Understanding obsessive-compulsive personality disorder in adolescence: a dimensional personality perspective

The validity of the Axis II Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) category and its position within the Cluster C personality disorder (PDs) section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV, APA, 2000) continues to be a source of much debate. The present study examines the associations between general and maladaptive personality traits and OCPD symptoms, prior to and after controlling for co-occurring PD variance, in a general population sample of 274 Flemish adolescents and further explores the incremental validity of two different maladaptive trait measures beyond general traits. The results demonstrate that the number of (general and maladaptive) personality-OCPD associations decreases after controlling for a general personality pathology factor, with the FFM factor Conscientiousness and its maladaptive counterpart Compulsivity as remaining correlates of OCPD. The findings further suggest to complement the general NEO-PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992) scales with more maladaptive items to enable a more comprehensive description of personality pathology variance. Implications for understanding and assessing OCPD in the developmental context of adolescence are discussed

Why do sport coaches adopt a controlling coaching style? The role of an evaluative context and psychological need frustration

In this study, involving 585 youth sport coaches (Mage = 35.76), we investigated whether coaches who perceive their environment to be highly evaluative would report acting in a more controlling or pressuring way. In a subsample (N = 211, Mage = 38.14), we examined the explanatory role of coaches’ experiences of psychological need frustration in this relation. We also considered whether years of coaching experience would serve as a buffer against the adverse effects of an evaluative context. In line with the tenets of Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017), results of structural equation modeling indicated that an evaluative context related to the use of a more controlling coaching style, with experiences of need frustration accounting for this relation. Coaching experience did not play any moderating role, suggesting that even more experienced coaches are vulnerable to the harmful correlates of an evaluative sport context

Examining the longitudinal association between oppositional defiance and autonomy in adolescence

In this longitudinal study, we tested whether the association between oppositional defiance to parental authority (i.e., adolescents' tendency to bluntly reject parental rules) and autonomy would depend upon the specific conceptualization of autonomy. Whereas oppositional defiance would yield more interpersonal distance from parents, because it involves turning away from parental authority, it would also yield less volitional functioning, as oppositional defiance would come at the expense of acting upon one's personal values and interests. A sample of 387 middle and late adolescents (age range = 14-20 years at Time 1) filled out questionnaires at 2 time points, separated by a 2-year interval. With increasing age, adolescents reported less oppositional defiance and more volitional functioning. Late adolescents in particular reported less interpersonal distance from their parents. Cross-lagged analyses indicated that oppositional defiance predicted increases in interpersonal distance as well as decreases in volitional functioning across time. Conversely, higher scores on volitional functioning predicted decreases in oppositional defiance. These findings emphasize the necessity of a differentiated approach to autonomy

Identifying motivational profiles among VET students : differences in self-efficacy, test anxiety and perceived motivating teaching

There are indicators that a substantial number of students in vocational education and training (VET) experience problems with successfully building their careers. This is often attributed to VET students’ motivation. The present study provides insight into VET students’ motivational profiles based on self- determination theory. Additionally, differences between those motivational profiles in terms of self-efficacy, test anxiety and perception of motivating teaching were investigated. The study involved 195 VET students, from one VET college in the Netherlands. Using latent profile analyses, four motiva- tional profiles were identified that differed with respect to quality and quantity of motivation. Profiles with higher quality (25%) and higher quantity (27%) of motivation were related to higher levels of self-efficacy and perceived motivating teaching compared to profiles with low quantity (7%) or low quality (41%) of motivation. Furthermore, students in the profile with high-quality motivation reported the lowest levels of test anxi- ety. Additionally, our findings suggest there is indeed a relatively large group of VET students (48%) who actually experience motivational problems. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed

Extracurricular school-based sports participation and the relationship with physical activity and motivation towards sports

Introduction The purposes of this study were to evaluate whether students, who participate in extracurricular school sports compared to those who do not, (1) are more autonomously or controlled motivated, or amotivated to participate in sports; (2) participate more or less in organized sports and; (3) are more or less physically active in daily life. Methods One thousand forty-nine children (53.7% boys; M age = 11.02 years) from 30 elementary schools and 1526 adolescents (48.0% boys; M age = 15.34 years) from 32 secondary schools, completed validated questionnaires to assess physical activity and extracurricular school sports participation [1]; and motivation towards sports [2]. The concept of motivation was approached from the perspective of Self-Determination Theory [3]. Results Seventy-six percent of elementary school children and 28% of secondary school adolescents reported to participate in extracurricular school sports during the current school year. Most elementary school children (64.91%) not participating in community sports and 19.7% of the adolescents not participating in community sports, stated to participate in extracurricular school sports. Within the entire sample, participants were significantly more physically active than non-participants (ˇ = 153.48). Elementary school boys engaging in extracurricular school sports but not in community sports were furthermore significantly more autonomously motivated towards sports than boys not engaging in community or extracurricular school sports (ˇ = 0.58). Adolescents participating in extracurricular school sports reported overall higher levels of autonomous motivation than their peers (ˇ = 0.18). Conclusions If extracurricular school sports are offered at school, the vast majority of children and a small minority of adolescents participates. As participants of all ages are more physically active than their non-participating counterparts, extracurricular school sports participation can be considered to contribute to an active lifestyle. Furthermore, for a considerable amount of students, extracurricular school sport participation is positively related to autonomous motivation towards sports

Extracurricular school-based sports as a motivating vehicle for sports participation in youth : a cross-sectional study

Background: Extracurricular school-based sports are considered to be an ideal means of reaching children who are not active in community sports. The purposes of this study were to examine the extent to which pupils not engaging in community sports do participate in extracurricular school-based sports, and to assess whether extracurricular school-based sports participants are more physically active and/or more autonomously motivated towards sports in daily life than children who do not participate in extracurricular school-based sports. Methods: One thousand forty-nine children (53.7% boys; M age = 11.02 years, SD = 0.02) out of 60 classes from 30 Flemish elementary schools, with an extracurricular school-based sports offer, completed validated questionnaires to assess physical activity (Flemish Physical Activity Questionnaire) and motivation (Behavioral Regulations in Physical Education Questionnaire). Multilevel regression analyses were conducted to examine the data generated from these questionnaires. Results: More than three quarters of the children (76%) reported participating in extracurricular school-based sports during the current school year and 73% reported engaging in organized community sports. Almost two third of the children (65%) not participating in community sports stated that they did participate in extracurricular school-based sports. Extracurricular school-based sports participants were significantly more physically active than children not participating in extracurricular school-based sports (beta = 157.62, p < 0.001). Significant three-way interactions (sex x extracurricular school-based sports participation x community sports participation) were found for autonomous motivation, with boys engaging in extracurricular school-based sports but not in community sports being significantly more autonomously motivated towards sports than boys not engaging in community or extracurricular school-based sports (beta = 0.58, p = 0.003). Such differences were not noted among girls. Conclusions: If extracurricular school-based sports are offered at school, the vast majority of elementary school children participate. Although extracurricular school-based sports attract many children already engaging in community sports, they also reach almost two third of the children who do not participate in community sports but who might also be optimally motivated towards sports. As children participating in extracurricular school-based sports are more physically active than children who do not participate, extracurricular school-based sports participation can be considered to contribute to an active lifestyle for these participating children

Fostering student engagement with motivating teaching : an observation study of teacher and student behaviours

Given the importance of student engagement for students' current and future success, it is essential to explore how teachers can foster student engagement within lessons. This study relied on classroom observations to describe how teachers applied Self-Determination Theory (SDT) related (de)motivating teaching behaviours to foster students' engagement. Results from 120 observed lessons of 43 teachers indicated there were distinct relations between motivating teaching behaviours and student engagement. Most striking regarding the use of motivating teaching behaviours were the higher levels of relatedness support and guidance during activities in lessons in which students showed the highest levels of engagement. Conversely, in lessons where students were least engaged, teachers showed higher levels of chaotic teaching behaviours. Analyses of behaviours within lowly and highly engaging lessons showed that teachers in highly engaging lessons were observed to start with high levels of enthusiasm and after about ten to fifteen minutes focused on activating their students by offering room for experimenting and support while students worked on assignments. In contrast, teachers in lowly engaging lessons seemed to have a tendency to employ demotivating teaching behaviour at the start of the lesson. Implications and directions for future research are discussed

The role of task and ego-oriented climate in explaining students’ bright and dark motivational experiences in Physical Education

Background: A distinction is made in Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) between task-oriented (i.e. effort, intra-individual progress, and self-comparison) and ego-oriented (i.e. inter-individual progress and normative comparison) climates. Combining insights from AGT and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), studies in the PE context have shown that a task-oriented climate positively relates to need satisfaction, although the findings regarding the motivating role of an ego-oriented climate are inconsistent. Moreover, little is known about the role of task- or ego-oriented climates in explaining experiences of basic psychological need frustration. Purpose: Grounded in AGT and SDT, the aim of the present study was to examine if experiences of basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration can explain why task- and ego-oriented climates elicit positive and negative motivational outcomes in PE, respectively. Research design: Cross-sectional study. Method: A sample of 524 secondary school students (51.1% boys, M age = 14.51; SD = 1.81) from five different secondary schools participated in this study. Students reported on their perceptions of task- and ego-oriented climates, motivational regulations, basic psychological need satisfaction, and need frustration, as well as positive and negative outcomes in PE. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate our objective. Results: We found that a task-oriented climate had a strong and positive relationship with basic psychological need satisfaction, eliciting a bright pathway to autonomous motivation and affective attitude. An ego-oriented climate was positively related to basic psychological need frustration, eliciting a dark pathway to amotivation and boredom. A negative cross-path from task-oriented climate to basic psychological need frustration was also found, while no significant cross-paths were found from ego-oriented climate to basic psychological need satisfaction. Conclusions: This study provides a better understanding of the mechanisms that explain why task- and ego-oriented climates shape students’ motivational experiences in PE lessons. It is suggested that a task-oriented climate elicits a bright pathway towards more optimal functioning, because it fosters experiences of need satisfaction and buffers against experiences of need frustration. In contrast, an ego-oriented climate is primarily positively related to feelings of need frustration and negative motivational outcomes. Practical implications for PE teacher training are discussed

The effects of feedback valence and style on need satisfaction, self-talk, and perseverance among tennis players : an experimental study

Grounded in self-determination theory, this experimental study examined whether the valence (ire., positive vs. negative) and style (i.e., autonomy-supportive vs. controlling) of normative feedback impact the self-talk, motivational experiences (i.e., psychological need satisfaction and enjoyment), and behavioral functioning (i.e., perseverance and performance) of tennis players (N = 120; M-age = 24.50 +/- 9.86 years). Positive feedback and an autonomy-supportive style positively influenced players' enjoyment and perseverance, with psychological need satisfaction and self-talk playing an intervening role. While positive feedback yielded its beneficial effect via greater competence satisfaction and decreased negative self-talk, the beneficial impact of an autonomy-supportive communication style was explained via greater autonomy satisfaction