Testing a model of antecedents and consequences of defensive pessimism and self-handicapping in school physical education

There has been very limited research on the use of self-worth protection strategies in the achievement context of school physical education (PE). Thus the aim of the present study was to examine some antecedents and consequences of defensive pessimism and self-handicapping. The sample comprised 534 British pupils (275 females, 259 males) recruited from two schools who responded to established questionnaires. Results of structural equation modelling analysis indicated that self-handicapping and defensive pessimism were positively predicted by fear of failure and negatively predicted by competence valuation. In addition, defensive pessimism was negatively predicted by physical self-concept. In turn, defensive pessimism negatively predicted enjoyment in PE and intentions to participate in future optional PE programmes. Self-handicapping did not predict enjoyment or intentions. Results from multi-sample structural equation modelling showed the specified model to be largely invariant across males and females. The findings indicate that although both strategies aim to protect one's self-worth, some of their antecedents and consequences in PE may differ.     

Metadata and Quality in Digital Repositories and Libraries from 1995 to 2015: A Literature Analysis and Classification

The purpose of this article is to study a broad set of journal papers related to metadata and quality in digital repositories and libraries, and to provide a quantitative analysis of the relevant research. It also aims at identifying open issues and future directions for research. A detailed search was carried out in relevant journals of information science, computer science, and library science; mainly, that allowed us to identify an extensive corpora of relevant work. The identified papers were classified based on an existing framework and a statistical analysis was carried out on the main classifications used within the framework. The analysis of the 702 papers identified, led to a series of statements for the field examined, focusing on the type of research carried out, the research methods deployed, and the research claims made. In addition, the papers were classified based on their target audiences, disciplines, as well as institutional and geographical origins. The article identifies areas in the literature that have not been addressed, as well as areas for future research. It also provides a clear image of the areas already researched, analyzing scientific literature that covers 20 years of repository/library deployment. This article makes an original contribution for researchers, practitioners, and managers of digital repositories and libraries alike as it provides a set of specific recommendations for the metadata and quality in digital repositories and libraries research agenda, along with a thorough analysis and classification of the research carried out so far.     

The Mathematics of High School Physics

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, mathematicians and physical philosophers managed to study, via mathematics, various physical systems of the sublunar world through idealized and simplified models of these systems, constructed with the help of geometry. By analyzing these models, they were able to formulate new concepts, laws and theories of physics and then through models again, to apply these concepts and theories to new physical phenomena and check the results by means of experiment. Students’ difficulties with the mathematics of high school physics are well known. Science education research attributes them to inadequately deep understanding of mathematics and mainly to inadequate understanding of the meaning of symbolic mathematical expressions. There seem to be, however, more causes of these difficulties. One of them, not independent from the previous ones, is the complex meaning of the algebraic concepts used in school physics (e.g. variables, parameters, functions), as well as the complexities added by physics itself (e.g. that equations’ symbols represent magnitudes with empirical meaning and units instead of pure numbers). Another source of difficulties is that the theories and laws of physics are often applied, via mathematics, to simplified, and idealized physical models of the world and not to the world itself. This concerns not only the applications of basic theories but also all authentic end-of-the-chapter problems. Hence, students have to understand and participate in a complex interplay between physics concepts and theories, physical and mathematical models, and the real world, often without being aware that they are working with models and not directly with the real world.     

Education, political institutions and innovative activity: A cross-country empirical investigation

Sustained economic growth has been high in the list of priorities of many nations, developed and developing, and the important role of new technology on it has long been recognized in literature.This article examines some factors that affect national innovation activity. The assumption is that innovation grows in the framework of a national system of institutions and organizations. Objective of this article is to empirically examine how the quality of education and of political institutions affects national innovation activity.This article uses a sample of 29 countries and empirically tests the cross-country variation of innovation activity using panel-data methodology. Dependent variable is the number of patents, a proxy for the output of innovation activity, and independent variables are proxies for the quality of education and the quality of governmental institutions. Finally, research and development expenditure is considered as control variable.The findings support the hypothesis that the higher the investment of a society in the quality of education, the higher the output of innovation activity. Furthermore, the development level of the governmental institutions is positively correlated with innovation activity.     

Empirical links between achievement goal theory and self-determination theory in sport

The aim of this study was to examine the empirical links between achievement goal theory and self-determination theory in sport. Addressing theoretical and methodological limitations of previous research, the study tested the independent and interactive effects of goal orientations and perceived competence on seven motivational variables with different degrees of self-determination. Regression analyses of data collected from 247 British university students showed that task orientation predicted motivational variables with high self-determination. In contrast, ego orientation predicted motivational variables with low self-determination. Perceived competence predicted both high self-determined and low self-determined motivational variables. A significant interaction emerged between task and ego orientations in predicting external regulation. The results suggest the adaptive role of task orientation in facilitating self-determined motivation in sport. However, the findings are not conclusive, as the variance explained in most analyses was relatively small. Suggestions are offered for a more comprehensive empirical testing of the links between the two theories.     

On passion and sports fans: A look at football

Abstract

The purpose of the present research was to test the applicability of the Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al., 2003 Vallerand, R. J., Blanchard, C. M., Mageau, G. A., Koestner, R., Ratelle, C.Léonard, M. 2003. Les passions de l'âme: On obsessive and harmonious passion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85: 756–767. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) to being a sport (football) fan. Three studies provided support for this dualistic conceptualization of passion. Study 1 showed that harmonious passion was positively associated with adaptive behaviours (e.g. celebrate the team's victory), whereas obsessive passion was positively associated with maladaptive behaviours (e.g. risking losing one's job to go to a game). Study 2 used a short Passion Scale and showed that harmonious passion was positively related to the positive affective life of fans during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, psychological health (self-esteem and life satisfaction), and public displays of adaptive behaviours (e.g. celebrate the team's victory into the streets), whereas obsessive passion was predictive of maladaptive affective life (e.g. hating opposing teams' fans) and behaviours (e.g. mocking opposing teams' fans). Finally, Study 3 examined the role of obsessive passion as a predictor of partner's conflict that in turn undermined partner's relationship satisfaction. Overall, the present results provided support for the Dualistic Model of Passion. The conceptual and applied implications of the findings are discussed.     

The role of the athletes’ entourage on attitudes to doping

ABSTRACT

The present study investigated athletes’ and coaches’ beliefs about the role of athletes’ entourage in deterring or promoting doping. Competitive athletes and coaches in Greece and Australia took part in semi-structured interviews. Our analysis of the interviews produced five main themes: coach influence, peer influence, doping stance, doping stigma, and entourage’s culture. Overall, coaches and peers having a close and trusty relationship with the athletes were considered most influential with respect to doping-related decisions. The majority of the athletes held a strong anti-doping stance but could not articulate why they held this position. This inability could be ascribed to the stigmatization of doping which led to lack of knowledge and anti-doping education. Finally, an anti-doping culture in the athletes’ environment was considered central to an anti-doping stance. The study findings provide valuable information towards a comprehensive understanding of the role athletes’ entourage can play in shaping athletes’ attitudes and decision for doping.     

Redesign and initial validation of an instrument to assess the motivational qualities of music in exercise: The Brunel Music Rating Inventory-2

Abstract

In the present study, a measure to assess the motivational qualities of music in exercise was redesigned, extending previous research efforts (Karageorghis et al., 1999 Karageorghis, C. I., Terry, P. C. and Lane, A. M. 1999. Development and initial validation of an instrument to assess the motivational qualities of music in exercise and sport: The Brunel Music Rating Inventory. Journal of Sports Sciences, 17: 713–724. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The original measure, the Brunel Music Rating Inventory (BMRI), had shown limitations in its factor structure and its applicability to non-experts in music selection. Redesign of the BMRI used in-depth interviews with eight participants (mean age 31.9 years, s = 8.9 years) to establish the initial item pool, which was examined using a series of confirmatory factor analyses. A single-factor model provided a good fit across three musical selections with different motivational qualities (comparative fit index, CFI: 0.95–0.98; standardized root mean residual, SRMR: 0.03–0.05). The single-factor model also demonstrated acceptable fit across two independent samples and both sexes using one piece of music (CFI: 0.86–1.00; SRMR: 0.04–0.07). The BMRI was designed for experts in selecting music for exercise (e.g. dance aerobic instructors), whereas the BMRI-2 can be used both by exercise instructors and participants. The psychometric properties of the BMRI-2 are stronger than those of the BMRI and it is easier to use. The BMRI-2 provides a valid and internally consistent tool by which music can be selected to accompany a bout of exercise or a training session. Furthermore, the BMRI-2 enables researchers to standardize music in experimental protocols involving exercise-related tasks.