Loss Experiences In Disability Sport

Abstract

Sport scientists have started to amass a small body of knowledge on loss in sport. Viewing sport retirement from a loss framework is particularly appropriate when examining transitions out of disability sport because athletes with disabilities are at risk for facing unique losses when they lease sport (Martin, 1996; Wheeler, Malone, & Steadward, 1996). The purpose of this article is to discuss loss experiences in disability sport from psychological, social, and physiological perspectives.     

Gender role conflict,gender-typed characteristics,self-concepts,and sport socialization in female athletes and nonathletes

Gender role conflict, masculinity, femininity, physical appearance self-concept, athletic competence self-concept, body image self-concept, and athletic participation by parents among female athletes and nonathletes were examined in 76 female athletes and 69 female nonathletes (N= 145). Similar to previous research, results indicated no significant differences in the gender role conflict of female athletes and nonathletes. Results also indicated that, as predicted, female athletes exhibited significantly more positive athletic competence self-concept, body image self-concept, and athletic participation by parents than female nonathletes. Both participants' body image self-concept and parental sport participation were significantly and inversely related to their amount of gender role conflict. Implications for differences in the social personality and gender role development of female athletes and nonathletes are discussed. Special thanks to Francis Street for her helpful assistance. Thanks also to Pete Toye, Ph.D., Academic Advisor, the University of Wyoming Athletic Department and to coaches Mark Miller, Linda Conger, Mike English, Karoline Eide, Kyle Linton, Chad Lavin, Brenda Erikson, and Paul Barret for their cooperation and assistance.     

Using Motivational General-Mastery Imagery to Improve the Self-efficacy of Youth Squash Players

The current study examined whether an individualized motivational general-mastery MG-M imagery intervention consisting of daily imagery practice and weekly one-on-one guided imagery sessions could enhance self-efficacy in youth squash athletes (N = 5; M _age = 10.80; SD = 1.93). A single-subject multiple-baseline design was employed spanning 13–18 weeks. Measures included the Sport Imagery Questionnaire for Children (Hall, Munroe-Chandler, Fishburne, & Hall et al., 2009) and a squash-specific self-efficacy questionnaire. Results indicated improvements in self-efficacy for 3 of the 5 athletes. The results from this study help inform researchers and practitioners regarding the use of MG-M imagery as a means to improve young athletes’ self-efficacy.     

How stressful is retirement! Antecedents of stress linked to athletes’ career termination

A field study conducted with professional athletes (N = 420, 72.2% men, M_age = 25.14) examined the antecedents of stress linked to career termination. We hypothesized that stress linked to career termination may be affected by the type of passion (harmonious and obsessive) athletes develop for their sport activity, and that this passion may be affected by regulatory mode orientations (locomotion and assessment) and need for closure (NFC). The present findings confirm our hypotheses that locomotion positively predict stress linked to career termination through a partial mediation of harmonious passion, while assessment and NFC negatively predict stress through the mediation of obsessive passion. In conclusion, this study provides further information to existing intervention programs aimed at preventing the negative consequences related to athletes’ career termination.     

An Investigation Into Stakeholders’ Perceptions of the Youth-to-Senior Transition in Professional Soccer in the United Kingdom

The youth-to-senior transition in professional soccer within the UK is challenging, yet previous work has focused on perspectives of a limited range of within-sport stakeholders. We conducted semistructured interviews with coaches (n = 12), sport science support staff (n = 10), and parents of players (n = 6), exploring their perceptions of transition demands, resources, and barriers. Emergent themes highlighted role-specific support provision and that athletes progress through a period of adaptation, requiring a diverse set of characteristics and resources (e.g., knowledge of the transition process, social support), developed through a number of preceding transitions.     

The relationship between mental toughness and affect intensity

Mentally tough athletes are conceptualized as being able to function effectively in stressful situations and recent research has found small to moderate correlations between mental toughness and coping. Despite this no research has thus far examined the possibility that mentally tough athletes experience less intense emotions. This paper tested the relationship between mental toughness and affect intensity to determine whether mentally tough athletes generally experienced more or less intense emotions. A sample of 112 sport performers (55 men and 57 women) aged between 18 and 51 years (M = 29.3, s = 10.3) acted as participants, and ranged from recreational to national level in a variety of sports. Mental toughness and affect intensity were found to be unrelated. This is an important finding because it suggests participants with high or low levels of mental toughness do not characteristically experience more or less intense emotions. Thus there is no evidence to suggest the ability of mentally tough athletes to remain relatively unaffected by pressure or adversity is due to lower levels of affect intensity. More research is required to understand how mentally tough athletes (in comparison to less tough athletes) maintain control and high levels of performance in stressful circumstances.     

Sexualized and Athletic: Viewers’ Attitudes toward Sexualized Performance Images of Female Athletes

Using an experimental methodology, the present study investigated college students’ attitudes toward media images of female athletes. We are particularly focused on how viewers perceive media images of female athletes that have both an appearance and athleticism focus, such as those found in ESPN’s The Body Issue. An aim of our study was to assess viewers’ attitudes toward these images that are not purely objectified, thereby contributing to the objectification literature and providing empirical data relevant to theorizing on the social impact of these images. U.S. college students (n?=?563) viewed one of four types of images of the same athletes including: (a) sexualized athletes, (b) sexualized performance athletes (in which both athleticism and sexualization are present), (c) sport performance athletes (in which athletes are depicted playing their sport), or (d) non-sexualized athletes. They then rated the athletes’ competence, esteem, and sexual appeal. Overall, sexualized performance athletes were rated more positively than sexualized athletes, but less positively than sport performance athletes. These results have implications for advocacy efforts calling for more media coverage in which women are depicted as athletes rather than as sexual objects.

     

Hegel's notion of Aufheben

The paper is an attempt to make sense of Hegel's notion of aufheben. The double meaning of aufheben and its alleged ‘rise above the mere “either‐or”; of understanding’ have been taken, by some, to constitute a criticism of the logic of either‐or. It is argued, on the contrary, that Hegel's notion of aufheben, explicated in its primary and philosophical context, turns out to be a substantiation of that logic. The intelligibility of the formula of either‐or depends, for example, on the categories of Being and Not‐Being. But if these categories are regarded as particular finite determinations themselves subject to the formula of either‐or, then the formula, far from being intelligible, ‘falls apart’. Hegel is arguing, in other words, that if we are to substantiate the logic of either‐or, we must, at the same time, ‘rise above’ that logic. The role of aufheben is then considered in the special sciences. Here it is argued that we must distinguish between empirical transitions, governed by the finite determinations of things, and logical or dialectical transitions, governed by considerations of the intelligibility of the notions involved. Applying the notion of aufheben to the former transitions suggests wrongly that empirical transitions have an objective or philosophic necessity. Finally, the place of ‘immanent transformation’ in the context of aufheben is examined. It is concluded that if there is to be a transformation, then a distinction must be drawn between thought and its content, but then the transformation cannot be regarded as immanent.     

“When you're coming from the reserve you're not supposed to make it”: Stories of Aboriginal athletes pursuing sport and academic careers in “mainstream” cultural contexts

ObjectivesThis project responds to the call for athletic career development and transitions research that centralizes the constitutive role of culture in athletes' experiences (Stambulova & Alfermann, 2009; Stambulova & Ryba, 2014). Within, we explore the cultural transitions of Aboriginal hockey players (14–22 years old) relocated into “mainstream” (Euro-Canadian) cultural contexts to pursue dual careers as students and athletes.DesignThe research was framed as a cultural sport psychology initiative. The project was rooted in a local Indigenous decolonizing methodology, which was brought forward via a participatory action research approach.MethodsMandala drawings and conversational interviews were employed as open-ended data collection processes that enabled the participants to share their stories and meanings through their own cultural perspectives. Vignettes were then used to present their accounts.ResultsThe participants' careers as athletes and students were precariously navigated within larger cultural tensions to: (a) deal with a loss of belonging in the Aboriginal community; (b) break down negative stereotypes and attitudes that Aboriginal people are not able to “make it”; and (c) give back to the Aboriginal communities they relocated away from.ConclusionsThrough a culturally resonant mode of knowledge production, the research uncovers contextual understandings of the cultural transitions experienced by Aboriginal athletes, revealing how this transition intersects with and shapes their dual careers. The project offers insight into the central role of culture in shaping athletes' dual careers, and provides impetus for more idiosyncratic approaches to be adopted in future research.     

Injury Representations,Coping, Emotions,and Functional Outcomes in Athletes With Sports‐Related Injuries: A Test of Self‐Regulation Theory1

This study examined the influence of injury representations on emotions and outcomes of athletes with sports‐related musculoskeletal injuries using self‐regulation theory. Participants were athletes (N= 220; M age = 23.44 years, SD= 8.42) with a current sports‐related musculoskeletal injury. Participants self‐reported their cognitive and emotional injury representations, emotions coping procedures, physical and sports functioning, attendance at treatment centers, and 3‐week follow‐up attendance. Participants’ negative and positive affect were influenced by emotional representations. Identity, causal attributions, and emotional representations influenced physical functioning; and identity, serious consequences, causal attributions, and emotional representations predicted sports functioning. Injury severity, identity, and personal control predicted attendance at treatment centers, but the effect of personal control was mediated by problem‐focused coping. Problem‐focused coping predicted 3‐week follow‐up attendance. Results support self‐regulation theory for examining injury representations in athletes.     

The relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity and competitive anxiety

ABSTRACT

The present study examined the relationship between religiosity and competitive anxiety in college athletes and whether there were differences in competitive anxiety for intrinsically religious and extrinsically religious individuals. College athletes (N?=?95) from three separate sports from the NCAA completed a questionnaire that included the Age-Universal I/E Scale, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 Revised, open-ended questions on habits related to religion, and demographic items. Results revealed no significant relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity and competitive anxiety. Extrinsically religious athletes had higher somatic anxiety than intrinsically religious athletes. The majority of participants (77%) reported praying before games primarily for comfort. Athletes turn to religion to calm their nerves but it is important to understand that their approach to religion may relate to increased anxiety. This information is useful for sport practitioners and coaches as they seek to help their athletes seek an intrinsic approach to religion in sport.     

Examining the Relationship Between Mental Toughness and Imagery Use

Mental toughness is an important characteristic contributing to athletic excellence (Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton, 2007), yet little quantitative research has examined how psychological skills such as imagery contribute to its development. The present study investigated the relationship between mental toughness with imagery in a sample of varsity athletes (N = 151, M_age = 20.70). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that imagery use significantly predicted mental toughness. Specifically, motivational general-mastery imagery emerged as the strongest individual predictor for all dimensions of mental toughness (β = .45-.53), thus, providing support for imagery use as a potential strategy for developing or enhancing mental toughness in athletes.     

When the Going Gets Tough: The “Why” of Goal Striving Matters

No prior research has examined how motivation for goal striving influences persistence in the face of increasing goal difficulty. This research examined the role of self‐reported (Study 1) and primed (Study 2) autonomous and controlled motives in predicting objectively assessed persistence during the pursuit of an increasingly difficult goal. In Study 1, 100 British athletes (64 males; M_age = 19.89 years, SD_age = 2.43) pursued a goal of increasing difficulty on a cycle ergometer. In Study 2, 90 British athletes (43 males; M_age = 19.63 years, SD_age = 1.14) engaged in the same task, but their motivation was primed by asking them to observe a video of an actor describing her or his involvement in an unrelated study. In Study 1, self‐reported autonomous goal motives predicted goal persistence via challenge appraisals and task‐based coping. In contrast, controlled goal motives predicted threat appraisals and disengagement coping, which, in turn, was a negative predictor of persistence. In Study 2, primed autonomous (compared to controlled) goal motives predicted greater persistence, positive affect, and future interest for task engagement. The findings underscore the importance of autonomous motivation for behavioral investment in the face of increased goal difficulty.     

Examining Hardiness,Coping and Stress-Related Growth Following Sport Injury

This study aimed to explain how injured athletes high in hardiness experienced stress-related growth and why athletes low in hardiness are less likely to derive such benefits. Twenty participants were theoretically sampled into high (n = 10) and low (n = 10) hardiness groups. Semistructured interviews were used for data collection. Findings revealed that athletes high in hardiness experienced stress-related growth from having an emotional outlet, which enabled them to reframe their injury and experience positive affect. In contrast, athletes low in hardiness had no emotional outlet, which led to suboptimal outcomes. These findings have important implications for practitioners working with injured athletes.     

Autonomy support and motivational responses across training and competition in individual and team sports

This study examined: (a) whether athletes’ (N = 348) perceived autonomy support (i.e., showing interest in athletes’ input and praising autonomous behavior) differs across contexts (training vs. competition) and sport types (individual vs. team sports), and (b) whether the relationships between autonomy support and effort, enjoyment, and anxiety are affected by context and sport type. Perceived autonomy support did not vary across contexts, but interest in athletes’ input was higher in individual than in team sports. Praise for autonomous behavior was associated positively with effort only when interest in input was high, and this effect was stronger in training than in competition. Finally, praise for autonomous behavior was also positively related to enjoyment in training, while interest in input was positively associated with anxiety in individual sports.     

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Coaches’ Observed Emotion-Behavior Profiles and Adolescent Athletes’ Self-Reported Developmental Outcomes

This investigation explored the relationship between coaches’ emotions and adolescent athletes’ psychosocial development. Participants were 9 male soccer coaches and their female athletes (N = 134, M_age = 14.54). Systematic observation was used to assess coaches’ emotions during practice and athletes completed questionnaires evaluating developmental outcomes. Cluster analyses revealed 2 groups: “calm, inquisitive coaches” (n = 6) and “intense, hustle coaches” (n = 3). Athletes of calm, inquisitive coaches reported significantly more prosocial behaviors and less antisocial behaviors directed toward opponents than athletes of intense, hustle coaches. Thus, coaches’ emotions during practice may be associated with young athletes’ moral behaviors.     

Personality Development from Age 12 to 25 and its Links with Life Transitions

During adolescence and young adulthood, individuals show personality changes and experience various life transitions. Whereas personality might affect the timing of life transitions, life transitions might also induce personality maturation. We examined Big Five personality maturation from age 12 to 25 using a 9-year longitudinal study of Dutch youths from two cohorts (n₁ = 683, M_ageT1 = 12.70; n₂ = 268, M_age T1 = 16.87). We linked personality maturation to the incidence and timing of four transitions: first romantic relationship, leaving the parental home, first job, and first cohabitation or marriage. Results indicated increases in mean levels, rank-order stabilities and profile stability of personality between age 12 and 25, which were largely replicated across the cohorts. Very few associations between personality and life transitions existed. However, higher mean-level Extraversion predicted leaving the parental home and starting the first romantic relationship, an earlier age when starting the first job, and an earlier average timing of transitions. Regarding social investment effects, we only found that those who never experienced a romantic relationship at age 25 decreased, while those who did increased in profile stability over time. These results suggest that personality consistently matures during adolescence and young adulthood and that higher Extraversion predict greater readiness for new steps towards adulthood.     

Dyadic Anxiety in Youth Sport: The Relationship of Achievement Goals With Anxiety in Young Athletes and Their Parents

The role of achievement motivation on precompetitive anxiety was examined in 73 dyads comprising youth athletes and a parent of each athlete. Participants completed questionnaires assessing achievement goals and anxiety. Actor–partner interdependence models were estimated using Mplus 7.11. Parents’ adoption of performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals predicted athletes’ worry (β_{performance-approach} =.30, p <.01; β_{performance-avoidance} =.25, p <.05). Athletes’ adoption of any goal predicted parents’ concentration disruption (β_{mastery-approach} =.41; β_{mastery-avoidance} =.30, p <.01; β_{performance-approach} =.27; β_{performance-avoidance} =.22, p <.05). Thus, parental definitions of competence held for the child was related to their young athlete's emotional state and vice versa.     

Assembling the sense of home in emigrant elite athletes: Cultural transitions,narrative and materiality

ObjectiveDespite a growing body of literature on cultural transitions, little is known regarding how emigrant elite athletes experience and intra-act with the non-human environment in the host country, and how this affects their sense of home. This study explores the relationships between the material world and the embodied narratives, both personal and socio-cultural, regarding the process of assembling a new sense of home.Design and MethodsSeven Colombian emigrant elite athletes (4 female and 3 male), that emigrated pursuing the Olympic Dream, participated in this study. The philosophical concept of assemblage, from New Materialism approach, was used as a companion and extension of narrative dialogical analysis to analyse life-story interviews.ResultsEmigrant athletes define home as a place of refuge where they can express emotions, behave, and communicate in ways that ‘feel natural’. During cultural transitions, these athletes assembled a sense of home in two environments: the housing and the sport facilities. The relationships with (a) architectural spaces, (b) objects, (c) food, (d) technological apparels and (d) sport materiality facilitated or hindered the process of assembling a new sense of home in the host country.ConclusionsThe transformation of housing and the sport facilities into Home is a crucial process to improve the quality of emigrant athlete’s cultural transition. A deeper appreciation of materiality in research and applied practice is needed.