Mental toughness, stemming in part from Loehr’s 1986 classic research, is widely alluded to as a critical variable in the popular media and applied sport psychology. We evaluated the construct validity of responses to Loehr’s (1986) Psychological Performance Inventory (PPI) by 263 student-athletes from an elite sports high school. As confirmatory factor analysis yielded a poor model fit and an improper solution for the a priori model, we pursued exploratory factor analyses that resulted in a 5-factor model that fitted the data well. However, further analyses showed that key correlates of mental toughness were more strongly correlated with the factors based on the original structure than factors based on the alternative structure. In conclusion, neither the original PPI nor the subset of PPI items in the better-fitting alternative model was a sound measure of mental toughness, indicating that a good fit is a necessary but not sufficient condition for construct validation. Good instrumentation must be strong in terms of conceptual/theoretical considerations, psychometric properties, and relationships to key correlates hypothesised to be meaningfully related to it.

This study examined the effects of two 6-week stress-management interventions (cognitive restructuring and modified progressive muscle relaxation) for female athletes (n=47) aged 16 to 51. A general self-efficacy questionnaire, trait anxiety inventory, and coping inventory were administered prior to the start of the training, at post treatment, and at 2-month follow-up. Both treatments significantly reduced trait anxiety and increased self-efficacy at post treatment. These changes were maintained at follow-up. As expected, adaptive coping strategies increased at posttreatement for both groups. Maladaptive coping strategy means were reduced in the expected direction for the cognitive group only from pre-test to follow-up. Limitations of this study and future implications are discussed.

The goals of this study were (1) to examine the influence of visual and kinesthetic imagery on the learning of a patterned movement, (2) to compare the duration of the real movement with the duration of the imagined movement. Thirtytwo subjects participated in the study. They were assigned to one of four treatment groups: a visual model- visual imagery group (VMVI), a kinesthetic model- kinesthetic imagery group (KMKI), a visual model- no imagery group (VIC), and a kinesthetic model- no imagery group (KMC). The participants had to learn to perform a graphic form accurately. Each subject realized twenty acquisition trials. Each trial was comprised of one model presentation, three mental imagery rehearsals of the model or a distractive task, according to the group, and one real performance of the form. We measured the error score for pre, post and retention (after one week) test, and the duration of imagined and real movement. The statistical analyses revealed a significant effect of imagery (visual and kinesthetic) on the performance of the graphic task; there was no significant difference between the two imagery groups in the post test, but the visual imagery group was significantly better than the kinesthetic imagery group in the retention test. The duration of the actual movement was significantly longer than the duration of the imagined movement for the two groups of imagery, but the difference between the duration of imagined and actual movement was very small in the kinesthetic imagery group.

Aim of the study is to evaluate whether intentions toward doping use in adolescents could be predicted by the Theory of Planned Behaviour variables (attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control). Two variables were added to the basic model: past use of ergogenic supplements and a moral disengagement measure. 952 Italian students participated in the study. A multi-group confirmatory approach was considered, testing whether theoretical relations hypothesised in the model were stable across gender and across types of involvement in sport. The model fits the data satisfactorily. Regression coefficients were stable across gender and across different kinds of involvement in sport. All the variables considered significantly predicted intentions. The implications of these empirical findings for programs aimed at preventing doping abuse in adolescence are discussed.

In this survey the Authors have assessed the levels of state anxiety (SA), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and beta-endorphin, 10 minutes before and after a long-distance race (18.500 m) in 15 healthy volunteers, middle-aged long-distance (Mean: 51.53 years old; Range 50-62 years old) with similar sports record, who ussually take part in official competitions.

Trait anxiety (TA) and basal levels of ACTH and beta-endorphin were also determined 15 days before the race. ACTH significantly increased before (p<0.02) and after (p<0.01) the race comparing its values with basaline levels. Similar changes could be observed for beta endorphin related to baseline levels, increasing before the race and afterwards also, although we could only find significant values between basal levels and those measured after competition (p<0.04).

ACTH and beta endorphin response after competition is similar in middle-aged athletes and young ones as others authors reports, being such increase consistent with duration and the type of exercise. The low levels of anxiety before competition could minimize the anticipatory effect in the release of beta-endorphin. For middle-aged athletes, who have been running for many years, the race did not provoke an additional psychological stimulation, as could be observed in their SA levels before the race, since they do not consider this situation as a potentially stressful situation.

This review work aims to offer up-to-date information of the existing publications concerning sport and physical education psychology. It brings together a complete list of authors and bibliographic references published in the English language, concerning sport and physical education psychology, as well as related disciplines, over the past decade. More than 300 references encompassing both scientific and general interest articles, published mainly in USA, Canada, Australia and England.