Relations among heavy training stress,mood state,and performance for male junior rowers

This study investigated the influence of rapidly increased training volume on performance and recovery-stress state perceived by 10 male junior rowers. The training during the 6-day period amounted to 21.5 +/- 2.2 hr., which was equivalent to an average increase in training load by approximately 100% compared to their average training volume during the previous 4 wk. The time to row 2,000 m on a rowing ergometer and resting cortisol level were significantly increased after the 6-day training period. Scores on subscales of the Recovery Stress Questionnaire for Athletes significantly increased for somatic component of stress (Fatigue) and decreased factor indicating recovery (Social Relaxation) after the heavy training period. A correlation of .63 was found between increased training volume and scores on the Conflicts/Pressure subscale at the end of the heavy training period. Correlations were also found between changes in training volume with changes on subscales of Sleep Quality (r=-.64) and Burnout/Personal Accomplishment (r=-.66). Changes in resting cortisol levels as a result of heavy training stress were related to the changes in the following stress subscales: Social Stress (r=.76), Fatigue (r=.64), Disturbed Breaks (r=.65), and Fitness/Injury (r=.67). Changes in performance, perceived recovery-stress state and resting plasma cortisol level reflect increased stress due to high training. These results suggest that the Recovery Stress Questionnaire for Athletes could be used to evaluate the effects of rapidly increased training volume for male junior rowers.     

Convergent and discriminant validity of the Marital Disillusionment Scale

The Marital Disillusionment Scale, together with measures of divorce proneness, marital disaffection, work addiction, sensation seeking, intimacy, and marital satisfaction (using the subscales Marital Disharmony and Disaffection), was administered to 116 married people (42 men, 74 women) in a university town in the western USA. Scores on the Marital Disillusionment Scale had significant positive correlations with scores on the Marital Instability Scale (r = .54), the Marital Disaffection Scale (r = .72), and the two subscales Disharmony (r = .53) and Disaffection (r = .75) of the eMarital Satisfaction Inventory. Scores for the Marital Disillusionment Scale were negatively correlated with those for the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships Inventory (r = -.65) but were not significantly associated with scores for the Work Addiction Risk Test and the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale. The results support the convergent and discriminant validity of the Marital Disillusionment Scale.     

Precompetitive anxiety and affective state of climbers in indoor climbing competition

The purpose of this study was to measure the precompetitive anxiety and affective states of climbers, particularly with regard to sex and types of competition. 37 men (M=25.9, SD=3.8 yr.) and 10 women (M=25.9, SD=4.2 yr.), climbers who enrolled in Indoor Sport Climbing Competition, voluntarily participated in two different types of competition-speed and difficulty indoor climbing. The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule were administered to all climbers just before the competition. The Sport Competition Anxiety Test was also administered to control competitive trait anxiety. Multivariate analysis of covariance yielded a significant interaction of sex and type of competition for affective state (Hotelling T2=0.21; F2,33=3.43, p<.05). Follow-up univariate analysis indicated that the mean Negative Affect score of women climbers before the difficulty competition was higher than mean Negative Affect scores of men before both speed and difficulty competitions and also the mean for women climbers before the speed competition (F1,34 = 6.15, p <.05). The results partially supported the hypothesis of differences in negative affect by sex and types of competition.     

Self-defeating personality and memories of parents' child-rearing behavior: a replication

A recent study of correlations of self-defeating personality and memories of parents' child-rearing behaviour has been replicated on a larger sample. Non-clinical volunteers (145 women and 114 men) were administered Schill's Self-defeating Personality Scale and a short version of the EMBU-Egna Minnen Betr?ffande Uppfostran (own memories of parental education) scale. Replicating previous findings, memories of rejecting or nonsupportive parents were significantly correlated with scores for the Self-defeating Personality Scale for both women (rejecting mother, r = 24; supportive mother, r = -.29; rejecting father, r = .23; supportive father, r = -.36) and men (rejecting mother, r = 40; rejecting father, r = .41; supportive father, r = -.28). Memories of an overinvolved parent were significantly correlated with self-defeating personality scores only among men (mother: r = .41; father: r = .36) as in the original study.     

Sex differences in self-silencing

The construct of self-silencing was proposed to account for women's greater vulnerability to developing depression. This study of 1,117 students (795 women and 322 men) explored possible explanations for the empirical finding that men self-silence to the same or greater extent than women. Analysis showed that men reported more self-silencing than women. A factor analysis confirmed the subscale structure of the Silencing the Self Scale for women and men, with relatively few departures from the originally proposed subscales. Depression and self-silencing scores were correlated positively for both men and women. The results of two multiple regressions, performed separately for men and women, showed that depressive symptomatology accounted for a significant percentage of the variance in self-silencing but that social desirability did not account for a significant increment in the variance accounted for in silencing the self. The scores on the Care as Self-sacrifice and the Divided Self subscales were intercorrelated for women, but not for men, indicating that there may be a sex difference in perception of self-silencing behavior.     

Brief version of the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale - Straightforward Items (BFNE-S): psychometric properties in a Spanish population

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Brief version of the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale - Straightforward Items (BFNE-S) in a non-clinical Spanish population. Rodebaugh et al. (2004) recommend the use of this scale composed of 8 straightforwardly-worded items, instead of the 12-item version of the BFNE. The sample consisted of 542 undergraduate students, 71.3% of whom were women and 28.7% were men; the mean age was 21.71 (4.78) years. Exploratory factor analysis produced one factor which accounted for 51.28% of variance. The internal consistency of the scale was alpha = .89. The BFNE-S correlated with the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (r = .44), the Personal Report of Confidence as Speaker Modified (r = .44), the Public Speaking Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (r = -.38) and both subscales of the Self-Statements during Public Speaking (SSPS-P r = -.22; SSPS-N r = .53). ANOVAs revealed significant differences in the BFNE-S amongst a non-clinical population, persons suffering from specific social phobia, non-generalized social phobia and generalized social phobia.     

Mesomorphy correlates with experiential cognitive style

The purpose of this study was to test for a relationship between mesomorphy and experiential cognitive style (S. Epstein, 1994) in a sample of university students (30 women and 24 men). Anthropometric somatotypes were obtained using the Heath-Carter procedure (J. E. L. Carter, 2002). Experiential cognitive style was operationalized as scores on the experiential scale of the Rational Experiential Inventory for Adolescents (A. D. Marks, D. W. Hine, R. L. Blore, & W. J. Phillips, 2008). Nonparametric bootstrap correlations were calculated using 80% confidence intervals. There were significant correlations between mesomorphy and experiential cognitive style for men (r(s) = .33) and women (r(s) = .25). For men, experiential cognitive style was also correlated with endomorphy (r(s) = .39) and ectomorphy (rs = -.48).     

Assessing retirement satisfaction and perceptions of retirement experiences.

A 2-part investigation developed a measure of retirement as a life transition. Study 1 generated items from interviews with retirees (n = 40) and service providers. Item analysis with recent retirees (n = 86) produced a 51-item Retirement Satisfaction Inventory assessing 6 areas: preretirement work functioning, adjustment and change, reasons for retirement, satisfaction with life in retirement, current sources of enjoyment, and leisure and physical activities. Study 2 examined a heterogeneous sample of men (n = 159) and women (n = 243) retires. Factor analyses produced internally consistent subscales. Moderate, but acceptable, test-retest reliability was demonstrated. Satisfaction scores correlated with concurrent measures and, together with pre- and postretirement experiences, discriminated 4 groups of voluntary and involuntary retirees. Few effects related to gender, socioeconomic status, length of retirement, and part-time employment were found.     

Preliminary evidence for validity of the Bahasa Indonesian version of Study Process Questionnaire

This study provides preliminary evidence for the validity of the Bahasa Indonesian version of the Study Process Questionnaire (BI-SPQ) from a sample of 147 psychology students (22 men and 125 women; M age = 21.8 yr., SD = 1.3). The internal consistency alpha of the BI-SPQ subscales were found to range from .46 (Surface Strategy) to .77 (Deep Strategy), with a median of .67. Principal component analysis indicated a two-factor solution, where the Deep and Achieving subscales loaded onto Factor 1 and the Surface subscales loaded on Factor 2. Students' GPAs were associated negatively with Surface Motive (r = -.24) and were associated positively with Deep and Achieving Motives (rs = .20). Further studies with larger samples involving students majoring in other disciplines are needed to provide further evidence of the validity of the BI-SPQ.     

An examination of gender differences in the construct validity of the silencing the self scale

Jack’s (1991) theory of self-silencing was originally designed to explain higher rates of depression in women in comparison to men. However, research finding that men score equal or even higher than women on measures of self-silencing has lead theorists to speculate that self-silencing tendencies may be driven by different motivations and have different consequences for women versus men (Jack & Ali, 2010). Using a sample of 247 college students, we examined gender differences in the construct validity of the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS; Jack & Dill, 1992). We hypothesized that women would score higher on the Externalized Self-Perception subscale, but not the other three subscales. Gender differences in the relationship between the STSS subscales and theoretically-relevant constructs were also explored. The results indicated that women on average scored higher than men on the Externalized Self-Perception subscale, whereas men scored higher on the Care as Self-Sacrifice subscale. Further, there was a significant Gender × Care as Self-Sacrifice subscale interaction in the prediction of depression, such that this subscale was negatively correlated to depression in men, and uncorrelated in women. These results clarify how self-silencing might translate into different mental health outcomes for women and men.     

Age, sex, and personality correlates of self-actualization in elderly adults

The present study examined age, sex and personality correlates of self-actualization among older adults. The Personal Orientation Inventory and Personality Research Form were administered individually to 80 community men and women aged 56 yr.-84 yr. No main effect for sex was observed on inventory scores, but younger subjects (56 yr.-67 yr.) obtained higher scores than older subjects (68 yr.-84 yr.) on four subscales: Existentiality, Feeling Reactivity, Acceptance of Aggression and Capacity for Intimate Contact. Age was negatively correlated with Feeling Reactivity in both sexes; Inner-directedness decreased with age in men and Capacity for Intimate Contact diminished with age in women. For men, inventory scores were positively associated with the traits of Change and Endurance and negatively correlated with Abasement, Order and Succorance. For women, Impulsivity correlated positively and Order was associated negatively with scores on the inventory. These results suggest that the components of self-actualization are differentially influenced by age for men and women and that the traits accompanying self-actualization are sex-linked.     

Exercise, pain, perceived family support, and quality of life in Korean patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Relations of habitual exercise and pain, perceived family support, and the quality of life in patients with functional class II for ankylosing spondylitis were explored. In a cross-sectional study perceived pain, family support, and quality of life were compared for 30 patients (23 women and 7 men whose mean age was 28.3 yr.+/-8.6 yr.) practicing exercise regularly and for 38 sedentary patients (31 women and 7 men whose mean age was 27.2+/-6.7 yr.). Exercising patients reported significantly lower pain, greater perceived family support, and increased quality of life than their sedentary peers. Pain ratings were significantly negatively correlated with the quality of life in both groups (r = -.26 in exercisers and r = -.50 in sedentary patients) and control group's perceived family support was significantly correlated .44 with quality of life. These results encourage further study of the associations of habitual exercise with perceived pain, family support, and quality of life.     

Relation of urinary incontinence, menopausal symptoms, and life satisfaction in middle-age Korean women

Associations of urinary incontinence, menopausal symptoms and life satisfaction of 235 middle-age Korean women (40 to 59 years) were investigated, based on responses to a self-report questionnaire. Urinary incontinence was positively correlated with menopausal symptoms (r =.24) and negatively correlated with life satisfaction (r=-.11). Life satisfaction was negatively correlated with menopausal symptoms (r = -.28). All rs indicate weak associations and account for small common variables. Even so, results suggest effective treatment of urinary incontinence and menopausal symptoms could enhance life satisfaction through promoting healthy behavior and emotional health in such middle-age women.     

Exposure to domestic violence and identity development among adolescent university students in South Africa

This study examined the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and identity development in a sample of 108 undergraduate students with an average age of 18.7 yr. from University of Limpopo in South Africa. There were more women (n = 64; 58.7%) in the study than men (n = 45; 41.3%). Participants were classified into high and low domestic violence exposure groups on the basis of a median split in physical violence scores from the Child Exposure to Domestic Violence Scale (CEDV). Exposure was then compared with identity development as measured by the Ochse and Plug Erikson scale. The results indicated a significant mean difference between the two groups on identity development. Furthermore, exposure to domestic violence was significantly associated with lower scores for identity development as represented by subscales measuring trust, autonomy, initiative and other Eriksonian constructs. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.     

Correlation between tests of attention and performance on grooved and Purdue pegboards in normal subjects

This study investigated the relation between tests of manual dexterity and attentional functions with 49 normal, right-handed medical students (26 women, 23 men, ages 19-30 years) who were assessed with a Purdue Pegboard Test, Grooved Pegboard Test, and a Test for Attentional Performance, comprising measures of tonic and phasic alertness and divided attention. Weak to moderately high partial correlations controlling for finger size were obtained between pegboard test performance of the left hand and phasic alertness (r = .31-.50). Purdue Pegboard Assembly subtest scores were weakly correlated with divided attention (r = -.39). These findings suggest that attention is an important determinant of performance for manual dexterity tests of the nondominant hand.     

Relationship between two aspects of perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive symptoms

In this study was investigated the relationship between two aspects of perfectionism (Concern over Mistakes and Personal Standards) and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. College students (57 men and 193 women: M age = 19.5 yr., SD = 1.9) majoring in psychology were from introductory psychology classes and a psychological assessment practice class. They completed the Padua Inventory, which assesses obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and the subscales of Concern over Mistakes and Personal Standards of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, which assess the tendency to be concerned about making mistakes and the tendency to set excessively high standards, respectively. Multiple regression analysis indicated that only the Concern over Mistakes scores predicted significantly all Padua Inventory subscale scores. Perhaps only being concerned over making mistakes may be associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The tendency to set high standards was not strongly correlated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Further, the relationship between setting high standards and having obsessive-compulsive symptoms reported in previous studies may be spurious. Further work is required to untangle these associations.     

Relationship between changes in acute exercise-induced feeling states,self-motivation,and adults' adherence to moderate aerobic exercise

A 14-wk. field study was conducted to estimate a correlation between feeling-state changes induced by moderate (50 to 74% VO2 max; 20 to 30 min.) bouts of cardiovascular exercise and attendance in a new exercise program. Three groups of men and women (ns=22 to 24) were formed for comparative analysis based upon participants' self-motivation (high, medium, low), as measured by the Self-motivation Inventory. Analysis indicated that for the low self-motivation group, attendance was positively correlated with before-to-after exercise difference scores in the Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory subscales of Positive Engagement (r(s)=.48), Revitalization (r(s)=.47). and Tranquility (r(s)=.41) and negatively correlated with difference scores in the Physical Exhaustion subscale (r(s)=-.62). Conversely, for the high self-motivated group generally weaker correlations in the opposite direction were found for each subscale. No definitive pattern was found for the medium self-motivation group. Multiple regression analyses conducted with scores on each Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory subscale supported the moderating effect of Self-motivation Inventory score on exercise attendance: Multiple R2s =.20 to .27. Although limited amounts of the total variance in exercise attendance was explained, practical implications are drawn for prescribing exercise by feeling states. Limitations and replication of results using different types samples and types of exercise are discussed.     

Italian youth subculture: collection, self-esteem, and self-efficacy

63 young people (M age=23.9 yr., SD=2.4, 50 men, 13 women) belonging to four subculture groups (New American Punk, Cyberpunk, Trash Style, and Rasta-Hippy) were studied to examine the relationship between self-esteem, self-efficacy, and the development of a body modification collection. A survey was created to evaluate quality of life, risk behaviour, and body modification. Self-esteem and self-efficacy were assessed using the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and General Perceived Self-efficacy Scale. Belonging to a group which permits neglect of standard norms of communal life makes it possible to avoid facing up to low self-esteem. Adherence to a group appears, from the results of this study, to be correlated with self-efficacy; inability to cope with life situations suggests a state of malaise in these young people.     

Development, gender equality, and suicide rates

A component of the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index which measures longevity was negatively associated -.55 with suicide rates in 37 nations for men; the correlation with the suicide sex ratio was also negative (r = -.59). Women's access to social, political, and economic power in a subsample of 26 nations, summarized in the UNDP's Gender Empowerment Measure, was positively correlated with suicide rates (r = .36 for both women and men). UNDP measures of attainment in literacy and income showed no individual relationship with suicide rates. In a multiple regression model, life expectancy was negatively related, and the Gender-related Development index was positively related, to suicide rates.     

Examining the validity of the Academic Motivation Scale by comparing scale construction to self-determination theory

This study examined the construct validity of the Academic Motivation Scale. Specifically, subscale correlations were examined to assess whether support for a continuum of self-determination would be provided. The three types of Intrinsic Motivation were significantly and positively correlated with each other .67, .62, and .58, while the three types of Extrinsic Motivation were significantly and positively intercorrelated .50, .49, and .45. The former subscales, however, correlated higher with Introjected Regulation than Identified Regulation, suggesting that Introjected Regulation may be indicative of more self-determined behavior than has previously been believed. Also, the Intrinsic Motivation To Accomplish subscale had a stronger relationship with two of the Extrinsic Motivation subscales, Identified Regulation and Introjected Regulation, than did the Extrinsic Motivation subscales with each other. This suggests that the differences between Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation are not as obvious as has been believed. Also, contrary to self-determination theory, Amotivation had a stronger negative correlation with Identified Regulation (r = -.31) than with any of the Intrinsic Motivation subscales (rs = -.27, -.19, and -.11).