggregated between- and within-person effects. Results revealed an intention-behavior gap of 30% and significant within-person effects for intention and goal conflict. Within-person goal conflict moderated the intention-behavior relationship such that when people had stronger intentions to be active compared to their average level of intention, they engaged in more MVPA; and when goal conflict was higher, compared to their average level of goal conflict, people engaged in less MVPA. Findings suggest experiencing higher goal conflict about engaging in MVPA thwarts people's abilities to follow through with their intentions to be active throughout the day.