An app-enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes: The rationale and validation protocol.

The core dimensions of cognitive fitness, such as attention and cognitive control, are emerging through a transdisciplinary expert consensus on what has been termed the Cognitive Fitness Framework (CF2). These dimensions represent key drivers of cognitive performance under pressure across many occupations, from first responders to sport, performing arts and the military. The constructs forming the building blocks of CF2 come from the RDoC framework, an initiative of the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) aimed at identifying the cognitive processes underlying normal and abnormal behavior. Similar to physical conditioning, cognitive fitness can be improved with deliberate practice. This paper reports the development of a prototype cognitive fitness training program for competitive athletes and the protocol for its evaluation. The program is focused on primary cognitive capacities and subtending skills for adjusting training rhythms and enhancing readiness for competition. The project is driven by the Australian Psychological Society's College of Sport & Exercise Psychology and includes the development of a Cognitive Gym program for a smartphone app-enhanced implementation. Its key building blocks are training protocols (drills) connected by a periodized training plan. A website with background supporting resources has also been developed as part of the project. National-level training squads will participate in a three-week pilot evaluation protocol, assessing the program's efficacy and usability through gamified cognitive assessment of participants' training gains and coaching staff evaluations, respectively. Both near and far transfer of training effects will be examined.

Building a transdisciplinary expert consensus on the cognitive drivers of performance under pressure: An international multi-panel Delphi study.

Introduction: The ability to perform optimally under pressure is critical across many occupations, including the military, first responders, and competitive sport. Despite recognition that such performance depends on a range of cognitive factors, how common these factors are across performance domains remains unclear. The current study sought to integrate existing knowledge in the performance field in the form of a transdisciplinary expert consensus on the cognitive mechanisms that underlie performance under pressure. Methods: International experts were recruited from four performance domains [(i) Defense; (ii) Competitive Sport; (iii) Civilian High-stakes; and (iv) Performance Neuroscience]. Experts rated constructs from the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework (and several expert-suggested constructs) across successive rounds, until all constructs reached consensus for inclusion or were eliminated. Finally, included constructs were ranked for their relative importance. Results: Sixty-eight experts completed the first Delphi round, with 94% of experts retained by the end of the Delphi process. The following 10 constructs reached consensus across all four panels (in order of overall ranking): (1) Attention; (2) Cognitive Control-Performance Monitoring; (3) Arousal and Regulatory Systems-Arousal; (4) Cognitive Control-Goal Selection, Updating, Representation, and Maintenance; (5) Cognitive Control-Response Selection and Inhibition/Suppression; (6) Working memory-Flexible Updating; (7) Working memory-Active Maintenance; (8) Perception and Understanding of Self-Self-knowledge; (9) Working memory-Interference Control, and (10) Expert-suggested-Shifting. Discussion: Our results identify a set of transdisciplinary neuroscience-informed constructs, validated through expert consensus. This expert consensus is critical to standardizing cognitive assessment and informing mechanism-targeted interventions in the broader field of human performance optimization.

The Relationships of Experiencing Workplace Bullying with Mental Health, Affective Commitment, and Job Satisfaction: Application of the Job Demands Control Model.

There have been very few theoretical models published to understand the relationship between workplace bullying and different outcome variables. Applying the Job Demands Control (JDC) model, this study analyzed workplace bullying alongside 'traditional' job stressors of role overload and low job control to determine the relative associations of each with mental health and wellbeing. These relative associations have not been well documented. Data were obtained from an organizational climate questionnaire administered to 21 Australian Defence Force units (n = 3193). Results indicated that the correlations between bullying and psychological distress (r = 0.39), job satisfaction (r = -0.28), and affective commitment (r = -0.22) were all significant and for some outcomes greater than those involving the traditional job stressors. Furthermore, for each of these three outcomes, bullying contributed incremental variance after controlling for other job demands. These results support earlier claims that workplace bullying requires the same attention given to traditional work stressors. The JDC model provides a strong theoretical base to investigate workplace bullying. Testing against other stressors allows for consideration of the broader context of workplace bullying when managing the workforce.

Cross-Cultural Validation of Mood Profile Clusters in a Sport and Exercise Context.

Mood profiling has a long history in the field of sport and exercise. Several novel mood profile clusters were identified and described in the literature recently (Parsons-Smith et al., 2017). In the present study, we investigated whether the same clusters were evident in an Italian-language, sport and exercise context. The Italian Mood Scale (ITAMS; Quartiroli et al., 2017) was administered to 950 Italian-speaking sport participants (659 females, 284 males, 7 unspecified; age range = 16-63 year, M = 25.03, SD = 7.62) and seeded k-means clustering methodology applied to the responses. Six distinct mood profiles were identified, termed the iceberg, inverse iceberg, inverse Everest, shark fin, surface, and submerged profiles, which closely resembled those reported among English-speaking participants (Parsons-Smith et al., 2017). Significant differences were found in the distribution of specific mood profiles across gender and age groups. Findings supported the cross-cultural generalizability of the six mood profiles and offer new research avenues into their antecedents, correlates and behavioral consequences in Italian-language contexts.

Development and Initial Validation of the Italian Mood Scale (ITAMS) for Use in Sport and Exercise Contexts.

The current study presents initial validation statistics for the Italian Mood Scale (ITAMS), a culturally- and linguistically-validated Italian version of the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS: Terry and Lane, 2010). The ITAMS was administered to 950 sport participants (659 females), who ranged in age from 16 to 63 years (M = 25.03, SD = 7.62). In the first stage of the validation process, statistical procedures in Mplus were used to evaluate the measurement model. Multigroup exploratory structural equation modeling supported the hypothesized 6-factor measurement model for males and females separately and for the combined sample. Analysis of the scale scores using SPSS provided further support for the construct validity of the ITAMS with hypothesized relationships observed between ITAMS scores and measures of depression and affect. The development and validation of the ITAMS opens the way for mood-related research and sport or exercise interventions requiring mood assessments, in an Italian-language context.

Screening for Anger and Sleep Difficulties.

INTRODUCTION: Mental health screens are designed to detect individuals at risk of psychological disorders. In the military setting of this study, these disorders were post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use. This study extends the literature on deployment-related mental health screening by including measures of sleep difficulties and anger as predictors of postdeployment PTSD and alcohol abuse. Evidence that measures of anger and sleep difficulties contribute incremental validity to the prediction of postdeployment mental health problems, including substance abuse, would be helpful in designing interventions to assist the rehabilitation of returning personnel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A test battery containing the PTSD Checklist-Civilian (PCL-C) to screen for PTSD, the Kessler 10 to screen for psychological distress, a Sleep Difficulties scale, an exposure to trauma scale, and an anger scale was administered to 212 personnel nearing completion of a deployment to the Middle East. A second battery containing the PCL-C, the Kessler 10, and a measure of alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT]) was administered to the same personnel 3 to 6 months after return to Australia. Hierarchical regression analyses assessed the predictive validity of measures of psychological distress (anxiety and depression), PTSD symptomatology, sleep disturbance, and anger in relation to postdeployment measures of PTSD symptomatology and alcohol use. RESULTS: Time 1 measures predicted 24.4% of the variance in postdeployment PCL-C scores and 13.1% of the variance in AUDIT scores, with the Sleep Difficulties scale contributing to the prediction of the PCL-C score and the anger scale helping to predict AUDIT scores. CONCLUSION: On the basis of these findings, we recommend the inclusion of improved measures of both anger and sleep difficulties in end-of-deployment mental health screens. A less behaviorally specific and more wide-ranging anger scale is recommended for future studies that aim to evaluate the role of anger in screening batteries. Our findings suggest that the Sleep Difficulties scale used in this study would be a worthwhile addition to mental health screening because it is moderately correlated with both Time 1 and Time 2 measures of PTSD symptomatology and psychological distress. Furthermore, there is minimal stigma associated with the experience of sleep difficulties.

Evaluating the merits of using brief measures of PTSD or general mental health measures in two-stage PTSD screening.

Psychological screening of large numbers of personnel returning from deployments should be as brief as possible without sacrificing the ability to detect individuals who are experiencing serious psychological difficulties. This study focused on screening for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in 421 deployed male members of the Australian Army while they were on deployment and again 3 to 6 months after they returned home. The first aim was to evaluate the performance of the Primary Care--Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen (PC-PTSD) and a 4-item version of the 17-item Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL). A second aim was to evaluate the role of the Kessler-10 (K10) in psychological screening. The results indicated that the short form of the PCL was a better substitute for the full PCL than the PC-PTSD. Other results suggested that a more efficient screening process can be achieved using an initial K10 screening followed by more intensive PTSD screening for people identified as high risk. An additional advantage of an initial K10 filter is that other forms of mental illness could also be targeted in the second-stage screening.

Self- versus parent-ratings of industriousness, affect, and life satisfaction in relation to academic outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Parents consult with schools on how to help their children succeed, but schools rarely consult with parents, even though most parents have considerable expertise concerning their children's thoughts, feelings, and abilities. AIMS: This study compares the prediction of academic achievement from self- and parent-ratings of feelings towards school (both positive and negative), life satisfaction, and the conscientiousness facet of industriousness for 357 adolescents. SAMPLE: The student sample consisted of 383 participants (194 boys) mostly aged between 12 and 14. The parent sample consisted of 374 participants, 83% of whom were mothers. METHOD: Self-report and other-report scales measuring the above-mentioned constructs were administered to students and parents. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test hypotheses concerning the incremental validity of parent-ratings. RESULTS: Self-ratings explained 28.6% of the variance in grade point average (GPA) with parent-ratings explaining an additional 12.1%. The incremental effect was strongest for industriousness. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that parent-reports are often more accurate than adolescent self-reports, but that both methods of assessment make unique contributions to the explanation of variance in school grades. Parental understanding constitutes a relatively untapped reservoir of knowledge available to teachers, school counsellors and administrators, education policy makers, and beyond. It makes sense to ask parents about their children when assessing those individual differences that contribute to better educational outcomes.

Safety climate and the theory of planned behavior: towards the prediction of unsafe behavior.

The present study is concerned with the human factors that contribute to violations in aviation maintenance. Much of our previous research in this area has been based on safety climate surveys and the analysis of relations among core dimensions of climate. In this study, we tap into mainstream psychological theory to help clarify the mechanisms underlying the links between climate and behavior. Specifically, we demonstrate the usefulness of Ajzen's (1991, 2001) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understanding violation behaviors in aircraft maintenance. A questionnaire was administered to 307 aircraft maintenance workers. Constructs measured by the survey included perceptions of management attitudes to safety, own attitudes to violations, intention to violate, group norms, workplace pressures, and violations. A model based on the TPB illustrated hypothetical connections among these variables. Path analyses using AMOS suggested some theoretically justifiable modifications to the model. Fit statistics of the revised model were excellent with intentions, group norms, and personal attitudes combining to explain 50% of the variance in self-reported violations. The model highlighted the importance of management attitudes and group norms as direct and indirect predictors of violation behavior. We conclude that the TPB is a useful tool for understanding the psychological background to the procedural violations so often associated with incidents and accidents.

Predicting absenteeism and turnover intentions in the health professions.

OBJECTIVES: The study examined the mediating influence of individual psychological reactions to work on the relationship between organisational climate and job withdrawal behaviours (viz, intention to leave and absenteeism). METHODS: 1097 hospital employees were surveyed using the Queensland Public Agency Staff Survey (QPASS) to obtain measures of organisational climate, psychological reactions to work, job satisfaction, and self-reported levels of intention to leave. Group-level absenteeism data were provided from the Health Service District files. RESULTS: Two psychological states, quality of work life and job satisfaction, were found to fully mediate the relationship between the organisational climate variable, role clarity, and intention to leave, while individual distress was found to partially mediate the same relationship. However, the hypothesised mediation effect of psychological states on the relationship between organisational climate and absenteeism did not emerge. CONCLUSION: Skills shortages and increasing demands for health services make retention of staff in the health service industry vitally important. As a means of addressing this issue, this study presents an emergent mediating model defining relationships among individual psychological factors, aspects of organisational climate and intention to leave. Identification of the processes associated with staff withdrawal behaviours or intentions will assist in devising interventions to improve retention.

Organizational factors: impact on administration violations in rural nursing.

AIM: This paper reports a study investigating organizational factors contributing to procedural violations by nurses during medication administration. BACKGROUND: Health care is not as safe as it could be, with research indicating that errors involving medications are a leading cause of unintended harm to patients. In the safety literature, strong claims are made about the connection between violation of procedures and adverse occurrences but, in the healthcare field in particular, there is limited empirical evidence that can serve as a basis for understanding why workers deviate from established procedures. METHOD: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected by questionnaire in 2002 to 627 nurses working in rural and remote areas in Queensland, Australia. The response rate was 31%. The data were used to build a model that shows how organizational variables can produce conditions that improve work practices that fall short of best practice standards. RESULTS: The statistical model accounted for a reliable 19% of the variance in self-reported violations. A higher level of knowledge was found to be associated with lower levels of violations. Conversely, higher workloads and higher expectations by doctors were associated with a higher incidence of violations. Qualitative comments tended to support the conclusions drawn from the model and helped to explain the observed associations. CONCLUSIONS: Attempts to deal with deviations from work procedures through interventions such as retraining or disciplinary action are likely to be ineffective unless they take a more holistic management approach aimed at the individual, the team, the task, the workplace, and the institution as a whole and are directed at the weaker points in the system. These interventions may take the form of training programmes, systems redesign, or the injection of resources. The costs of providing adequate resources to a healthcare system are likely to be offset by savings gained through worker productivity, and better patient outcomes.

Benchmarking occupational stressors and strain levels for rural nurses and other health sector workers.

This study was conducted with 1097 employees (866 females, 217 males, 14 did not indicate gender) in a regional Health Service District who completed the Queensland Public Agency Staff Survey in 2002. Nurses' results on measures of organizational climate and psychological outcomes were compared with those of other employees in the Health Service District. Nurses reported less favourable outcomes on all but one of the organizational climate scales, and also were found to have more distress (strain), and lower levels of morale, Job Satisfaction and Quality of Worklife than others. Results were generally less favourable for nurses working in the large regional hospital and in mental health than for nurses in other facilities. The study has implications for recruiting and retaining nurses at a time when shortages within the profession are chronic.