The toll of the scroll: A path toward burnout.

Athletes report using social networking sites, including Instagram, to manage their self-presentations. While on Instagram, they may browse content and interact with others, enabling them to socially compare themselves to other athletes. Less favorable comparisons may contribute to higher burnout perceptions. The purpose of the current study was to (a) examine if the use of Instagram contributed to burnout perceptions and (b) if type of use and social comparison mediated these relationships. Male and female collegiate athletes (N = 162) completed measures of Instagram usage, social comparison, and burnout during their sport season. Latent path analysis using robust maximum likelihood estimation was used to examine the model. Daily time spent on Instagram was directly associated with exhaustion (ß = -0.32) and reduced accomplishment (ß = -0.21). Browsing was directly associated with exhaustion (ß = 0.39), reduced accomplishment (ß = 0.38), and sport devaluation (ß = 0.27). Interacting was directly associated with devaluation (ß = -0.23). Social comparison while using Instagram was directly associated with reduced accomplishment (ß = -0.35) and devaluation (ß = -0.34). Browsing mediated the relationship between time spent on Instagram and exhaustion (ß = 0.13) and reduced accomplishment (ß = 0.13). Social comparison was not a mediator. Results suggest that scrolling through posts on Instagram explains why time spent on the platform contributes to burnout perceptions. Comparing oneself favorably to others while using Instagram, independent of time spent on Instagram as well as type of use, may reduce burnout while comparing oneself unfavorably may enhance burnout perceptions.

Translation and Psychometric Evaluation of a Chinese Version of the Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (BRSQ) with University Sport Athletes.

Our aim in this study was to translate and psychometrically evaluate a Chinese version of the Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (BRSQ). Participants were Chinese collegiate athletes (N = 361) who were competitive in their respective sports. We examined the construct validity of the Chinese BRSQ using alternative structural equation models and evaluated convergent validity, factor score reliability, and measurement invariance of the optimal model. Due to insufficient score reliability for some subscales, our initial Chinese BRSQ was deemed problematic. A modified version of the questionnaire with a four-factor structure (amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, and autonomous motivation) demonstrated excellent construct validity, convergent validity, and score reliability. There was measurement invariance across athlete level and sex. This tool provides a valuable resource for practitioners and sport psychology researchers for assessing sport motivation among competitive university athletes in China.

Examining the psychometric properties of the Chinese Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-3: A bi-factor approach.

The Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ) was revised to its third iteration (BREQ-3) and has been widely used to measure different types of exercise motivation, including amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrated regulation, and intrinsic motivation. However, the Chinese version has not been similarly revised. The aim of this study was to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese BREQ-3 using alternative structural equation models. Specifically, this study aimed to translate the English BREQ-3 into Chinese to examine the best representation of the factor configuration of Chinese BREQ-3, measurement invariance for the best-fitted model, and the concurrent validity evidence and reliability for the Chinese BREQ-3. Undergraduate students (N = 825) from mainland China completed a battery of online questionnaires. After including two general motivation factors (controlled motivation and autonomous motivation), we discovered that the majority of items on the identified regulation, integrated regulation, and intrinsic motivation subscales no longer loaded on or had very low loadings on their specific factors, implying that these items essentially represent a unidimensional construct. Invariance testing supported the comparison between latent factor means across gender based on the bi-factor exploratory structural equation model (BESEM). Concurrent validity evidence was found for amotivation, controlled motivation, and autonomous motivation. The hierarchical omega, explained common variance (ECV), item explained common variance (I_ECV), and percentage of uncontaminated correlations (PUC) indicated that the external regulation and introjected regulation subscales had a multidimensional structure, while the identified regulation, integrated regulation, and intrinsic motivation subscales had a unidimensional structure (autonomous motivation). We advocate calculating amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, and a single autonomous motivation (excluding item 19) score when utilizing the Chinese BREQ-3.

Physical activity and mental well-being under COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional multination study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 lockdowns have reduced opportunities for physical activity (PA) and encouraged more sedentary lifestyles. A concomitant of sedentariness is compromised mental health. We investigated the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations (USA, UK, France, and Australia). METHODS: An online survey was administered in the second quarter of 2020 (N = 2541). We measured planned and unplanned dimensions of PA using the Brunel Lifestyle Physical Activity Questionnaire and mental health using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Steps per day were recorded only from participants who used an electronic device for this purpose, and sedentary behavior was reported in hours per day (sitting and screen time). RESULTS: In the USA and Australia samples, there was a significant decline in planned PA from pre- to during lockdown. Among young adults, Australians exhibited the lowest planned PA scores, while in middle-aged groups, the UK recorded the highest. Young adults exhibited the largest reduction in unplanned PA. Across nations, there was a reduction of ~ 2000 steps per day. Large increases in sedentary behavior emerged during lockdown, which were most acute in young adults. Lockdown was associated with a decline in mental health that was more pronounced in women. CONCLUSIONS: The findings illustrate the deleterious effects of lockdown on PA, sedentary behavior, and mental health across four Western nations. Australian young and lower middle-aged adults appeared to fare particularly badly in terms of planned PA. The reduction in steps per day is equivalent to the non-expenditure of ~ 100 kcal. Declines in mental health show how harmful lockdowns can be for women in particular.