Temporal relations among multidimensional perceptions of competence and trichotomous achievement goal adoption in physical education

This article was published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise [© Elsevier Ltd]. The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.04.007Objectives: The purpose of the present study was two-fold: (1) To empirically establish whether young people differentiate their perceived competence in physical education (PE) in terms of the self, mastery of tasks, and others, and (2) To examine longitudinal relations between these three ways of defining perceived competence and trichotomous achievement goals. Methods: At the start of the study, students (n = 227 males, n = 205 females; M age = 13.18, SD =.87 years) completed measures of mastery-approach, performance-approach- and performance-avoidance goals, along with other-, self- and mastery-referent forms of perceived competence. The same measures were subsequently recorded three, six and nine months later. Results: Analyses supported longitudinal factorial invariance for each goal and each type of perceived competence. Partial support was found for the positive influence of other-referent perceived competence on approach- and avoidance-performance goal adoption over time. Conclusion: Young people can construe their competence in PE in various ways. Relative to one’s classmates, increases in other-referenced perceptions of competence can subsequently lead to increased adoption of both performance goals

Motivational climate interventions in school based physical education: A meta Analysis

This article was published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise [© Elsevier Ltd]. The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.06.005Objective: The purpose of this study was to synthesize findings from motivational climate interventions employing Ames (1992a, 1992b) and Epstein’s (1988, 1989) TARGET framework within school-based physical education contexts. Design: The present study employed a quantitative research synthesis design. Meta-analysis uses empirical studies to summarize past research by drawing overall conclusions from separate investigations. This research design highlights important and unsolved issues related to motivational climate interventions within physical education. Methods: Standard meta-analytic procedures incorporating inclusion and exclusion criteria, literature search, coding procedures, and statistical methods were used to identify and synthesize 22 studies with 24 independent samples. Cohen’s (1988) criteria for effect sizes were used to interpret and evaluate results. Results: There was an overall small positive treatment effect (g ¼ 0.103) for groups exposed to mastery motivational climates. Outcome analyses identified the most consistent and largest overall treatment effects for behavioral outcomes (g ¼ 0.39e0.49) followed by affective outcomes (g¼ 0.27 to 0.59) and cognitive outcomes (g¼ 0.25 to 0.32). Moderator analyses were directed by study heterogeneity and identified several trends in intervention features and study features with the most substantial trend for participant features as elementary students had the largest overall treatment effect (g¼ 0.41). Conclusions: Outcome and moderator analyses identified several trends in methodological features, participant features, and study features that should be addressed in future physical education motivational climate interventions

Individual-level change in achievement goals in physical education

We examined different methods of assessing individual-level stability and change in goal adoption within the context of school physical education (PE) over the transition from primary to secondary school and between school years in Key Stage 3. We assessed whether implicit theories of ability and gender were associated with individual-level change and ipsative continuity. Data from two longitudinal samples in which pupils completed self-reports of achievement goal adoption and implicit theories of ability are presented. Across both samples there was evidence of both goal stability and change across the key transition periods and some evidence for the role of implicit theories of ability in goal stability and change at the individual-level. Pupil gender was not associated with stability and change in goals in a consistent manner. Implications for future research are discussed

High Glucose Attenuates Shear-Induced Changes in Endothelial Hydraulic Conductivity by Degrading the Glycocalyx

Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, the mechanisms through which diabetes impairs homeostasis of the vasculature have not been completely elucidated. The endothelium interacts with circulating blood through the surface glycocalyx layer, which serves as a mechanosensor/transducer of fluid shear forces leading to biomolecular responses. Atherosclerosis localizes typically in regions of low or disturbed shear stress, but in diabetics, the distribution is more diffuse, suggesting that there is a fundamental difference in the way cells sense shear forces. In the present study, we examined the effect of hyperglycemia on mechanotranduction in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC). After six days in high glucose media, we observed a decrease in heparan sulfate content coincident with a significant attenuation of the shear-induced hydraulic conductivity response, lower activation of eNOS after exposure to shear, and reduced cell alignment with shear stress. These studies are consistent with a diabetes-induced change to the glycocalyx altering endothelial response to shear stress that could affect the distribution of atherosclerotic plaques