Gaining perspectives: A scoping review of research assessing depressive symptoms in athletes

The aim of this review was to 1) describe methodological characteristics of the research that has assessed depressive symptoms in athletes, and 2) to map the variables that have been tested in relation to these symptoms. A review framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) was utilized, and of 6983 records screened, 157 studies were included. Most studies were cross-sectional, with samples including current male and female athletes from multiple sports and levels. Non-athlete comparison groups frequently consisted of student samples. Twenty-eight different depression scales were utilized, of which CES-D, BDI, BDI-II, and the PHQ-9 were most common. The most commonly tested variables in relation to depressive symptoms were identified as proximal (micro- and meso-level) sport-specific (e.g. type of sport) (36.4%) and generic (e.g. sex) (31.5%) factors. Within-individual vulnerabilities (e.g. neurocognitive performance) accounted for 17.2%, while comorbid disorders accounted for 9.3%, and macro-level variables (e.g. ethnicity) for 5% of all observations. Longitudinal studies within specific sports are needed to understand the relative influence of sport-specific and generic factors on depressive symptoms in athletes. Few studies explored sociocultural or macro-level factors, and research concerning within-individual vulnerability is fragmented and needs to be further explored to inform individual-level support and prevention initiatives.     

Appropriating and Re-Appropriating the Arabian Horse for Equestrian Sport: The Complexities of Cultural Transfer

ABSTRACT

For the past few decades a concern with heritage in the countries of the Arab Gulf has led to the reclamation of the purebred Arabian horse as one of the iconic animals of the Bedouin identity and to developing a thriving horse breeding industry in the region. While stud farms and equestrian sport events are intended to reinforce the Arabian identity of the breed, a closer look at its history demonstrate in fact the complexity of its identity. The complexity of cultural transfers with respect to horse breeding between the East and the West from the Early Modern period on, highlights the connected history of both the Arabian horses and the Thoroughbreds, and the ongoing cultural re-appropriation of both breeds as ‘native’ to the Arabian Peninsula.     

Parallel interactive retrieval of item and associative information from event memory

Memory contains information about individual events (items) and combinations of events (associations). Despite the fundamental importance of this distinction, it remains unclear exactly how these two kinds of information are stored and whether different processes are used to retrieve them. We use both model-independent qualitative properties of response dynamics and quantitative modeling of individuals to address these issues. Item and associative information are not independent and they are retrieved concurrently via interacting processes. During retrieval, matching item and associative information mutually facilitate one another to yield an amplified holistic signal. Modeling of individuals suggests that this kind of facilitation between item and associative retrieval is a ubiquitous feature of human memory.     

Designing and evaluating an intelligent augmented reality system for assisting older adults’ medication management

Intelligent Assistive Systems (IASs) provide personalised support to individuals to increase their autonomy and competence in performing activities. The personalisation of such technology represents a particular challenge, for the individuals abilities typically change over time. The aim of this research was to explore a theory-based, activity-centred framework for the development of IASs that both facilitate the active involvement of caregivers and target users and allow for adaptation to the individual over time.Medication management was focused on as a case study. Three older adults and two caregivers were involved in a co-design process of an IAS prototype system, the MED-AR, which uses projection-based augmented reality as the user interface technology. The theoretical framework for the design and evaluation of the MED-AR was activity theory. For the decision-making process of the MED-AR, formal argumentation theory was used. The major contributions of the study are (i) a formal framework for understanding the level of independence in activities and the way an IAS can tailor support to an individual and a situation, including caregivers; and (ii) a model for involving older adults and caregivers in a co-design process in the first phases of developing IASs.     

Self-talk: Review and sport-specific model

Self-talk is a key component of the sport psychology canon. Although self-talk has been widely endorsed by athletes and coaches as a performance enhancement strategy, a comprehensive model of self-talk in sport that might be used to guide systematic research has yet to be developed. This purpose of this paper is to: (a) review theory and research related to self-talk in sport; and (b) present a sport-specific model that builds upon existing theory and research, and addresses key questions related to self-talk. The paper begins with a definition of self-talk, developed with consideration of the discursive nature of inner speech and dual process theories. Extant self-talk models related to self-talk in sport are reviewed and serve as a foundation for a sport-specific model of self-talk. Components of the model (i.e., self-talk, System 1, System 2, behaviour, contextual factors, personal factors) are presented, the reciprocal relationships among model components are explored, and implications of the sport-specific model of self-talk are discussed.