To investigate the endocrine response (ACTH and beta-endorphin) to scuba diving in the open sea, in individuals with different levels of training.

Materials and methods: Samples of blood and urine were obtained from two groups of divers: E1 (n=6) had over 4 years’ experience, with frequent dives below 35 m; E2 (n=6) had 3 years’ experience or less and had not dived below 15 m. A sedentary control group (n=11), who did not practice sports, was evaluated to establish basal measurements. The test consisted of submersion in the open sea to a depth of 25m (3.5 ATA).

Results: In E1, there was a presubmersion increase in plasma levels of ACTH and beta-endorphin (p<0.05) and a significant decrease after the test. In E2, levels of these hormones were significantly higher after submersion (p<0.05).

Discussion: These changes are related to an anticipation phenomenon in the E1 group, in which adaptive mechanisms to hyperbaric submersion come into play, due to their greater experience than the E2 group. The submersion itself did not present an additional stimulus for the members of the E1 group, which explains the fall in hormone levels observed after the test.

In this work the authors observe how sailing is a particularly interesting sport from a psychological point of view. The most appreciated qualities in a sailor are his ability to access the weather variables, the conditions of the sea and the currents and his decision-making ability. Moreover the boat becomes a micro-society where an individual cannot ignore the others and the relationship cannot be superficial. Beside the authors examine the optimum psychological support especially for top level sailors.

Influence of health beliefs on practice of organized sports and moderate to vigorous physical activity was examined by barriers and benefits scales and "Three-days record" of Bouchard in 95 children aged to 9-16 years and theirs mothers and fathers (n = 171).

Psychological characteristics of girls seem more linked to physical and sport activity involvement than those of boys, and children of 3 age groups. No correlation appears between moderate to vigorous physical activities and barriers and benefits in all groups. In parents, numerous correlations appear. Indeed, physical and sport activities of fathers and mothers are linked to perceived barriers and benefits.

Little correlation exists between moderate to vigorous physical activities and these dimensions. Moderate to vigorous physical activities and physical and sport activities are not comparable. Health beliefs influence practice of sport more than moderate to vigorous physical activity composed of spontaneous physical activity. Moreover, no correlation exists between parental and children perceived barriers and correlations between parental and children perceived benefits are weak.

The purpose of this study was to develop and examine a valid and reliable instrument to measure coaching confidence. The process for developing a reliable and valid Coaching Confidence Scale (CCS) contained three stages. Phase 1 of this study supported a multidimensional construct of coaching confidence. The CCS was found to have three factors: technique confidence, interpersonal confidence, and competition confidence. Each factor had strong internal consistency and provided adequate control of the social desirability response bias. Phase 2 supported the concurrent validity of the CCS for the self-esteem construct. In addition, a significant positive relationship emerged between internal locus of control and technique confidence and a significant negative relationship emerged between interpersonal confidence and anxiety. Phase 3 provided partial support for the relationships between coaching confidence and its antecedent and consequent variables, providing some evidence of construct validity for the CCS.

This research examined the mediating role of cognitive variables: self-regulation, confidence-efficacy, attention-concentration, willingness to engage and use of strategies between the learning environment and physical activity intention. The participants, age 12-18 years (N = 944), completed the Cognitive Processes Questionnaire in Physical Education (CPQPE) (Solmon & Lee, 1997), the learning orientation subscales from the Learning and Performance Orientation in Physical Education Classes Questionnaire (LAPOPECQ, Papaioannou, 1994) and physical activity intention scale developed for this study. The results of the factor analyses for the originally two learning-oriented subscales indicated the existence of four-factor structure: teacher-initiated knowledge of performance improvement, student’s satisfaction with teaching methods, student’s feelings about teachers´ satisfaction with their learning and students´ wishes to make an effort and feel enjoyment. The path model revealed that self-regulation and use of strategies were the most important mediators between the perceived learning oriented climate and physical activity intention.

This study compared the interactions of coaches and athletes in three highly different contexts. Coaches and athletes’ strategies were explored through observation and qualitative interviews, then processed regarding what was at stake in their interactions and the resources they respectively possessed. Qualitative data analysis showed that strategies respectively adopted by coaches and athletes in the three contexts were similar to the collective activity labelled “tacit cooperation” in organizational psychology. Financial, political and symbolic stakes were proposed as arguments explaining these similarities.