A qualitative investigation of the temporal patterning of the precompetitive anxiety response

The aim of this study was to examine retrospective perceptions and causal beliefs about temporal experiences of competitive anxiety and related symptoms in the lead up to competition. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 9 elite performers to examine the interaction of intensity, frequency and direction of symptoms associated with competitive anxiety before competition. Data analysis identified six causal networks that supported theoretical predictions suggesting that intensity of cognitive anxiety symptoms remained relatively stable in the lead up to competition, whereas somatic anxiety peaked sharply at the onset of performance. Frequency of anxiety symptoms increased as the competition approached and changes in interpretation of anxiety symptoms were also reported, with self-confidence identified as a moderating variable. The findings highlight the dynamic properties of the stress response and emphasize the need to consider the idiosyncratic nature of the level, frequency and interpretation of performers' precompetitive experiences.     

Evidence on the Performance of Canada/Europe Co-productions in Television and Film

International co-production has become an increasingly important mode for television programs and film. In this paper we report the results of a survey on partner perceptions of performance in Canada/Europe co-productions. In particular we examine whether expectations that the general experience is positive and that Canadian and European partners have similar assessments of the level of performance, are justified. Our survey evidence does support the hypothesis that in total the experience is positive. However, it appears this is only the case because a good creative artistic performance more than outweighs a less than satisfactory total project recoupment. The hypothesis that Canadian and European partners have similar perceptions of performance is not borne out. Generally, Canadian partners seem more satisfied than European, particularly French.     

The electronic alternative: Sociological Research Online

Examines how the electronic journal Sociological Research Online has rapidly established itself as a leading journal and how it has gained credibility; discusses possible future sources of revenue.     

Moral issues in sport: the child's perspective

Sport offers opportunities for children to identify and resolve moral issues. Moral issues in sport have primarily been studied from the researcher's perspective, with the child's perspective relatively ignored. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the nature and content of the issues children experienced in sport. Interview participants consisted of 7 boys and 8 girls ranging in age from 10 to 12 years (M = 11.6 years, SD = 1.7) who had competitive youth sport experience. An inductive content analysis revealed that children identified issues surrounding three overall dimensions concerning fairness of adult's actions, negative game behaviors, and negative team behaviors. Specific examples of issues included unfair actions by coaches, disrespecting opponents, and selfish behavior in practice. The self-identified issues both confirmed and expanded upon the content found in hypothetical moral dilemmas in sport.     

The high-school dropout decision and its wage consequences

The purpose of this study is to investigate the wage consequences of leaving high school prior to graduation. The dropout process is modeled as interdependent events involving the dropout decision itself and expected wage offers. Since selectivity biases may occur in such models, our empirical analysis permits adjustment for any such biases. Our empirical results provide support for the existence of a self-selection bias in the initial work experiences following high school. We also find that wages for dropouts progressively decline in subsequent years relative to high-school graduates.