Two critical psychological components of ski racing: Fun and feelings

The concepts of having fun and being aware of feeling states are presented as two critical factors in ski racing. First, the positive motivational characteristics of ‘fun’ are outlined. It is suggested that fun is not only a concept for young athletes but elite ones as well. Preliminary data based on a questionnaire, completed by the United States Alpine Ski Team and approximately 150 ski coaches, are presented. Second, the discussion on feelings refers to the mental programming of tactile sensations and determining one's emotional arousal (feeling state) prior to, and during, competition. Practical suggestions are made with regard to the psychological states and their effects on ski racing.     

Self-reported asthma and respiratory symptoms among Italian amateur athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the interactive effects of hardiness (high vs. low hardiness) and anxiety direction (facilitators vs. debilitators) on performers' competitive anxiety intensity responses, self-confidence levels and the frequency and effectiveness of coping usage. Significant interaction effects showed that the high hardiness/facilitators reported the greatest use of planning, active coping and effort strategies during stressful competitive situations and viewed this use as more effective in dealing with these situations than the other groups. Main effects for hardiness on the competitive anxiety response and self-confidence revealed the high hardiness group to have lower levels of worry and somatic anxiety and higher levels of self-confidence than the low hardiness group. These findings have important implications for the development of hardiness-related coping strategies in sport performers.     

Coping with pre- and in-event fluctuations in competitive state anxiety: a longitudinal approach

The direction of anxiety--the positive or negative nature of competition-related cognitions--is an important distinguishing variable that accounts for significant individual differences. However, very little is known about the pre- and in-event patterning of the construct, specifically how it changes over time. The aims of this study were to establish the extent to which the direction of anxiety is a dynamic or stable longitudinal response to stress and whether this patterning appears to be related to coping. Pre-event, state anxiety intensity and direction data were obtained from 22 youth sport participants in two training and two competition environments within the same season, with the in-event anxiety and coping data being obtained from the 'high-stress' competition condition. The predispositional coping strategies of the participants were assessed by use of the trait version of the 'COPE' scale. The findings revealed significant differences in the patterning of anxiety direction between and within the facilitative and debilitative groups. This was accompanied by distinct qualitatively and quantitatively reported differences in the strategies of coping adopted by each group. Facilitators appeared to use problem- and emotion-focused coping characteristics in response to stress, whereas debilitators appeared limited in their use of coping constructs. Conceptually, the direction of anxiety would appear to be a mechanism that may, in itself, exist as a strong indicator that effective coping is taking place.     

Coping with pre- and in-event fluctuations in competitive state anxiety: A longitudinal approach

The direction of anxiety - the positive or negative nature of competition-related cognitions - is an important distinguishing variable that accounts for significant individual differences. However, very little is known about the pre- and in-event patterning of the construct, specifically how it changes over time. The aims of this study were to establish the extent to which the direction of anxiety is a dynamic or stable longitudinal response to stress and whether this patterning appears to be related to coping. Pre-event, state anxiety intensity and direction data were obtained from 22 youth sport participants in two training and two competition environments within the same season, with the in-event anxiety and coping data being obtained from the 'high-stress' competition condition. The predispositional coping strategies of the participants were assessed by use of the trait version of the 'COPE' scale. The findings revealed significant differences in the patterning of anxiety direction between and within the facilitative and debilitative groups. This was accompanied by distinct qualitatively and quantitatively reported differences in the strategies of coping adopted by each group. Facilitators appeared to use problem- and emotion-focused coping characteristics in response to stress, whereas debilitators appeared limited in their use of coping constructs. Conceptually, the direction of anxiety would appear to be a mechanism that may, in itself, exist as a strong indicator that effective coping is taking place.     

我国优秀田径运动员认知风格、竞赛焦虑与竞技水平发挥关系的研究

为探讨我国田径运动员的认知风格、竞赛焦虑特征与竞技水平发挥的关系,采用镶嵌图形测验和竞赛状态焦虑问卷的方法,对我国15个省、市优秀田径运动员93人进行调查。结果显示:①我国优秀田径运动员有场依存者和场独立者,个体差异情况较大;田径运动员认知状态焦虑低于田径常模、躯体状态焦虑显著低于常模,状态自信心显著高于常模,场独立运动员躯体状态焦虑显著高于场依存运动员,认知状态焦虑更低而状态自信心更高。②认知风格与认知状态焦虑显著负相关,与躯体状态焦虑、状态自信心正相关,认知风格是影响认知状态焦虑的一个主因素。③两种认知风格运动员与竞技水平发挥率负相关,场独立运动员竞技水平发挥率更高;竞技水平发挥高组的运动员认知状态焦虑、躯体状态焦虑更低,状态自信心更高;竞技水平发挥高组与认知状态焦虑、躯体状态焦虑负相关,竞技水平发挥低组与认知状态焦虑负相关、与躯体状态焦虑正相关,两组运动员与状态自信心正相关;回归分析表明竞赛焦虑的三个维度均不能预测竞技水平发挥程度。     

Two critical psychological components of ski racing: fun and feelings

The concepts of having fun and being aware of feeling states are presented as two critical factors in ski racing. First, the positive motivational characteristics of 'fun' are outlined. It is suggested that fun is not only a concept for young athletes but elite ones as well. Preliminary data based on a questionnaire, completed by the United States Alpine Ski Team and approximately 150 ski coaches, are represented. Second, the discussion on feelings refers to the mental programming of tactile sensations and determining one's emotional arousal (feeling state) prior to, and during, competition. Practical suggestions are made with regard to the psychological states and their effects on ski racing.     

运动员赛前心理状态的自我表述：10项陈述测验的研究

采用“10项陈述测验”对127名运动员进行了关于赛前感受的开放式问卷调查。对答案的编码分类发现，积极陈述和消极陈述的比例分别为39.85%和27.12%；自我指向陈述和关系指向陈述的比例分别为66.75%和12.37%。赛前焦虑的原因，38.46%与比赛过程本身有关，29.49%与社会关系有关。结果显示，社会焦虑可能是构成中国运动员赛前心理状态的重要因素。     

Getting in touch with our feelings: the emotional geographies of gender relations in PETE

This paper attempts to illustrate how embodied ways of knowing may enhance our theoretical understanding within the field of physical education teacher education (PETE). It seeks to illustrate how teacher educators’ viewpoints and understanding of gender relations are inevitably linked to socially constructed webs of emotions, as much as to intellectual rationales. Indeed, the paper argues for the need for PETE research to transcend the dualistic divide of reason/emotion.

It builds upon interview data from an investigation interested in illuminating the ways in which teacher educators develop their professional identities, using the lenses of gender equal opportunities and equity to examine the degree to which identities reflect ‘managerial’ or ‘democratic’ professional projects. In particular it analyses the way in which ‘gender talk’ seems to evoke strong emotional reactions, often ‘negative’ feelings, while at the same time, gender equity concerns remain on the periphery of the discipline, despite increasing research evidence which reveals damaging discriminatory learning environments. By using Hargreaves (2000) concept of ‘emotional geographies’ the paper contends that ‘negative emotions’ about gender issues are currently hegemonic on account of today's configurations of human relations in PETE, because the discipline's feeling rules construct ‘negative feelings’ as being reasonable. Acknowledging that professional identities are on-going projects, and that feeling rules can be re-configured, the paper also seeks to illustrate how competing emotions may in the future lead to gender equality assuming a new role in PETE's ‘regimes of truths’.     

Effects of stress inoculation training on self‐report,behavioural and psychophysiological reactions to abseiling

The study examined the effect of stress inoculation training on the level of self‐reported stress and anxiety, overt signs of distress and the physiological impact of the stress of abseiling. Twenty volunteer subjects were randomly assigned to either a ‘no training’ control group or a stress inoculation training group, following which both groups of subjects had to complete a test abseil from the roof of a 21.2 m building. Prior to descent, two self‐report measures were taken: an intensity score derived from the word or phrase chosen by subjects from the Perceived Stress Index to best describe their feelings and a state anxiety score from Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Overt distress was also evaluated by a ‘blind’ observer also using the Perceived Stress Index. In addition, heart rate was monitored just prior to and throughout the abseil using a telemetry system. The stress inoculation group showed significantly less self‐reported anxiety and stress and less behavioural signs of distress as judged by the observer. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of heart rate. In addition, while self‐report and the assessment of the observer were highly inter‐correlated, these measures were poorly correlated with heart rate.     

不同压力和暗示对运动状态焦虑的影响

研究中,方便抽样抽取63名被试者,随机分配到低压力和高压力情景中的积极暗示组、消极暗示组和控制组。结果发现,对比低压力,高压力下消极暗示提高状态焦虑程度、降低状态自信水平。研究结果提示：较大的比赛压力下,教练员不应对运动员消极暗示,而应是积极暗示,这样可能会有效地降低竞赛状态焦虑、提升状态自信。     

Effects of confidence and anxiety on flow state in competition

Abstract

Confidence and anxiety are important variables that underlie the experience of flow in sport. Specifically, research has indicated that confidence displays a positive relationship and anxiety a negative relationship with flow. The aim of this study was to assess potential direct and indirect effects of confidence and anxiety dimensions on flow state in tennis competition. A sample of 59 junior tennis players completed measures of Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2d and Flow State Scale-2. Following predictive analysis, results showed significant positive correlations between confidence (intensity and direction) and anxiety symptoms (only directional perceptions) with flow state. Standard multiple regression analysis indicated confidence as the only significant predictor of flow. The results confirmed a protective function of confidence against debilitating anxiety interpretations, but there were no significant interaction effects between confidence and anxiety on flow state.     

Cognitive and affective components of challenge and threat states

Abstract

We explored the cognitive and affective components of the Theory of Challenge and Threat States in Athletes (TCTSA) using a cross-sectional design. One hundred and seventy-seven collegiate athletes indicated how they typically approached an important competition on measures of self-efficacy, perceived control, achievement goals, emotional states and interpretation of emotional states. Participants also indicated to what extent they typically perceived the important competition as a challenge and/or a threat. The results suggest that a perception of challenge was not predicted by any of the cognitive components. A perception of threat was positively predicted by avoidance goals and negatively predicted by self-efficacy and approach goals. Both challenge and threat had a positive relationship with anxiety. Practical implications of this study are that an avoidance orientation appeared to be related to potentially negative constructs such as anxiety, threat and dejection. The findings may suggest that practitioners and researchers should focus on reducing an avoidance orientation, however the results should be treated with caution in applied settings, as this study did not examine how the combination of constructs exactly influences sport performance. The results provided partial support for the TCTSA with stronger support for proposed relationships with threat rather than challenge states.     

Investigation of the relationship between the humour styles and trait anxiety levels of students attending schools of physical education and sports

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between School of Physical Education and Sports students’ humour styles and trait anxiety levels. This study sample was composed of 607 randomly selected students attending five different Schools of Physical Education and Sports in Turkey during the spring term of the 2014–2015 academic year. As a result, significant and reverse relationships were found with positive humour styles ‘Self-enhancing humour’ and ‘Affiliative humour’ and positive and meaningful relationships were detected with negative humour styles ‘Aggressive humour’ and ‘Self-defeating humour’.     

上海市部分中学体育教学中学生的成就取向

对中学生成就取向的现状进行了深入分析，研究结果表明：上海市中学生体育课成就取向以任务定向为主，对体育课的积极情绪体验远高于消极情绪体验；高中学生的体育课成就动机和积极情绪体验与初中学生相比均呈下降趋势；中学生体育课任务定向水平和体育课积极情绪体验水平与课余体育锻炼频率呈正相关关系。有一半以上中学生的体育课任务定向水平和体育课积极情绪体验水平尚不足以对他们的体育锻炼行为产生足够的激活力量；经常参加课余体育活动，尤其是课余体育锻炼，可提高运动技能水平，加强学生与体育教师的交流和相互了解，有利于体育课任务定向水平和体育课积极情绪体验水平的提高，     

健美操训练对大学生运动员赛前心境状态的影响研究

以心境的动态平衡理论为依托,采用中文版BFS心境量表对大学生健美操运动员训练前、后的心境状态进行测量,探讨比赛性身体活动对心境的影响以及不同训练阶段的心境变化特点,为科学监控大学生运动员的赛前情绪状态、合理安排训练内容提供依据。结果表明:赛前健美操训练能逐步地将大学生运动员的良性心境调整至某一适宜水平,并对负面心境有一定的积极改善作用,最终使大学生运动员的良性心境与负性心境基本处于同一适宜水平。这也进一步佐证了心境的动态平衡理论。     

Feeling states during exercise: Influence of individual differences in perceived evaluative threat

Abstract

The present study is designed to examine the influence of individual differences in perceived evaluative threat and baseline responses on changes in feeling states experienced during acute exercise in college-age women with high social physique anxiety. Thirty women with high social physique anxiety completed acute bouts of stationary cycling at either a self-selected or imposed intensity in both naturalistic fitness centre and laboratory environments. Multivariate analysis of changes in feeling states during exercise yielded a significant baseline×perceived evaluative threat×intensity interaction during exercise in the naturalistic fitness centre environment. Decomposition of this interaction revealed that, within the naturalistic environment, women with the least favourable baseline feeling states who perceived the lowest amount of evaluative threat during exercise demonstrated the greatest improvements in affect during self-selected intensity exercise. These findings suggest that, among women with high social physique anxiety, changes in feeling states reported during exercise are influenced by an interaction between baseline affective responses, the intensity of exercise, and environmentally induced perceptions of evaluative threat.     

Relationship between before-to-after-exercise feeling state changes and exercise session attendance over 14 weeks: Testing principles of Operant Conditioning

Abstract

A preliminary field study was conducted to estimate relationships between changes in feelings states occurring from before to after 20- to 30-min bouts of moderate cardiovascular exercise, and two measures of adherence to exercise in 66 adults (M _age=38?yrs, 30% males) initiating regimens of 3x/week. Positive pre- to post-exercise changes in participants’ feeling state scores ranged from 0 to 100% (M=73.2%, SD=28.8). Significant positive correlations were found between percentage of positive changes and exercise session attendance (r=0.36, p=0.003), and number of days of adherence to exercise (r=0.37, p=0.002), over 14 weeks. Results were interpreted as supporting principles of operant conditioning, and the possibility of exercise-induced feeling changes having direct reinforcing and punishing properties on the behavior of exercise in adults initiating programs. Accounting for identified correlates of exercise maintenance was suggested for extensions of this research. Applied uses of the abbreviated feeling state measure adapted for this research were suggested, after sufficient replication.     

Cognitive behavioural strategies and anxiety in elite orienteers

The primary purpose of this exploratory field study was to examine the use of cognitive behavioural strategies by highly skilled orienteers prior to and during competition. A secondary purpose of the study was to investigate whether differences in the level of qualification in orienteering is related to state anxiety. The subjects were divided into three classes with respect to their international and national records. The first two classes (A and B) were composed of international and national level athletes. The third class (C) included orienteers with unknown international records. Examination of the use of behavioural cognitive strategies during competition indicated that all orienteers reported a moderate use of mental imagery, above moderate use of inner talk and a focus of attention on present action rather than past or future. The other major findings were that prior to competition, superior orienteers reported use of higher self-efficacy, more positive outcome expectations and more task demand orientation than their less successful counterparts. Top orienteers coped more successfully with pre-competition anxiety by lowering their anxiety to a more moderate level prior to the actual performance.