Eye quietness and quiet eye in expert and novice golf performance: an electrooculographic analysis

Quiet eye (QE) is the final ocular fixation on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting). Camerabased eye-tracking studies have consistently found longer QE durations in experts than novices; however, mechanisms underlying QE are not known. To offer a new perspective we examined the feasibility of measuring the QE using electrooculography (EOG) and developed an index to assess ocular activity across time: eye quietness (EQ). Ten expert and ten novice golfers putted 60 balls to a 2.4 m distant hole. Horizontal EOG (2ms resolution) was recorded from two electrodes placed on the outer sides of the eyes. QE duration was measured using a EOG voltage threshold and comprised the sum of the pre-movement and post-movement initiation components. EQ was computed as the standard deviation of the EOG in 0.5 s bins from –4 to +2 s, relative to backswing initiation: lower values indicate less movement of the eyes, hence greater quietness. Finally, we measured club-ball address and swing durations. T-tests showed that total QE did not differ between groups (p = .31); however, experts had marginally shorter pre-movement QE (p = .08) and longer post-movement QE (p < .001) than novices. A group × time ANOVA revealed that experts had less EQ before backswing initiation and greater EQ after backswing initiation (p = .002). QE durations were inversely correlated with EQ from –1.5 to 1 s (rs = –.48 - –.90, ps = .03 - .001). Experts had longer swing durations than novices (p = .01) and, importantly, swing durations correlated positively with post-movement QE (r = .52, p = .02) and negatively with EQ from 0.5 to 1s (r = –.63, p = .003). This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring ocular activity using EOG and validates EQ as an index of ocular activity. Its findings challenge the dominant perspective on QE and provide new evidence that expert-novice differences in ocular activity may reflect differences in the kinematics of how experts and novices execute skills

Mediating effects of parents’ coping strategies on the relationship between parents’ emotional intelligence and sideline verbal behaviors in youth soccer

The overall purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of parents’ coping strategies on the relationship between parents’ emotional intelligence and sideline verbal behaviors during their children’s soccer games. Participants were 232 parents (120 mothers and 110 fathers) of youth soccer players age 9–13 years. Observations in situ were carried out at 30 soccer games during a soccer tournament. At the end of the game, parents were approached and asked to complete the Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Brief COPE scale. Structural-equation-modeling analyses revealed that adaptive and maladaptive coping mediated the relationship between regulation of emotion and parents’ praise/encouragement, and negative and derogatory comments during the game. In addition, game result moderated the relationships between emotional intelligence, coping strategies, and parent behaviors. Emotional regulation and adaptive coping may promote desirable parent sideline behaviors and reduce undesirable behaviors

Design and Instantiation of an Interactive Multidimensional Ontology for Game Design Elements – a Design and Behavioral Approach

While games and play are commonly perceived as leisure tools, focus on the strategic implementation of isolated gameful elements outside of games has risen in recent years under the term gamification. Given their ease of implementation and impact in competitive games, a small set of game design elements, namely points, badges, and leaderboards, initially dominated research and practice. However, these elements reflect only a small group of components that game designers use to achieve positive outcomes in their systems. Current research has shifted towards focusing on the game design process instead of the isolated implementation of single elements under the term gameful design. But the problem of a tendency toward a monocultural selection of prominent design elements persists in-game and gameful design, preventing the method from reaching its full potential. This dissertation addresses this problem by designing and developing a digital, interactive game design element ontology that scholars and practitioners can use to make more informed and inspired decisions in creating gameful solutions to their problems. The first part of this work is concerned with the collation and development of the digital ontology. First, two datasets were collated from game design and gamification literature (game design elements and playing motivations). Next, four explorative studies were conducted to add user-relevant metadata and connect their items into an ontological structure. The first two studies use card sorting to assess game theory frameworks regarding their suitability as foundational categories for the game design element dataset and to gain an overview of different viewpoints from which categorizations can be derived. The second set of studies builds on an explorative method of matching dataset entries via their descriptive keywords to arrive at a connected graph. The first of these studies connects items of the playing motivations dataset with themselves, while the second connects them with an additional dataset of human needs. The first part closes with the documentation of the design and development of the tool Kubun, reporting on the outcome of its evaluation via iterative expert interviews and a field study. The results suggest that the tool serves its preset goals of affording intuitive browsing for dedicated searches and serendipitous findings. While the first part of this work reports on the top-down development process of the ontology and related navigation tool, the second part presents an in-depth research of specific learning-oriented game design elements to complement the overall research goal through a complementary bottom-up approach. Therein, two studies on learning-oriented game design elements are reported regarding their effect on performance, long-term learning outcome, and knowledge transfer. The studies are conducted with a game dedicated to teaching correct waste sorting. The first study focuses on a reward-based game design element in terms of its motivatory effect on perfect play. The second study evaluates two learning-enhancing game design elements, repeat, and look-up, in terms of their contribution to a long-term learning outcome. The comprehensive insights gained through the in-depth research manifest in the design of a module dedicated to reporting research outcomes in the ontology. The dissertation concludes with a discussion on the studies’ varying limitations and an outlook on pathways for future research

Deviancy as social problem: the answers of psychology [La devianza come problema sociale: le risposte della psicologia]

Scopo: Il comportamento deviante è tale in quanto infrange una serie di norme sociali più o meno consapevolmente riconosciute dai più. Scopo dello studio è descrivere e analizzare le caratteristiche di tale comportamento. Materiali e metodi: Si è tentato di individuare le cause della devianza in un rapporto complesso con le figure genitoriali, con l’Autorità generalmente intesa, con i Gruppi sociali che detengono il Potere ecc. valutando teorie a partire dalla psicoanalisi fino alla più recente sociologia. Risultati e conclusioni: Pur ammettendo la possibile presenza di un certo tipo di disturbi di personalità nella struttura psichica del deviante, non si può non puntare l’attenzione sulle metodiche che le varie società utilizzano per l’integrazione dei cittadini, soprattutto nelle agenzie fondamentali preposte all’educazione del minore: famiglia e scuola. Metodi didattici all’avanguardia, che senz’altro forniscano al discente griglie comportamentali e regole di condotta, che però al tempo stesso non dimentichino la dimensione fondamentale del gioco, dello svago e della ricerca personale, sono da incentivare fortemente. Con la consapevolezza che, nel bambino e nell’adolescente, “trasgredire” determinate regole con coscienza critica e capacità di discernimento, aiuta a formare un cittadino consapevole, responsabile e rivolto all’innovazione di paradigmi comportamentali spesso datati e inadeguati, anche se comunemente accettati con passività dai più.Scope: Deviant behaviour is the one that breaks those rules most people regard as social. The study describes and analyzes the characteristics of this behavior. Materials and Methods: Psychology and also the latest Sociological Theories have tried to find the causes of deviance in the complex and difficult relationship with parental figures, with Authority in general, with the Part of society that holds Power etc. Results and Conclusions: While admitting the possible presence of some kinds of personality disorders in the deviant’s psychic structure we cannot avoid focusing on the methodologies used for the integration of citizen above all in those fundamental units in charge of minors’ education: Family and School. Advanced teaching methods which can provide behavioural models and rules are to be strongly encouraged, without forgetting the essential dimension of playing, of research and also of individual personal growth. Nevertheless we must be aware that ‘breaking’ the rules with a sense of responsibility and discernment helps a young man to grow informed and responsible, able to renew his behavioural patterns often dated and deficient albeit mainly passively accepted

Stealth Assessment

An approach to performance-based assessments that embeds assessments in digital games in order to measure how students are progressing toward targeted goals.To succeed in today's interconnected and complex world, workers need to be able to think systemically, creatively, and critically. Equipping K-16 students with these twenty-first-century competencies requires new thinking not only about what should be taught in school but also about how to develop valid assessments to measure and support these competencies. In Stealth Assessment, Valerie Shute and Matthew Ventura investigate an approach that embeds performance-based assessments in digital games. They argue that using well-designed games as vehicles to assess and support learning will help combat students' growing disengagement from school, provide dynamic and ongoing measures of learning processes and outcomes, and offer students opportunities to apply such complex competencies as creativity, problem solving, persistence, and collaboration. Embedding assessments within games provides a way to monitor players' progress toward targeted competencies and to use that information to support learning.Shute and Ventura discuss problems with such traditional assessment methods as multiple-choice questions, review evidence relating to digital games and learning, and illustrate the stealth-assessment approach with a set of assessments they are developing and embedding in the digital game Newton's Playground. These stealth assessments are intended to measure levels of creativity, persistence, and conceptual understanding of Newtonian physics during game play. Finally, they consider future research directions related to stealth assessment in education

Source of Stress in Sport: A Rasch Calibration

The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of a stress in sport inventory by determining optimal categorization and model-data fit, and calibrate the sources of stress items associated with individual and team sport athletes using Rasch modeling. The study examines the intensity level of various sources of acute stress experienced by competitive athletes. The Sources of Stress in Sport Inventory (SSSI) was generated to measure intensity level of perceived stress in sport. A total of 336 college-aged males (N=167) and females (N=169) who previously competed in high school or college sports participated. Function of the rating scale was tested to determine if the 5 original rating scale categories were the best fit. Intensity levels of stress items for the athletes were analyzed. The existing 5 rating scale categories functioned well. The top three items of intense acute stress were making a physical or mental error (logits= -0.56), being injured and playing in pain (logits= -0.35), and receiving a bad or unfair call from the referee/umpire (logits= -0.25). Results support SSSI as an effective scale assessing acute stress in sport among college students. Researchers must continue to understand the sources of stress in sport among athletes using effective inventories so that coaches and health educators can address effective coping and stress management mechanisms and healthy behavioral changes

There\u27s No Good, It\u27s Just Satisfactory : Perfectionistic Reactivity in NCAA Student-Athletes

Perfectionistic reactivity is a style of responding to adversity that results in physical, psychological, and social components. Individuals who are high in perfectionistic tendencies are likely to experience anxiety, depression, frustration, and anger when perfection is not attained. The present dissertation utilized two complementary studies to examine perfectionistic reactivity in NCAA golf student-athletes. Results suggested that there is no relationship between perfectionism and performance at a hole-to-hole level. However, athletes highlighted that they experienced reactivity in their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors after both positive and negative performances. Student-athletes frequently cited self-compassion in their interviews, suggesting that the promotion of self-compassion may be a fruitful intervention method to aid athletes in their relationship with perfectionism and reactivity

Factors That Influence Community College Student Perceptions Of Their Instruction Following Behaviors In Online Courses

Enrollments in online courses offered in community colleges have sharply increased over the past decade. At the same time, it appears there is a growing trend toward community college students displaying a tendency to incorrectly and/or incompletely read and follow instructions in online courses. The ability to follow instructions has a direct impact on the success of students in online classes. This study examined factors that influence community college student perceptions of their instruction following behaviors in online courses using self-regulated learning as the theoretical framework. Participants were 102 students enrolled in general education online courses at a Great Plains community college. The survey collected demographic information related to gender, year in school, age, grade point average, educational funding, parental involvement, living accommodations, employment status, the number of college credits in which the student was enrolled, whether the majority of the student’s K-12 education was completed in a rural or urban environment, and the amount of non-academic screen time spent by the student per day. The independent variables chosen from those demographics were age, grade point average, the parental involvement, whether the majority of the student’s K-12 education was completed in a rural or urban environment, and the amount of non-academic screen time spent by the student per day. The dependent variables selected measured student perceptions of barriers to online learning, behaviors toward reading instructions, and possible solutions to barriers. In addition, the survey also included student perceptions of their levels of perfectionism. Results indicated that among all demographics studied, there was a low level of agreement that participants experienced barriers to online learning, a high level of agreement that participants demonstrated successful behaviors in online learning, a high level of agreement for solutions to barriers to online learning, and a moderate level of agreement for participants’ levels of perfectionism. Results also indicate that it is not necessary to have separate interventions among students in the independent variable categories

FACTOR ANALYSIS OF SUICIDAL RISK AND PROTECTIVE MECHANISMS OF PEDAGOGICAL STUDENTS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Background: The study aims to identify the underlying causes, risks and protection factors in the field of suicidal behavior among pedagogical students to understand and reduce the prevalence of victimization and suicide in the education system. Subject and methods: The analysis of suicidal risk factors and protective mechanisms among pedagogical students is carried out based on the results of psychological testing, correlation and factor analysis. Results: Results of the study show that the following two factors greatly influence suicidal behavior among pedagogical students. nes indicators of destructive personality of students, leading to s o- combines indicators of disharmonious upbringing and disharmonious relationships with the immediate environment. Moreover, in stressful situations, mos -constructive strategies of the protective mechanisms mechanisms. Conclusions: It is found that the suicidal factors, characteristic for pedagogical students, do not differ from the suicidal factors characteristic for students from other specialties. These factors affect a large number of pedagogical students (41.5%). There might be several risk factors at once, which increases the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and actions. The results of the study can be used to predict and prevent suicidal behavior among pedagogical students and increase the effectiveness of the psychological services of universities

Should Minor League Mean Minor Pay: A Student Analysis of the Public Debate

Historically, and at the time of this study’s project, many minor league baseball players in the United States were paid below the federal minimum wage, which has been recently circulating in the media and has been a source of ongoing controversy (McDaniel, 2022). This article is a write-up to the first author’s end-of-term course project, which was supervised by the second author. The objective of the present study was to perform a historical and philosophical analysis of the public debate on minor league pay as well as describe ethical arguments within the debate. This should guide future debates on labor rights and fairness within sport, including professional leagues. Methods for a single-artifact descriptive case study (March 2021) were used to describe opposing views on the issue of minor league pay in baseball, which were then analyzed using historical and philosophical perspectives. The case study material was a 2019 popular press article of journalism covering both sides of the debate. Two modes of qualitative research were used: qualitative critical analysis and discourse analysis. Qualitative critical analysis entailed comparing discourse within the case article to information within one peer-reviewed research article, which presented historical and jurisprudence discourse and research on why Major League Baseball team-owners have been allowed to legally pay minor league players below the federal minimum wage cut-point. Fourteen parsimonious concepts from one undergraduate course on physical activity perspectives were used to describe and analyze data extracted vis-à-vis the qualitative critical analysis, followed by a discourse analysis of the extracted data. We discuss the study results, then present recommendations for future research. We conclude with a reflection from the first author about her project experience