Managing Uncertainty: Obesity Discourses and Physical Education in a Risk Society

This paper considers the role of physicaleducation researchers within current publicconcerns about body shape and weight. UsingUlrich Beck's notion of `risk' it examines howcertainty about children, obesity, exercise andhealth is produced in the contexts of `expert'knowledge and recontextualised in the academicand professional physical education literature.It is argued that the unquestioning acceptanceof the obesity discourses in physical educationhelps to construct anxieties about the body,which are detrimental to students and silencesalternative ways of thinking and doing physicaleducation.     

Application of a Sensemaking Approach to Ethics Training in the Physical Sciences and Engineering

Integrity is a critical determinant of the effectiveness of research organizations in terms of producing high quality research and educating the new generation of scientists. A number of responsible conduct of research (RCR) training programs have been developed to address this growing organizational concern. However, in spite of a significant body of research in ethics training, it is still unknown which approach has the highest potential to enhance researchers' integrity. One of the approaches showing some promise in improving researchers' integrity has focused on the development of ethical decision-making skills. The current effort proposes a novel curriculum that focuses on broad metacognitive reasoning strategies researchers use when making sense of day-to-day social and professional practices that have ethical implications for the physical sciences and engineering. This sensemaking training has been implemented in a professional sample of scientists conducting research in electrical engineering, atmospheric and computer sciences at a large multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary, and multi-university research center. A pre-post design was used to assess training effectiveness using scenario-based ethical decision-making measures. The training resulted in enhanced ethical decision-making of researchers in relation to four ethical conduct areas, namely data management, study conduct, professional practices, and business practices. In addition, sensemaking training led to researchers' preference for decisions involving the application of the broad metacognitive reasoning strategies. Individual trainee and training characteristics were used to explain the study findings. Broad implications of the findings for ethics training development, implementation, and evaluation in the sciences are discussed.     

Effect of Short-Term Training on Reaching Behavior in Infants: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of short-term training on reaching behavior in infants at the onset of reaching. The study was a single-blind, parallel group design, randomized controlled clinical trial. Thirty healthy infants were randomly assigned to a social control group (n = 15) or a reaching training group (n = 15). Infants began the study up to 3 days after the onset of reaching and were assessed three times across 2 days: pretraining (before training), posttraining 1 (after 1 session of training), and posttraining 2 (after 3 sessions of training). The reaching training group received 3 sessions of training by a physical therapist while the control group received a similar amount of time sitting in the therapist's lap. The data were analyzed using repeated-measures analyses of variance, and independent-samples tests with Bonferroni adjustments. Short-term training resulted in increased frequency of object contacts, shorter and smoother reaches, and improved hand positioning. The few short training sessions likely provided opportunities for infants to explore and learn to select movements from their existing movement repertoire. These results demonstrate that adaptive changes in infants' novel behaviors can emerge rapidly, and highlight the need for increased understanding of how to most effectively time early interventions.     

Psychological and Physical Characteristics of U.S. Marine Recruits

This study examined psychological and physical health factors in a cohort of U.S. Marine recruits with the goal of developing a comprehensive understanding of attributes recruits bring to training. 1,350 male recruits completed a multimeasure survey during the first week of training. A 2-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to explore the relationship of hardiness dimensions on several psychological and physical factors. Compared with other military samples, this cohort reported similar levels on hardiness control and rigidity subscales. Recruits who reported higher scores on a measure of positive hardiness also reported higher scores on measures of grit, grit ambition, sensation seeking, training expectations, positive ways of coping, physical and mental health, fitness scores, and lower scores on a measure of depression. This study provides a more complete understanding of the complex array of attributes of Marine recruits and forms a foundation for predictive models of injury risk and/or attrition.     

体感游戏促进儿童的执行功能：运动强度和认知参与的作用

为了考察体感游戏促进儿童执行功能的作用机制, 采用2(运动强度：高/低) × 2(认知参与：高/低) × 3(测量时间：前测、一次性训练后测、长期训练后测)的三因素混合实验设计, 对122名4~6岁儿童进行6周(每周3次)的体感游戏训练。结果发现：在一次性训练中, 体感游戏中的运动强度而不是认知参与显著促进儿童执行功能, 尤其是工作记忆; 在长期干预中, 体感游戏中的运动强度和认知参与都显著促进儿童执行功能, 且认知参与的作用大于运动强度。这一结果不但验证了体感游戏对儿童执行功能的益处, 并且阐明了体感游戏中的哪些特征能对儿童执行功能具有短期的和长期的效果。     

The Impact of Motor Activity and Inactivity on the Brain: Implications for the Prevention and Treatment of Nervous- System Disorders

ABSTRACT— Since Donald Hebb's pioneering observations in the 1940s, much research has focused on the effects of variations in physical activity and environmental complexity on behavioral performance and brain structure. Beneficial effects on brain health have been linked to physical fitness, skilled training, and exposure to complex environments, though in rodents these effects may be negated by sudden changes in social structure. Such manipulations can alleviate the deficits associated with several nervous-system disorders and aging. But how increased activity produces its beneficial effects is still not fully understood. How does unskilled physical activity (e.g., repetitive exercise) compare to training in skilled activities or exposure to complex environments? In injury states, is task-specific training a better rehabilitative strategy than general exercise? How do changes in motor activity affect specific brain regions, and can the intensity and timing of therapeutic movement be adjusted to produce optimal outcomes? Are the beneficial effects of motor enrichment banked over periods of inactivity and can they be called upon with booster training to treat a later neurological disorder? Are there circumstances in which increased activity is harmful? Enrichment of physical activity shows promise as an easy and healthful means for improving or restoring brain function, and questions like these are now being investigated so that the full potential of increased activity may be harnessed.     

Type D personality,physical symptoms and subjective stress: The mediating effects of coping and social support

Coping style and social support may represent mechanisms to explain the relationship between Type D personality and ill-health. This study investigated whether Type D is associated with physical symptoms and perceived stress in a non-cardiac population, and if these relationships are mediated by coping and social support. In a cross-sectional study, 304 participants (110 males, mean age 22.1 years) completed measures of Type D, physical symptoms, coping, perceived stress and social support. Results showed that Type D, the interaction of negative affectivity and social inhibition (NA?×?SI), was positively correlated with physical symptoms, perceived stress, and avoidant coping, and negatively correlated with social support, problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. A series of bootstrapped multiple mediator tests showed that social support and avoidant coping fully mediated the relationship between Type D and physical symptoms. Furthermore, social support and emotion-focused coping partially mediated the relationship between Type D and perceived stress. These findings demonstrate for the first time that Type D personality is associated with physical symptoms in a non-cardiac population. Social support and coping style represent mechanisms that can, in part, explain the relationship between Type D and physical symptoms, and Type D and perceived stress.     

童年中期身体侵害、关系侵害与儿童的情绪适应

采用整群抽样法选取2603名小学儿童（平均年龄9.05 ± 0.53岁）作为被试,考察童年中期同伴侵害现象的基本特点,以及同伴侵害与情绪适应（孤独感、社交焦虑和抑郁）的关系。结果发现：（1）在性别差异方面,男生的身体侵害与关系侵害水平均显著高于女生,与身体侵害相比,关系侵害的性别差异程度较小。在同伴侵害的类型特点方面,儿童遭受身体侵害的水平显著高于关系侵害。（2）身体侵害、关系侵害与儿童的各情绪适应指标显著正相关,身体侵害和关系侵害能同时预测儿童的情绪适应不良;并且与身体侵害相比,关系侵害对情绪适应的影响更大。（3）身体侵害与社交焦虑的关系表现出性别差异,即身体侵害能预测女生的社交焦虑,而对男生的社交焦虑不存在预测作用;但同伴侵害与孤独感、抑郁的关系不受性别的调节。总体而言,有同伴侵害经历的男生和女生具有相似的情绪适应问题。     

Peer counselling - a means of actualising Adolescents' helping potential

There is an increasing demand that schools should devote more of their resources to enhancing the emotional and social aspects of students' development, and should relax their competitive achievement-oriented practices. A peer-counselling programme is presented as one approach to affective education. Its principal goal is to form a system within the school through which students can become involved in counselling and helping their fellow-students. The training programme developed was based on four principles: understanding, experiencing, modelling, and application. The pilot study included 50 high-school students in Israel. Four general processes were identified during the training course: formation of learning groups, development of personal involvement, transfer of learning to practical situations, and mastering counselling skills and principles. The steps currently being taken to extend the project are briefly presented and discussed.     

童年晚期身体侵害、关系侵害与儿童的自我概念

本研究以2147名五年级儿童为被试,考察了童年晚期身体侵害、关系侵害对儿童自我概念(社交自我概念、身体自我概念和一般自我概念)的影响及其性别差异。结果表明,童年晚期身体和关系侵害均能负向预测儿童的社交和一般自我概念,关系侵害的影响比身体侵害更大。只有身体侵害可以负向预测身体自我概念。性别仅在身体侵害对身体自我概念的预测中表现出调节作用。     

Self-determination and functional persuasion to encourage physical activity

This research advances a novel approach to promoting physical activity, based on the principle of functional matching in persuasion, and the self-concordance (SC) of people's motivations for physical activity. We propose that SC establishes a positive or negative orientation toward the challenge inherent in physical activity, and that the maximum yield of participation will be achieved by communications that appeal to each orientation. In two studies, we compared how messages emphasizing challenge versus available social support would influence recipients’ self-reported practices of physical activity and attitudes toward a physical activity setting. As hypothesized, these messages had differential effects for recipients whose pursuit of physical activity varied in SC, such that favorable outcomes were more reliably associated with challenge-oriented messages among respondents higher in SC versus support-oriented messages among respondents lower in SC. The findings suggest the merits of using self-regulatory, compared with object- or personality-based, constructs and measures to indicate psychological functions of ongoing health-related behaviors.     

Motor Skill Learning and the Development of Visual Perception Processes Supporting Action Identification

This study examined physical training and observational training influences on motor learning and the development of visual discrimination processes. Participants were trained on a bimanual task (relative phase of +90°) defined by a visual training stimulus. There were 2 observational contexts: 1) model-only, watch a learning model, and 2) stimulus-only, watch the visual training stimulus. After 2 d of training, the learning models performed the +90° pattern with reduced error in 2 retention tests. Each observer group showed improvement in performance of the +90° pattern, with the stimulus-only group characterized by a more significant improvement. The learning models and observer groups were characterized by an improvement in visually discriminating 2 features of the trained pattern, relative phase and hand-lead. Overall, physical practice (learning models) established a stronger link between the action and visual discrimination processes compared with the observational contexts. The results show that the processes supporting action production and the visual discrimination of actions are modified in ways specific to the trained action following both physical and observational training.     

The development of social aggression and physical aggression: A narrative analysis of interpersonal conflicts

Using conflict narratives reported by children and adolescents, this study investigated the development and social functions of social aggression in comparison to physical aggression. A total of 510 participants in two cohorts of a longitudinal study were involved (116 girls and 104 boys from Grade 4 and155 girls and 135 boys from Grade 7). Patterns of social aggression and physical aggression were identified based on interview reports in the first year of the study. Results showed that a triadic structure of social relationship was often reported in conflicts where social aggression was employed, whereas a dyadic structure was reported in conflicts involving physical aggression. Girls tended to use social aggression against girls, whereas boys tended to use physical aggression against boys. Children and adolescents who were central in peer social networks were more likely to employ social aggression than those who were peripheral in the networks. Social aggression was not reliably linked to concurrent or future problematic adjustment. Physical aggression, however, was not related to network centrality but was linked to concurrent and future maladjustment (e.g., low academic competence and school dropout). Aggr. Behav. 28:341–355, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Directed Rehearsal and Preservice Teachers' Performance of Instructional Behaviors

This investigation evaluated the use of directed rehearsal to improve the teaching behaviors of four preservice elementary physical education teachers during a teaching practicum. Directed rehearsal consisted of two phases: (a) initial feedback following baseline, review of teaching behaviors, and rehearsal; and (b) rehearsal contingent upon errors made during each lesson. Three teaching behaviors were assessed using a multiple baseline design across behaviors for each teacher. Social validity in the form of the acceptability of directed rehearsal as a teacher training intervention also was assessed using a questionnaire. Results indicate that directed rehearsal was effective in improving the teaching behaviors of the four teachers in this study to 100% correct implementation. In addition, the intervention was acceptable to the teachers and the class instructor.     

Move2Love and Vibrancy: Community Dance/Fitness

The Move2Love program demonstrates the feasibility of establishing community-based programs involving dance and exercise to support physical and social well-being in older women. The social fitness program has been running continuously for 23 years. It currently involves 125 to 175 women between the ages of 54 and 94 in weekly rhythmic training sessions. In addition to meeting the initial goals of addiction avoidance in an at-risk population, this program has contributed to the well-being of participants, both by lowering disease burden, and by increasing physical, social, and psychological fitness. This article describes the program and explores the reasons that it has continued to work for over two decades. It also demonstrates the value experienced by participants in their own words. The Move2Love program could serve as a feasibility pilot for other communities wishing to create sustainable, salutary activity programming to enhance the well-being of senior women.     

Behavioural and ERP Effects of Cognitive and Combined Cognitive and Physical Training on Working Memory and Executive Function in Healthy Older Adults

Cognitive and physical training have been shown to be effective in improving older adults’ cognition. However, it is not yet clear whether combined cognitive and physical training offers an advantage compared to cognitive training alone. Twenty-two older adults performed cognitive or combined cognitive and physical training in order to compare their effects on working memory event-related potentials (ERPs) and on working memory and executive function performance. Before and after eight weeks of training, performance in Plus Minus, Flanker, Updated Span, and Complex Span tasks was measured, and ERPs were registered during performance of an n-back task (0-back, 2-back, and 3-back). Post-training behavioural improvement was observed in Updated Span, Complex Span, and n-back tasks. During the n-back task, the N2/P3 complex was modulated by training, with a decrease in N2 amplitude and an increase in P3 amplitude in the posttraining session compared to the pretraining session. These changes in ERP components suggest that both types of training potentially reduce the need for attentional control to perform the tasks correctly and increase working memory capacity. Thus, based on our data, no conclusion can be reached on the direct advantage of combined training, either at behavioural or at neural level. However, the present study might suggest an indirect advantage of such a combined training, because the cognitive benefit was found to be highly similar in both types of training. Using combined cognitive and physical training may produce a potential improvement in general fitness and an increased appeal of training.     

Cooperative behavior of laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus) in an instrumental task

Cooperation is a cognitively demanding, complex social behavior, found primarily in primates. Here we investigated mutualism in rats (Rattus Norvegicus), a simple form of cooperation in which two subjects work on operant task, receiving immediate and simultaneous sucrose reward for a joint action. To receive the sucrose reward, familiar pairs of rats were required to nose poke simultaneously. Following 44 training days, we examined the relation of social contact and ultrasonic vocalizations to the rat's cooperative behavior by testing the effects of inserting opaque, wire-mesh, or no partition--between subjects. Cooperative behavior (simultaneous nose-poking): (a) increased gradually during initial training; (b) decreased with the opaque partition (restricting visual, acoustic, and physical communication); (c) increased with a wire mesh partition restricting only physical contact); and (d) increased with the number of 50 kHz USV "happy" calls and the intensity of social interaction. The possibility of studying the development of cooperative behavior in laboratory rats using a simple procedure based on commercially available equipment may prove useful in modeling determinants of social behavior.     

Social validity assessment of behavior data recording among human services care providers

Care providers within human services organizations have many job responsibilities and performance expectations. In the present study, we conducted social validity assessment with 78 care providers concerning their attitudes and opinions about behavior data recording with adults who had intellectual disability and lived in community group homes. Specifically, the care providers responded to a written questionnaire that inquired about the practicality, training/supervision, and value of behavior data recording in the context of service delivery. Results indicated generally high approval of behavior data recording practices, purposes, and approaches to training. We discuss implications of these findings for implementing data recording by care providers and the contribution of social validity assessment to training and performance management within human services organizations.     

Effect of Children's Perceived Rejection on Physical Aggression

This study investigated whether the perception of self as socially rejected might contribute to increased physical aggression among elementary-school children. It was hypothesized that physically aggressive children would become more physically aggressive over time if they perceived that they were rejected and tended to blame peers for social failure experiences. Third-grade boys and girls (n = 941) were assessed in the Fall and Spring of the school year. Peer-report data on physical aggression and social preference were collected, along with self-report data on perceived rejection and attributions for social failure experiences. Results for boys were consistent with hypotheses, whereas the results for girls revealed a different pattern of relations. These results constitute prospective evidence that children's self-perceptions of social rejection can uniquely influence externalizing behavior. Results are discussed in terms of mechanisms that might mediate the relation between perceived rejection and physical aggression.