Ines Pfeffer
University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
OBJECTIVES: Women are more likely to engage in preventive exercise programs than men and this can be explained by sex and gender role self-concept specific motives for sport participation. Two announcements for a preventive resistance training program, targeted behavioral beliefs that are consistent with sex specific motives. These included behavioral beliefs like well-being and weight-control (condition A) and and competence and skill improvement (condition B) which were examined regarding their effects on motivation. It is expected that sex and gender role self-concept will moderate the effect of these behavioral beliefs on attitude and intention to participate. METHOD: Participants (N=312; 158 females; mean age 43.7 years, SD=16.89) were randomly assigned to condition A or condition B. Gender role self-concept was measured using the PAQ in its German translation and motivation was measured within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior. RESULTS: The results imply that gender role self-concept (not sex) moderates the effect of the behavioral beliefs on attitude. No interaction effect was found for intention. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with results demonstrating that gender role self-concept is a good predictor of general sex differences in health-related motivation and behavior. Future studies should investigate how sex and gender role self-concept may affect perceivers reactions to exercise announcements.
Keywords: Gender Role self-concept, Motivation health behavior, Physical Activity, Sex
Louise Kamuk Storm, Henriksen Kristoffer and Christensen Mette Krogh
Institute of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
The Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP) (Côté, Baker, & Abernethy, 2007) outlines two specialization pathways towards elite performance, and these are presented as specific trajectories which any elite athlete’s participation in sport may take. Following a cultural turn in sport psychology, however, we must ask ourselves how culture affects the specialization pathways of elite athletes. This paper argues that specialization pathways are more unique to the individual and more culturally situated than we often acknowledge. The present study is based on in-depth interviews with 17 elite Danish athletes. Results are presented as ‘portraits’ of four types of trajectory that we term Early specialization, Late investment and playful training, Late entry into main sport, and Sampling in playful training. Discussion centres on how the study informs the notion of age cut-off points, sampling, practice and transitions in relation to DMSP and how this is linked to the cultural context.
Keywords: Culture, Playful training. Specialization, Sport expertise. Talent development
Yi-Ju Lee * and Wei-Li Hung **
(*) Graduate School of Earth Science, Chinese Culture University,Taiwan
(**) Department of Leisure and Sport Management, National Taipei University,Taiwan
The main purpose of this study is to explore the mediating effects of perceived benefits between exercise participation and well-being of the elderly. People aged over 60 were interviewed with a questionnaire. A total of 400 valid questionnaires were collected in a number of parks in Taipei. The survey found that the respondents actively participated in a variety of exercises, and their participation rate was very high. The results showed that there was a positive correlation between exercise frequency and well-being, but exercise intensity and well-being were negatively correlated. The structural equation modeling analysis indicated that the mediating effects of perceived benefits were only found between exercise intensity and well-being. The findings suggested that there was an indirect relationship between exercise intensity and well-being. As a result, the elderly are recommended to take exercise which they perceive as beneficial to them.
Keywords: Aging, Exercise frequency, Exercise intensity, Structural equation modeling
Vidar Halldorsson *, Asgeir Helgason ** and Thorolfur Thorlindsson *
(*) University of Iceland
(**) Karolinska Institutet, Sweden and Reykjavik University, Iceland
The aim of the research was to test whether elite-level athletes differ from second- level athletes on socio-psychological measures such as commitment and motivation in relation to their success. Questionnaire data was retrieved from all Icelandic elite athletes at the time of the study (n=50), using non-elite athletes as controls (n=64). The elite athletes scored higher than the control group on all items on the Commitment Rating Scale (CRS) and on most items on The Motive to Achieve Success Scale (MASS). Women tended to score higher than men. Our findings further indicate that athletes seem to attribute their success in sport to socio-psychological attributes rather than physical and innate ones. We argue that in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that shape athletic excellence, future studies will need to address social and psychological factors as well as biological ones.
Keywords: Attitude, Elite athletes commitment, Motivation, Socio-psychological factors
Dave Collins *, Andy Abraham ** and Rosie Collins ***
(*) Institute of Coaching and Performance, University of Central Lancashire/Grey Matters Performance,UK
(**) Carnegie Faculty, Leeds Metropolitan University,UK
(***) University of Roehampton,UK
Just as quality coaching is crucial for performance, so impactful coach development should be a central pillar of a psychologist’s, governing body’s, or even a government’s development plan. Given this importance, and against a backdrop which suggests that many coach development initiatives may lack impact, we consider certain individual characteristics which may act to inhibit, limit or even prevent the impact of coach development programs. Based on theories of learning and knowledge perception, we propose that distinct sub-groups of high level coaches, which we term Vampires and Wolves, hold different views which may facilitate or limit their approach to professional development. We offer preliminary support for this contention through qualitative data which reflect these coaches’ attitudes and behaviors. Finally, we invite comment and debate about how coach development can be best designed to optimally impact on coach and athlete performance.
Keywords: Dualism, Learning, Professional Development Relativism