The dancing queen:explanatory mechanisms of the 'feel-good effect' in dance

Dance is a social, creative form of human activity impacting on wellbeing through emotional involvement in active or passive participation at all levels of mastery. Dance as a physical activity can potentially improve health physiologically, psychologically, and socially. Despite a recent surge in dance-related research, the authors believe that this area of human behaviour is still relatively unexplored. Here, therefore, they examine possible mechanisms that may contribute to the ‘feel-good effect’ of dance participation by emphasizing its positive as well as its potentially detrimental effects, taking the physical activity literature as a starting point. They address biochemical, brain neurotransmitters, cognitive–neuroscientific, and psychological mechanisms that are thought to explain the impact of physical activity in wellbeing, and discuss functional and structural brain changes that are linked to participation in dance. They conclude by highlighting the need to increase research to better recognize the potential risks and benefits of dance in improving health and wellbeing

An idiographic approach to the fluctuation of appraisals and coping during a trapshooting competition

Events occurring during competition can impact athletes differently and influence their cognitive states and emotional states. Therefore, appraisal and coping processes are individual and can be understood better using an idiographic approach. The purpose of this study is two-fold: 1) to describe the nature of the fluctuation of emotional states and coping processes during the competition and 2) to propose an idiographic and ecologically valid method of study of these processes through the use of verbal protocols and sequential analysis. One master world-class elite (58 years old and 28 years of competitive experience) and one master 4th-category regional level trapshooter (59 years old and 30 of experience) participated in this study. Participants completed an affect grid after each shot during two competitions of the national trapshooting championship. Each competition was composed of 6 sets of 25 shots. After each set, participants provided verbal reports using a delayed verbal protocol procedure. This procedure consisted of identifying critical moments within the competition, and reporting thoughts and feelings immediately before and after each critical moment. Verbal reports were transcribed verbatim and coded according to Lazarus’ cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion. Units of information were submitted to event sequential analysis to determine the probability of occurrence of paired-events. The elite level athlete reported a stable pattern of pleasure and arousal levels, while the non-elite athlete reported greater fluctuation of emotional states. It was found great inter- and intra-individual variability depending on the context, but patterns of appraisal and coping were identified through sequential analysis

Fluctuation of cognitive-emotional states during competition:an idiographic account

The purpose of this paper is to describe athletes’ cognitive-emotional processes during competitions through an idiographic and ecologically valid study method based on verbal protocols and event sequential analyses. A world-class marksman and regional-level marksman filled in an affect grid after each shot during several competitions. Verbal reports were collected after each set by a delayed retrospective recall method and compared according to perceived performance periods. Event sequential analyses were conducted. The results showed distinct interpersonal patterns of affective states fluctuations and self-regulation strategies. Furthermore, intrapersonal patterns as a function of perceived performance were also identified. We suggest that the proposed methods are useful in studying athletes’ cognitive-emotional processes during ongoing competitions, as they ensure high ecological validity and provide in-depth information for more effective, individually-tailored interventions

Healthy lifestyles and body mass index as correlates of body image in primary schoolchildren

Background: Body image is a representation of the self that develops from an early age. Such representations are likely to be associated with lifestyle choices.Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between health behaviours (i.e., physical activity, screen time and adherence to the Mediterranean diet), body mass index (BMI) and body image dissatisfaction among primary schoolchildren.Methods: A total of 782 pupils (age 7.92 ± 1.36 years), 405 boys (age 8.01 ± 1.38 years) and 377 girls (age 7.95 ± 1.33 years) from the Southeast region of Portugal, answered a survey containing the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) to measure eating patterns and gender congruent Figure Rating Scales to measure body image dissatisfaction. Children also had their weight and height measured to calculate BMI. Based on the Krece Plus quick test, parents reported on children's physical activity and screen time.Results: Girls reported being less active, t(619) = 2.29, p = .022, d = 0.19; adhering more to the Mediterranean diet, t(775) = -3.92, p < .001, d = -0.29; and having higher body image dissatisfaction than boys, t(773) = -2.53, p = .012, d = -0.19. There was a significant association between BMI and body image dissatisfaction, χ2(4) = 79.34, p < .001. Moreover, 22.5% of the children with normal BMI perceived being overweight/obese. Gender (β = 0.085, p = .036) and BMI (β = 0.40, p < .001), but not lifestyle variables, predicted body image dissatisfaction (R2 = .173).Conclusions: Physical activity, screen time, and adherence to a Mediterranean diet were not associated with body image dissatisfaction. However, BMI was positively associated with body image dissatisfaction. Children are not accurate in estimating their body size which can lead to body image dissatisfaction and attempts to control body weight

The relationship between social physique anxiety and psychosocial health in adolescents

Social physique anxiety (SPA) is a subtype of social anxiety that relates to body concerns in social contexts and has been proposed as an indicator of psychosocial adjustment in adolescents. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of SPA with a number psychosocial and behaviour variables in adolescents. A nationally representative sample of 3331 8th- and 10th-grade students completed a survey as a part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. SPA was positively associated with poor health symptoms, larger body shape and being on a diet, while it was negatively associated with physical activity and social support. Girls, those who thought were much too fat and those who were or should be on a diet had higher SPA scores than their counterparts.Hierarchical regression analysis indicate that gender (β = .20), being on a diet (β = -.27), physical activity behaviour (β = -.06), body shape (β = -.14), psychological symptoms (β = .15) and parental (β = -.07) and peer communication (β = -.07) were significant predictors of SPA. No significant interactions with gender were significant. Interventions should help adolescents deal with the pressures of achieving a socially desirable body shape and weight, including self-acceptance and seeking appropriate social support

The RSBH value-judgment inventory:preliminary analysis of the Portuguese version

The belief that sports build character has been held across the centuries. However, the scientific scrutiny of these beliefs is only a few decades old. The RSBH Value-judgment Inventory (RSBH VI; Rudd, Stoll, Beller, & Hahm, 1996) was developed to assess moral (α = .82-.88) and social (α = .70-.77) reasoning. The former is based the principles of honesty, responsibility, and justice. By applying the defined principles, any abused or confused situation should be solved within moral standards (see Lumpkin, Stoll & Beller, 2003). The latter is about weighing a social value against a moral value which is more important. The purpose of this study is to validate the Portuguese version of RSBH Value-judgment Inventory (RSBH VI-P). To investigate for construct validity, it was anticipated that moral reasoning would be negatively associated with ego-involvement, but positively associated with task-involvement

Moral reasoning in sport:validation of the Portuguese version of the RSBH value-judgement inventory in adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the Rudd Stoll Beller Hahm Value-judgement Inventory (RSBHVI) in a sample of adolescents. The RSBHVI, which measures moral and social reasoning, was translated using a back translation method. A sample of 238 10th to 12th grade high school students (age mean value 16.93 years, s = 1.34) completed the Portuguese versions of RSBH, and the Task and Ego-orientation Questionnaire. Partial support for the original structure of the moral reasoning scale, but not the social reasoning scale, was found. Females, and non-athletes and individual sport athletes scored significantly higher than males and team sport athletes in moral reasoning, respectively. Moral reasoning was negatively correlated with ego-orientation (r = −30; p <. 001) and uncorrelated with task-orientation (r = .10, p > .05). Participants who were low-ego scored higher in moral reasoning than those who were high-ego. It is suggested that decreasing levels of ego-orientation may be necessary to improve athletes’ moral reasoning

Factorial validity and group invariance of the Portuguese short version of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale in adolescents

Social physique anxiety (SPA) has been associated with a range of psychosocial and health-related variables, thus it can be considered is an indicator of social-psychological adjustment. The purpose of this paper is to determine factorial validity and group invariance of Motl and Conroy (2000) translated 7-item SPA among Portuguese adolescents. A nationally representative sample of 3330 8th and 10th grade students (15.07 1.34 years old; 47.5% males and 52.5% females) answered a survey as a part of a larger collaborative cross-national survey, the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) 2006 study. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted on a uni-dimensional factor structure of 6 items [Satorra-Bentler c2 = 30.85, df = 8, p<.01; CFI = .996; NNFI = .992; RMSEA = .038 (90% C.I.: .024 - .052); SRMR = .010]. Further analises, confirmed configurational (all CFI and RMSEA > .99) and metric invariances (CFI difference between restricted and unrestricted models were lower than .01 for all groups) across gender, grade level, diet beliefs, physical activity, perception of body, and BMI. The present version can be used confidently by researchers in analysing and interpreting scores of SPA across a variety of samples in Portuguese adolescents, and that this instrument can be used in cross-cultural research