A strengths-based consultancy approach in elite sport : exploring super strengths.

There is a lack of literature documenting strengths-based approaches in sport psychology. This study explored how a super-strengths approach has been implemented by sport psychologists (n = 7) and coaches (n = 8), with UK elite athletes. Findings were categorized into 3 general dimensions: defining super-strengths, identification methods, and phases of development. Super-strengths were defined as a strategy for performance, utilizing a potential world’s-best resource to gain a competitive edge. Identification methods were subjective (e.g., asking/observing athletes) and objective (e.g., performance analysis). Participants emphasized 3 development phases: preparation, adaptation and monitoring. Findings offer considerations for implementing a strengths-based approach and future research

Being fluent and keeping looking

The complexities of the many concepts and models around information literacy are considered, and some personal views given as to how they may best be clarified, both theoretically and practically. A slightly adapted idea of the concept of information fluency can serve as a main general purpose for the promotion of information literacy, expressed as a more specific meta-model for the prevailing technological environment, and as still more specific components for a particular context. The focus of this relatively stable general formulation is on understanding, rather than skills or competences. It can incorporate the need for education, advice and counseling, as well as information provision, and with domain-specific literacies, as well as supporting personal information literacy

Perceptions of Engaging with a Super-Strengths Approach in Elite Sport

Strengths-based approaches (underpinned by positive psychology) are scarcely documented in sport. This study explored perceptions of a strengths-based approach (termed super-strengths) on psychological characteristics and performance in elite sport. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with athletes (N=12) who had previous experience of working with a sport psychology practitioner on super-strengths. Thematic analysis of the data (Braun & Clarke, 2006) indicated that super-strengths had a positive influence on athletes’ mind-set, confidence (e.g., self-belief), clarity of purpose (e.g., goal direction), drive, coping ability, and performance. Findings highlight the potential benefits of adopting strengths-based approaches in sport, and recommendations for future research are provided. Key words: positive, performance psychology, confidence, elite sport

A Strengths-Based Consultancy Approach In Elite Sport : Exploring Super Strengths.

There is a lack of literature documenting strengths-based approaches in sport psychology. This study explored how a super-strengths approach has been implemented by sport psychologists (n = 7) and coaches (n = 8), with UK elite athletes. Findings were categorized into 3 general dimensions: defining super-strengths, identification methods, and phases of development. Super-strengths were defined as a strategy for performance, utilizing a potential world’s-best resource to gain a competitive edge. Identification methods were subjective (e.g., asking/observing athletes) and objective (e.g., performance analysis). Participants emphasized 3 development phases: preparation, adaptation and monitoring. Findings offer considerations for implementing a strengths-based approach and future research

Rods Near Curved Surfaces and in Curved Boxes

We consider an ideal gas of infinitely rigid rods near a perfectly repulsive wall, and show that the interfacial tension of a surface with rods on one side is lower when the surface bends towards the rods. Surprisingly we find that rods on both sides of surfaces also lower the energy when the surface bends. We compute the partition functions of rods confined to spherical and cylindrical open shells, and conclude that spherical shells repel rods, whereas cylindrical shells (for thickness of the shell on the order of the rod-length) attract them. The role of flexibility is investigated by considering chains composed of two rigid segments.Comment: 39 pages including figures and tables. 12 eps figures. LaTeX with REVTe

Hierarchical spin-orbital polarisation of a giant Rashba system

The Rashba effect is one of the most striking manifestations of spin-orbit coupling in solids, and provides a cornerstone for the burgeoning field of semiconductor spintronics. It is typically assumed to manifest as a momentum-dependent splitting of a single initially spin-degenerate band into two branches with opposite spin polarisation. Here, combining polarisation-dependent and resonant angle-resolved photoemission measurements with density-functional theory calculations, we show that the two "spin-split" branches of the model giant Rashba system BiTeI additionally develop disparate orbital textures, each of which is coupled to a distinct spin configuration. This necessitates a re-interpretation of spin splitting in Rashba-like systems, and opens new possibilities for controlling spin polarisation through the orbital sector.Comment: 11 pages including supplemental figures, accepted for publication at Science Advance

Membranes in rod solutions: a system with spontaneously broken symmetry

We consider a dilute solution of infinitely rigid rods near a curved, perfectly repulsive surface and study the contribution of the rod depletion layer to the bending elastic constants of membranes. We find that a spontaneous curvature state can be induced by exposure of BOTH sides of the membrane to a rod solution. A similar result applies for rigid disks with a diameter equal to the rod's length. We also study the confinement of rods in spherical and cylindrical repulsive shells. This helps elucidate a recent discussion on curvature effects in confined quantum mechanical and polymer systems.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, 1 table; submitted to PR

"The dearest of our possessions": applying Floridi's information privacy concept in models of information behavior and information literacy

This conceptual paper argues for the value of an approach to privacy in the digital information environment informed by Luciano Floridi's philosophy of information and information ethics. This approach involves achieving informational privacy, through the features of anonymity and obscurity, through an optimal balance of ontological frictions. This approach may be used to modify models for information behavior and for information literacy, giving them a fuller and more effective coverage of privacy issues in the infosphere. For information behavior, the Information Seeking and Communication Model, and the Information Grounds conception, are most appropriate for this purpose. For information literacy, the metaliteracy model, using a modification a privacy literacy framework, is most suitable