Smoking Attitudes Among Adolescents: Effect of Messages Varying on Argument Quality and Source’s Expertise

The present study examined the effectiveness of an anti-smoking message on processing and persuasion in young adolescents. Data were collected from 112 Greek adolescents 13 to 16 years of age, who were randomly assigned into a control and four experimental groups. All participants in experimental groups read a written anti-smoking message varying on the source’s expertise (expert or non expert) and on the quality of the arguments (12 weak/12 strong arguments). Before and after the experimental manipulation, participants completed questionnaires assessing attitudes towards smoking, intention to smoke, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, knowledge, and smoking behavior. Repeated measures analyses showed no significant differences between experimental groups (p \u3e .05). All groups perceived they were more informed about smoking after the experimental manipulation. Results are discussed according to planned behavior theory and elaboration likelihood model, for effective anti-smoking messages addressed to adolescents

Preliminary Exploration of Bystander Intention to Stand Up for a Female-Peer Targeted in Sexual Harassment in Greek Academia

University students’ intentions to stand up for a female-peer victimized in a sexual harassment incident by peer and/or professor as perpetrator were explored using the planned behavior theory. The participants were 296 Greek male and female undergraduate students. Using a standard planned behavior theory questionnaire, hypothetical scenarios of sexual harassment conveyed through (a) unwanted verbal comments of sexual content, (b) unwanted physical contact, and (c) gender based taunting, were presented to participants. In all scenarios, bystander intention to stand up was predicted. Specifically, we found that it is more likely for a student-bystander to intervene when perceiving a strong social pressure as significant others would also stand up for a victim; his/her self-control beliefs are strong over the behavior to stand up; and when his/her attitude is negative and unfavorable toward the witnessed conduct. In both peer- and professors-as-perpetrator scenarios, female students, more than males, held significantly more negative attitudes towards sexual harassment and stronger intentions to intervene. Considering female students’ well-being, findings are related to the characteristics of the Greek society and the lack of protective laws and policies against sexual harassment in Greek academia

Understanding the experiences of heavy smokers after exercise

There is now strong evidence that exercise has an acute effect on the urge to smoke and the accompanying withdrawal symptoms. However, the perceptions by heavy smokers of exercise and its relationship to the urge to smoke have not been well documented. The aim of the present study is to understand the experiences of heavy smokers with regard to exercise and its effect on their urge to smoke. Five physically inactive, heavy smokers are asked to abstain from smoking the night before exercising on a cycle ergometer under two conditions (one at medium and one at vigorous intensity done a week apart). Semi-structured, in-depth interviews are conducted after the second exercise session. Thematic analysis reveals six themes describing the participants’ experience of exercise, urge to smoke, exercise preferences, exercise and smoking relationship, exercise as an aid to quit smoking, and the effects of the experimental procedure. Overall, the participants’ experiences support the existing literature, which has posited affective, biological, and cognitive mechanisms contributing to a delay in the urge to smoke after exercise. The main findings pertain to: (1) the “feel-good” effect after exercise as a relief from the “feel-bad” effect during exercise; (2) the decreased urge to smoke after exercise, stated by all participants regardless of reported positive and negative feelings; and (3) exercise as a “clearing the mind” mechanism rather than an attention-distracting mechanism

Profiling the Coaches of Norway: A national survey report of sports coaches & coaching

In 2017, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences surveyed a large number sports coaches across Norway. The survey sought to get to know the men and women who coach the children, youth, and adults of Norway. The data of this survey project, titled Profiling the Coaches of Norway (PROCON), is based on responses from 5977 coaches, 4404 men and 1559 women aged from 15 to 83 years old. The coaches represented 104 sports from 49 federations, and came from every county in Norway. The present publication reports on what we learned about the coaches and coaching in Norway; the educational and sports backgrounds they come from, the experience they bring with them, the sports knowledge and skills they possess; how they think about learning and their future in coaching; what hinders their learning and advancement as coaches, and why some of them stopped coaching. While the PROCON sample is one of the largest captured in a coaches’ survey study worldwide, we cannot be sure how representative it is of Norway’s sports coaches, as the total number of coaches working within sports across all levels nationwide is unknown.The PROCON project was co-financed by the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports and Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

Treneren i norsk idrett: En nasjonal kartlegging av trenere og trenerrollen

I 2017 gjennomførte Høgskolen i Innlandet en undersøkelse blant et stort antall trenere i Norge. Undersøkelsen tok sikte på å få vite mer om trenerne i barne-, ungdoms- og voksenidretten. Opplysningene i denne rapporten, med tittelen Treneren i norsk idrett – En nasjonal kartlegging av trenere og trenerrollen, bygger på svar fra 5977 trenere, 4404 menn og 1559 kvinner i alderen 15 til 83 år. Trenerne representerte 104 idretter fordelt på 49 særforbund, og kom fra alle fylker i Norge. Rapporten viser funn om treneren og deres trenervirksomhet, utdanningsbakgrunn, idrettslige kunnskap, ferdigheter og erfaring, hvordan de tenker omkring læring og deres fremtid, hva som hindrer dem i videre læring og fremgang, og hvorfor noen av dem har sluttet. Selv om utvalget i undersøkelsen er et av de største som er innhentet av trenerundersøkelser i verden, vet vi ikke i hvor stor grad det er representativt for alle trenere i Norge. Dette fordi det totale antall trenere på alle nivåer i norsk idrett er ukjent.Studien Treneren i norsk idrett-En nasjonal kartlegging av trenere og trenerrollen ble finansiert av Norges idrettsforbund og olympiske og paralympiske komité og Høgskolen i Innlandet

Coaches’ Perceptions of Athletes’ Psychobiosocial States : The Case of Three Tennis Coach-Athlete Dyads

Considering the limited attention paid to interpersonal aspects of emotions, this study explored coaches’ perceptions of athletes’ performance-related states and how they used this information for its regulation. Using a case study approach, three coach-athlete dyads from competitive tennis took part in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Individualized profiling of psychobiosocial states was used to assess athletes’ states in most and least successful performances and as a way of data triangulation. Findings indicated that the coaches paid attention to bodily, motor-behavioural, and operational components of a performance state, and used this information to appropriately adapt their responses to the players’ needs, via the provision of positive reinforcement, and performance-related feedback. The coaches described themselves as calm, patient, and understanding; characteristics that appeared to be vital for the coach-athlete relationship and the coaches’ emotional competence. Findings are discussed within the contexts of emotion regulation and coach-athlete relationship, and how they might be useful to help coaches develop emotional competence.peerReviewe

Εικόνα Σώματος σε Εφήβους 13 – 17 ετών: Επιδράσεις Φύλου και Φυσικής Δραστηριότητας

Σκοπός της παρούσας έρευνας, ήταν να εξετάσει πώς διαφοροποιείται η εικόνα του σώματος και η ικανοποίηση της από αυτήν ανάλογα με το φύλο και την ηλικία, αλλά και πώς συνδέεται με τη φυσική δραστηριότητα και το Δείκτη Μάζας Σώματος σε εφήβους. Το δείγμα ήταν 496 έφηβοι (226 αγόρια και 270 κορίτσια) ηλικίας 13 έως 17 ετών, μαθητές από τη Β’ Γυμνασίου έως και τη Β’ Λυκείου επαρχιακών πόλεων της Ελλάδας. Τα εργαλεία που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν ήταν η κλίμακα της εικόνας του σώματος (Rand & Wright, 1999) και το ερωτηματολόγιο «Άσκηση κατά τον Ελεύθερο Χρόνο» (Godin & Shephard, 1985). Σύμφωνα με τα αποτελέσματα, τα αγόρια ήταν πιο ικανοποιημένα από την εικόνα του σώματός τους σε σχέση με τα κορίτσια. Η σχέση αυτή όμως ήταν στατιστικά σημαντική μόνο στο Γυμνάσιο (p < .01), όπου η πιθανότητα ένα κορίτσι να μην είναι ικανοποιημένο από το σώμα του ήταν 2.82 φορές περισσότερη σε σύγκριση με ένα αγόρι. Στο Λύκειο το ποσοστό των εφήβων που δεν ήταν ικανο- ποιημένοι από το σώμα τους ήταν παρόμοιο σε αγόρια και κορίτσια (27.4% και 22.4% αντίστοιχα). Όσο με- γαλύτερο ήταν το επίπεδο ικανοποίησης από την Εικόνα του Σώματος, τόσο μικρότερος ήταν ο ΔΜΣ, και στις δύο ηλικιακές κατηγορίες, και στα δύο φύλα (p < .001). Αντίστοιχα, η μεγαλύτερη ικανοποίη- ση από την εικόνα του σώματος, συνδέονταν και με υψηλότερα επίπεδα φυσικής δραστηριότητας με εξαίρεση τα κορίτσια του Λυκείου, όπου τα υψηλότερα σκορ εντοπίστηκαν στα άτομα με χαμηλή ικ α- νοποίηση από την εικόνα σώματος, χωρίς όμως να είναι στατιστικά σημαντικές αυτές οι διαφορές. Φαίνεται ότι τα κοινωνικά στερεότυπα και πρότυπα για το λεπτό σώμα, που επιβάλλονται πολύ νωρίς στα παιδιά δημιουργούν προβλήματα με την εικόνα του σώματος όχι μόνο στα αγόρια αλλά και στα κορίτσια. Πιθανά κάποια καλά δομημένη παρέμβαση φυσικής δραστηριότητας ή άσκησης θα μπο- ρούσε να βοηθήσει στη βελτίωση της εικόνας που έχουν οι έφηβοι για το σώμα τους.The purpose of this study was to examine how body image and satisfaction from it changes according to gender and age, and how it relates to physical activity and self-reported BMI in adolescents. The sample was 496 adolescents (226 boys and 270 girls) aged 13 to 17 years old, attending Gymnasium and Lyceum in rural cities of Greece. The tools used were the Body Image figures scale (Rand & Wright, 1999) and the Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (Godin & Shephard, 1985). According to the results, the boys were more satisfied with their body image than girls. This relationship, however, was statistically significant only in Gymnasium (p < .01), where the probability of a girl not being satisfied with her body was 2.82 times higher than a boy’s. In high school, the percentage of adolescents who were not satisfied with their bodies was similar for boys and girls (27.4% and 22.4% respectively). The higher the level of satisfaction with their body image was, the lower the BMI in both age groups, for both sexes (p < .001). Similarly, greater satisfaction with body image was associated with higher levels of physical activity with the exception of high school girls, where higher scores were found in individuals with low body image satisfaction - these differences however, were not statistically significant. It seems that the social stereotypes and standards for slim body, imposed very early in children, cause problems with body image not only in boys but also in girls. Maybe a good structured intervention with physical activity or exercise should positively contribute in improving adolescents’ body image.peerReviewe

Understanding well-being in high-performance coaches: A constructivist grounded theory approach

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to explore, in depth, well-being within the unique context of high-performance sports coaching. The aim was to capture the process of well-being while considering the contextual nuances and influences of high-performance coaching environments in a mid-range theory of coaches’ well-being. Design: Constructivist grounded theory served as a guiding approach for data collection and analysis. Method: Individual interviews (n = 20) were conducted with methodological rigour enhanced by originality, usefulness, resonance, and credibility. Aligned with the methodology, we utilised theoretical sampling to aid the development of individual categories. Results: Findings suggest that well-being is an integrating process between coaches’ personal values (identity) and culturally prescribed values (identity), with a degree of harmony as the overall goal. Conclusion: The mid-range theory presents a contextually bound process of coaches’ well-being. It provides a more practical insight into the area and highlights the importance of cultural considerations and competencies

Treneren i norsk idrett: En nasjonal kartlegging av trenere og trenerrollen

I 2017 gjennomførte Høgskolen i Innlandet en undersøkelse blant et stort antall trenere i Norge. Undersøkelsen tok sikte på å få vite mer om trenerne i barne-, ungdoms- og voksenidretten. Opplysningene i denne rapporten, med tittelen Treneren i norsk idrett – En nasjonal kartlegging av trenere og trenerrollen, bygger på svar fra 5977 trenere, 4404 menn og 1559 kvinner i alderen 15 til 83 år. Trenerne representerte 104 idretter fordelt på 49 særforbund, og kom fra alle fylker i Norge. Rapporten viser funn om treneren og deres trenervirksomhet, utdanningsbakgrunn, idrettslige kunnskap, ferdigheter og erfaring, hvordan de tenker omkring læring og deres fremtid, hva som hindrer dem i videre læring og fremgang, og hvorfor noen av dem har sluttet. Selv om utvalget i undersøkelsen er et av de største som er innhentet av trenerundersøkelser i verden, vet vi ikke i hvor stor grad det er representativt for alle trenere i Norge. Dette fordi det totale antall trenere på alle nivåer i norsk idrett er ukjent