Youth Athletes' Self-Esteem: The Impact of Integrated Psychological Skills Training.

PURPOSE: Study on the effect of psychological skills training on self-esteem (SE) in young athletes. METHOD: 10 swimmers and 35 volleyball players, split into an intervention group (25) and a control group (18). The intervention entailed a 3-week psychological skills training program covering arousal management, breathing, relaxation, mental imagery, and self-talk. Multilevel growth curve analyses evaluated SE changes. RESULTS: The intervention group showed significant improvements in multiple SE dimensions-physical self-worth, fitness, athletic competence, strength, and body attractiveness but not general SE. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides initial evidence of a multimodal psychological skills training's effectiveness in enhancing young athletes' domain-specific SE. It highlights the role of domain-specific SE in young athletes' well-being. Future research should examine psychological and physiological correlations and assess the long-term SE development in adolescent athletes.

Fatigue in elite fencing: Effects of a simulated competition.

The fatigue induced by fencing remains scarcely investigated. We aimed to investigate both objective (neuromuscular performance fatigability) and subjective (perceived fatigue, effort, and workload) manifestations of fatigue in elite fencers following a five-bout simulated competition. Changes in countermovement jump height, knee extensors maximal isometric torque, rate of torque development, voluntary activation, and contractile response to muscular electrical stimulation were measured in 29 elite fencers [12 epee (6 women), 11 saber (5 women), and 6 foil]. Perceived fatigue and effort were evaluated with visual analog scales, and the perceived workload with the NASA Task Load Index scale. During the competition, maximal torque and rate of torque development decreased by 1.6% (p = 0.017) and 2.4% (p < 0.001) per bout, respectively. Perceived fatigue before each bout increased (12% per bout), with similar values observed at the end of all bouts (bout × period interaction: p < 0.001). Perceived effort increased during the bouts (10% per period, p < 0.001) and during the competition (3% per bout, p = 0.011). Perceived mental demand increased during the competition (2% per bout, p = 0.024). These results suggest that elite fencers needed to increase the allocation of mental rather than physical resources to the task to counterbalance the deleterious effect of fatigue on performance.

Longitudinal relationships between mental toughness, resilience, cognitive appraisals and perceived performance in competitive soccer goalkeepers.

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the influence of the mental toughness (MT) trait on resilience, cognitive appraisals and perceived performance states and (2) to explore dynamic relationships between these states among soccer goalkeepers during a competitive season. Thirty-six soccer goalkeepers from regional to professional levels first voluntarily completed a questionnaire measuring their mental toughness. Subsequently, a single-item approach was used to assess resilience, cognitive appraisals (threat, loss, challenge and benefit) and subjective performance every 2 weeks for 4 months. Results of multilevel analyses showed that mental toughness significantly and positively predicted resilience, which significantly and positively predicted benefit appraisal and negatively predicted threat appraisal. Moreover, subjective performance was significantly and positively predicted by benefit appraisal. Our results also revealed the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between mental toughness and appraisals (threat and benefit) as well as the mediating role of benefit appraisal in the relationship between resilience and subjective performance. Practical applications are proposed to optimize the daily experiences of goalkeepers, such as creating a supportive climate.

A Temporal Study on Coach Behavior Profiles: Relationships With Athletes Coping and Affects Within Sport Competition.

The study aimed to identify coach behavior profiles and explore whether athletes from distinct profiles significantly differed on coping and affects experienced within 2 hr before the competition and during the competition (measuring them 2 hr after the competition). A sample of 306 French athletes (Mage = 22.24; SD = 4.91; 194 men and 112 women) participated in the study. The results revealed the emergence of two profiles: (a) a coaching engaged profile that stands out for moderate physical training and planning, technical skills, mental preparation, goal setting, competition strategies, personal rapport, and moderate negative personal rapport; and (b) a less engaged coaching profile with low physical training and planning, technical skills, mental preparation, goal setting, competition strategies, personal rapport, and moderate negative personal rapport. Memberships of coach behavior profiles were not confounded by athletes' practice experience, athlete's gender, and coach experience. Results of latent profile analyses with Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem method (BCH) method revealed that coping and affective states significantly differed across the coach behavior profiles. As a whole, the less engaged coaching profile engenders the worst outcomes in competition. In conclusion, the detection of less adaptive coaching profiles would be crucial to prevent negative outcomes in athletes during the competition. This might be using intervention programs adapted to the peculiarities of athletes from a particular coach behavior profiles.

Validation of the motivation scale towards Health-Oriented physical activity (EMAPS) in Spanish Population.

The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the motivation scale towards health-oriented physical activity (EMAPS) in the Spanish Population. A sample of 808 participants (Mage = 33.90; SD = 12.91; 366 men and 440 women), participated to ensure the structural, methodological, and external correlates of EMAPS scale validation. Results of the structural stage of analyses confirmed 6 dimensions of EMAPS (i.e., intrinsic motivation, integrated regulation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation and amotivation). In conclusion, results provided evidence for the reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the EMAPS scores. Thus, this instrument may serve to provide a measure of the motivation towards health-oriented physical activity purposes in the Spanish population.

Acceptability of technology-based physical activity intervention profiles and their motivational factors in obesity care: a latent profile transition analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to: (a) identify the acceptability profiles for three technology-based physical activity interventions (TbPAI) in obesity treatment (active video games, mobile applications, telehealth), (b) examine the issues of consistency or change in these profiles for the same individual across technologies, and (c) determine whether acceptability profiles are related to motivational factors. METHODS: Three hundred and twelve women (Mage = 30.7, SD = 7.1 years; MBMI = 34.5, SD = 7.8 kg/m²) using obesity services were recruited for this cross-sectional survey. They completed an online survey including sociodemographic data and measures related to physical activity: level, stage of change, motivation, and general causality orientations. The women read descriptions of the three technologies and rated their acceptability. We used a latent profile transition analysis (LPTA) approach. RESULTS: A 2-class model (high and low acceptability) best described the profiles for each technology. Intra-individual analysis revealed that the profiles exhibited both changes and stability across TbPAI. Women with high scores on impersonal orientation were more likely to be in the high acceptability telehealth profile, whereas those reporting high scores on control orientation were more likely to be in the high acceptability active video games profile. Women with high scores on control orientation and low scores on impersonal orientation were more likely to be in the high acceptability mobile applications profile. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that the causality orientations were factors related to the TbPAI acceptability profiles, suggesting that clinicians should consider these psychological characteristics in TbPAI counseling.

Need frustration and depressive symptoms in French older people: using a self-determination approach.

OBJECTIVES: To provide evidence of the relationship between basic psychological need frustration (BPNF) for autonomy, competence and relatedness, and depressive symptoms in French older people, and to explore the potential moderator effects of place of residence (home vs nursing home) on this relationship. METHODS: Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) was used. A total of 410 French older people (212 women, 198 men, Mage = 77.13 years, SD = 9.19, age range: 60-98 years) voluntarily participated in the study and completed the measures of BPNF and depressive symptoms. Sociodemographic data were collected. RESULTS: Findings showed that for all the participants, competence and relatedness need frustration positively predicted depressive symptoms. More particularly, BPNF for relatedness significantly predicted depressive symptoms for older people living at home (ß = .18, p < .05), whereas BPNF for competence significantly predicted depressive symptoms for both participants living at home (ß = .25, p < .05) and in nursing homes (ß = .34, p < .05). Among participants living at home, results showed that BPNF for competence significantly predicted depressive symptoms (ß = .28, p < .05) across married participants, while BPNF for relatedness significantly predicted depressive symptoms (ß = .27, p < .05) across participants living alone. CONCLUSION: By focusing on BPNF and its relationship to depressive symptoms, this study suggests the importance of investigating further this concept, and alerts to the long-term consequences of frustration of competence and relatedness needs in older people.

Dealing with elite sport competition demands: an exploration of the dynamic relationships between stress appraisal, coping, emotion, and performance during fencing matches.

The present research aimed to provide a more holistic analysis of stressful experiences in sport by examining how stress appraisal, coping and emotion are dynamically inter-related constructs and the extent to which their dynamic relationship is associated with objective performance. Based on process-oriented methods, two studies were conducted with elite athletes in order to investigate the dynamic relationship between these constructs and performance in highly demanding sport situations (Study 1: simulated competitive fencing matches during a training session; Study 2: real-life competitive fencing matches during an international competition). The results of the random coefficient regression models emphasise the dynamic nature of the relationship between stress appraisal, coping behaviour, emotion and objective performance over the course of fencing matches. They allowed identification of additional mediating effects of coping and emotion within dynamic relationships between stress appraisal and performance. These studies contribute to a deeper understanding of psychological adaptation in performance environments. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the design of effective coping interventions to support the learning of performance-related coping skills and the attainment of performance goals among individuals in highly demanding environments.

Relationships between perceived coach leadership and athletes' affective states experienced during competition.

We examined whether coach leadership behaviours predicted the intensity and direction of positive and negative affects experiencing during competition controlling for affects experienced within two hours before competition. A total of 296 athletes (33% female and 67% male; Mage = 21.61; SD = 6.32) voluntarily participated in the study. A partial least square path modelling (PLS-PM) approach was used to examine the relationships between the study variables. The results showed that coach social support significantly positively predicted the direction of negative affects during competition controlling for pre-competitive negative affect direction. Besides, results revealed that coach democratic behaviour marginally and negatively predicted Negative Affects direction during competition whereas coach autocratic behaviour marginally and negatively predicted Positive Affects intensity. Thus, coach social support emerged as an adaptive coaching behaviour. The usefulness of a longitudinal approach might reveal the multivariate experience of affects states and the manner to handle them from a coach leadership perspective.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and health-related quality of life: a qualitative investigation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to arrive at an accurate description of health-related quality of life of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia patients. METHODS: Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. RESULTS: Qualitative grounded theory analyses were performed using the participants' transcripts and revealed the following six categories: Impact of physical symptoms on daily life, Quality of family and social life, Emotional and psychological outcomes related to the disease, Knowledge having a severe disease and coping strategies to manage such disease, Recognition of the disease by professional colleagues and superiors, and Knowledge and understanding from health professionals in medical care. CONCLUSION: The definition of quality of life that emerged from the participants' transcripts was essentially related to health. Individuals with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia mainly focused on the physical, psychological and emotional impacts of the symptoms and their consequences on professional life and social activities. Family relationships were also highlighted in the participants' transcripts. As such, HHT patients used coping strategies to manage their disease. Finally, a particularly salient issue referred to the lack of knowledge concerning the rare nature of this disease and the ensuing inherent sense of misunderstanding.

Longitudinal emotional process among adolescent soccer player in intensive training centre.

Grounded in Lazarus's (1999) cognitive motivational relational theory of emotions, this study aimed to explore longitudinal relationships between appraisals, everyday emotions related to the competitive environment and emotional regulation strategies during a competitive season. Forty adolescent soccer players (Mage = 15.8) involved in an intensive training centre from a professional club voluntarily participated to the study. A series of hierarchical linear modelling analyses were conducted upon the 9 measurement times to: (a) examine the relationships between appraisals (threat, challenge, loss), pleasant (happiness, excitement) and unpleasant (anxiety, dejection, anger) emotions, and emotional regulation strategies (adaptive and less adaptive); and (b) ascertain whether the relationships between appraisals and emotions were mediated by emotion regulation strategies. The results of the random coefficient regression models showed: (a) positive relationships between challenge appraisal, adaptive emotion regulation, and pleasant emotions as well as between threat and loss appraisals, less adaptive emotion regulation and unpleasant emotions; and (b) mediating effects of emotional regulation strategies in the appraisals - emotions relationships. As a whole, this study furthered knowledge base about the competitive environment in showing that appraisals, emotion regulation and emotions are intertwined psychological constructs in a dynamic relationship allowing athletes to continuously adjust to their constantly changing everyday demands.

Time courses of emotions experienced after a mountain ultra-marathon: Does emotional intelligence matter?

This research examined the time courses of emotions in sport settings (anxiety, dejection, anger, happiness, excitement) experienced by mountain ultra-marathon (MUM) runners within the month following a demanding MUM race and the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in these time courses. A six-wave one-month longitudinal design was used with one measurement point within two days before the race to measure EI and five time points within the month following the race to assess emotions experienced among a sample of 29 runners. Results of multilevel growth curve analyses showed significant linear decreases of dejection and anxiety and a significant linear increase of anger. EI was related to the intercept (level at the end of the MUM race) of happiness, excitement and dejection. Moreover the interaction of EI with time was associated with happiness, excitement and anger. This means that high and low emotional intelligent runners exhibited distinct trajectories of emotional intelligence within the month following the MUM race. Indeed, trait-EI appeared to have a protective role against stress process leading to emotional adjustment within the recovery period following an ultra-endurance event. As such, consultants and coaches could conduct specific program over the sport season designed to enhance trait-EI of MUM runners.

Longitudinal Sport Motivation Among Young Athletes in Intensive Training Settings: Using Methodological Advances to Explore Temporal Structure of Youth Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire Scores.

This study aimed to examine the factor structure, the simplex structure, and the self-determination continuum of the Youth Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (YBRSQ); to test longitudinal invariance of the YBRSQ and to examine differential item functioning in the YBRSQ responses as a function of sex, type of sport, and competitive level; and to explore the dynamics of change and stability of motivational regulation across the competitive season in a sample of 736 adolescent athletes involved in intensive training settings across 3 measurement points (beginning, middle, and end). Results provided evidence of a simplex structure of YBRSQ scores and revealed differences between self-determination-theory-based measures of motivation in various contexts. Results revealed partial strict temporal invariance of the YBRSQ and did not reveal differential item functioning. Finally, the results demonstrated an increase in amotivation and external regulation and a decrease in intrinsic motivation across the season, probably because of daily pressures.

Spirituality, social support, and flexibility among older adults: a five-year longitudinal study.

ABSTRACTObjectives:The objectives of the study were to examine the trajectory of spirituality among older adults, to investigate the roles of gender and religion on the developmental trajectory of spirituality, and to explore whether the linear growth of spirituality accelerated or decelerated at time points at which the participants reported high scores of social support and flexibility. DESIGN: A five-year longitudinal study. SETTING: The research used data from a longitudinal study, which follows a non-institutionalized older adults cohort of residents from France. The data used in this paper were collected at three time points (T1: 2007; T2: 2009; T3: 2012). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 567 participants were included in the analysis (59.44% female; Mage = 75.90, SD = 5.12). MEASUREMENTS: Multilevel growth curve analysis was used measuring spirituality, satisfaction with social support, and flexibility. RESULTS: The results indicated the following: (1) stability of spirituality over time, (2) older women reported higher levels of spirituality than older men, and those who had a religion reported higher scores of spirituality than their counterparts who had no religion (these effects were strong and clinically meaningful), (3) older adults who reported higher levels of social support and flexibility also reported higher levels of spirituality, and (4) the slope of spirituality seemed to accelerate at time points at which participants also had higher levels of social support and flexibility (these effects were rather small but of theoretical interest). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study help to improve the understanding of the potential benefit of encouraging the spiritual aspects of life.

The prognostic relevance of psychological factors with regard to participation and success in table-tennis.

This study examined the prognostic relevance of self-determined motivation, coping, burnout, perceived stress and recovery experienced by 159 youth table-tennis players involved in intensive training centers with regard to their participation and success six years later. Results of ANCOVAs showed that players who still practiced at time 2 (T2; six years later; n = 130) reported lower time 1 (T1; while they were involved in intensive training centers) amotivation (large effect), disengagement-oriented coping, sport devaluation and reduced accomplishment (moderate effects) than their counterparts who dropped out at T2 (n = 29). Results of ANCOVAs also showed that international (n = 18) and/or national players (n = 86) at T2 reported significantly lower T1 amotivation (large effect), disengagement-oriented coping and sport devaluation (moderate effects) in comparison to regional (n = 26) players at T2. Finally results of correlational analyses showed that T2 performance and/or six-year performance progress were significantly and weakly correlated with introjected and external regulations, perceived stress and perceived recovery, and significantly and moderately correlated with amotivation, disengagement-oriented coping, sport devaluation, and reduced accomplishment. Overall, this study provided insights into the role played by self-determined motivation, coping, burnout, perceived stress and recovery in the table-tennis players' dropout and performance level six years later.

The influence of gate start position on physical performance and anxiety perception in expert BMX athletes.

The critical importance of the start phase in bicycle motocross (BMX) racing is increasingly acknowledged. Past experiments underlined that the internal lane of the starting gate provides a strong positional advantage. However, how lane position affects start performance and cognitive and somatic state anxiety remains unexplored. We examined the start performance and anxiety responses of youth national-level BMX riders in both experimental and ecological contexts. We used contextualization motor imagery routines to evaluate start performance and state anxiety from the internal and external lanes. Cycle ergometer measures revealed a better start performance from the external lane, but we did not record any lane effect on actual gate start times. Both somatic and cognitive anxiety scores were higher before racing from the internal compared to the external lane. Finally, state anxiety (i.e., somatic anxiety, worry and concentration disruptions) negatively predicted the start performance. Present findings provide original insights on psychological factors involved in BMX start performance, and might contribute to fruitful coping interventions and training programmes in sports overlapping the framework of "handicap races" taking the specific form of positional advantages/disadvantages at the start (e.g., ski/snowboard cross, athletics, swimming, motorsports, etc.).

Longitudinal Sport Motivation Among Young Athletes in Intensive Training Settings: The Role of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Thwarting in the Profiles of Motivation.

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal profiles of sport motivation using a 3-wave design (beginning, middle, and end of the season) among a sample of 736 adolescent athletes involved in intensive training centers. The authors explored whether several subgroups of athletes representing distinct motivation profiles emerged from the analyses and whether athletes reporting various scores of satisfaction and thwarting of basic psychological needs (BPNS and BPNT) at time 1 (T1) belonged to distinct motivational profiles at T1, T2, and T3. Results of latent profile transition analyses showed 4 different profiles: highly self-determined, self-determined, moderate autonomous and controlled motivation, moderately self-determined (T1 and T2), and high autonomous and controlled motivation (T3) profiles. Moreover, the likelihood of belonging to particular profiles was significantly predicted by athletes' BPNS and BPNT scores assessed at T1. Thus, a motivational profile approach may prove useful in understanding sport motivation as a dynamic system.

Relationships between work-related characteristics, needs satisfaction, motivation and mental health in midwifery students.

The present study examined the relationships between work-related characteristics in internships, psychological needs satisfaction, motivation and mental health using a partial least squares path modeling. Midwifery students (N = 214; Mage = 22.8 years) from three French schools completed different questionnaires online. Results showed (1) the importance of work resources (work control and social support) as protective factors of psychological needs satisfaction; and (2) the role of competence need satisfaction through motivation in the relationships between work resources and mental health. Midwifery schools should pay more attention to these two results, and take them into account in midwifery students' training.

Tenacious goal pursuit and flexible goal adjustment in older people over 5 years: a latent profile transition analysis.

BACKGROUND: previous research has shown that tendencies to tenaciously pursue goals (TGP) and flexibly adapt goals (FGA) relate to well-being of older people. OBJECTIVES: this study aimed to identify subpopulations of elderly people with different coping profiles, describe change in participants' profiles over time and determine the influence of coping profiles on well-being over a 5-year period. METHODS: latent profile transition analysis (LPTA) was used in a three-wave longitudinal data collection measuring flexibility, tenacity, depression, self-rated health and life satisfaction among an elderly population over 65 years old. RESULTS: three coping profiles were identified. Profile 1 was characterised by participants with high flexibility and tenacity scores, Profile 2 with moderate flexibility and low tenacity scores and Profile 3 with low flexibility and moderate tenacity scores. Results indicate stability of these profiles over time, with Profile 1 being the most adaptive in terms of ageing well. CONCLUSION: high flexibility and tenacity in older people is a stable coping profile that is associated with successful ageing.

Trajectories of psychological states of women elite fencers during the final stages of international matches.

This study examined the trajectories and within-person synergies of psychological processes during the final stages of matches. A process-oriented approach was used with nine women elite fencers during an international competition. Multiple assessments of perceived control, threat and challenge appraisals, problem- and emotion-focused coping, positive and negative affects were completed after each touches using video recall method. Multilevel growth curve analyses (MGCAs) indicated that winning and losing matches were each characterised by distinct psychological processes. Specifically, perceived control, challenge appraisal, problem- and emotion-focused coping, and positive affects increased linearly and threat appraisal decreased linearly for wining matches, whereas negative affects increased linearly for losing matches. Regarding the within-person synergies of psychological processes, MGCAs indicated that (1) perceived control and challenge appraisal were significantly associated with problem- and emotion-focused coping for losing matches, the strength of these associations remaining consistent across touches; (2) problem-focused coping was significantly associated with negative affects whereas emotion-focused coping was significantly associated with positive affects for winning matches, the strength of these associations remaining consistent across touches; and (3) problem- and emotion-focused coping were significantly associated with negative affects for losing matches, the linear trajectory of negative affects accelerating at times when athletes had higher levels of emotion-focused coping. Overall, this study provided insights into transactional processes during competition.