Effects of music on arousal during imagery in elite shooters: a pilot study

Beneficial effects of music on several performance-related aspects of sport have been reported, but the processes involved are not well understood. The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects of relaxing and arousing classical music on physiological indicators and subjective perceptions of arousal during imagery of a sport task. First, appropriate music excerpts were selected. Then, 12 skilled shooters performed shooting imagery while listening to the three preselected music excerpts in randomized order. Participants’ galvanic skin response, peripheral temperature, and electromyography were monitored during music played concurrently with imagery. Subjective music ratings and physiological measures showed, as hypothesized, that unfamiliar relaxing music was the most relaxing and unfamiliar arousing music was the most arousing. Researchers should examine the impact of unfamiliar relaxing and arousing music played during imagery on subsequent performance in diverse sports. Practitioners can apply unfamiliar relaxing and arousing music with imagery to manipulate arousal level

Effects of using complex training method on muscular power among competitive male weightlifters / Garry Kuan, Wan Firdaus and Oleksandr Krasilshchikov

Weightlifting is a sport that requires both dynamic strength and power. Until today, weightlifting coaches are still exploring different training modes in an attempt to enhance both muscular strength and power of the competitive weightlifters. Research has shown that the use of the “right” training method could further provide knowledge on such effect for competitive weightlifters (Storey & Smith, 2012). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of using the complex training method (applicable to weightlifting) compared to traditional resistance training on muscular strength among male competitive (state level) weightlifters. Seventeen male competitive weightlifters were randomly assigned into 2 groups: experimental group (Complex Training; n = 9), and control group (Traditional Resistance Training; n = 8). All participants trained for 6 weeks (2 sessions per week) with the total training volume equated between both groups. Participants underwent pre-test and post-test including the anthropometric measurements (height, body weight, and body fat) and lower body strength (CMVJ test) and overall body power (medicine ball throw test) parameters. The results showed that there was a significant increase from pre- to post-test in CMVJ average power t(8) = -4.98; p = .001 and t(7) = -3.99; p = .005), CMVJ height t(8) = -3.17; p = .01 and t(7) = -3.95; p = .006) and medicine ball throw distance t(8) = -12.26; p = .001 and t(7) = -6.13; p = .001) in experimental and control groups respectively. Significant difference (p < .05) was observed in CMVJ average power (5.04 ± 2.61 versus 1.64 ± 1.16), CMVJ height (13.23 ± 7.29 versus 6.70 ± 4.80) and medicine ball throw distance improvements (0.87 ± 0.21 versus 0.46 ± 0.21) between the complex training group and control group respectively at post-test. In conclusion, the use of complex training method showed more superior in enhancing muscular power compared to traditional resistance training after 6 weeks of intervention

Neuro-psychophysiological paramenters on imagery, music and sporting performance

The research had been conducted smoothly as scheduled The study 1 and Study 2 had received ethical clearance from Human Research EthiCs Committee. USM (HAEC) with the JEPeM coda USM/JEPer..-111403120. Study 1's data collected had completed on the 2nd February 2015. The literature review of the study was presented to as Keynote speaker at the 3rd National Conference on Sport Pedagogy. Umversity of Ph•hPPI"*S. Man1la, frorn 7th-9!h November 2014. and 2 "Invited speaf..er· at the International Congmss of Sports Psychology. at Sir Shankar Lal Hall. Umversity of Delh1. lnd1a. from 15th-18th October 2014. the 1~ lmemational Scm•nar 1n Physical and Mental Health. Ramkhamhaeng Umversrty, Thailand on the 16th December 2014 The preliminary results from study 1 was presented at the 7th Asian South Pacific Assoc•atiOn of Sport Psychology lntematlonal Congress. 7th- 10th August, 2014 : Tokvo. Japan, and 1Oth lntemaUonal Sports Science Conferece 25-27th August2014 Kola Bharu. Malaysia Completed Study 3. Two long abstract publiShed at the 4th lntemauonal S€m1nar on Sport and Exet'CISe Psychology. which sludent Luke N1kol won best presenter at the seminar. One JOUrnal paper submitted to coach1ng JOUrnal, and one paper published at Plos OneImpact factor 3.234 (01 ). Allolher Paper entitled: Effects of relaxmg and arousing mustc dun11g 1magery tra:mng on dart-throwing performance phys1ologicat arousal md1ccs. and compclihvc state anK1ety. had published at Fronber of Psyc.hology -lmpau factor 2.321 (01)

Malay version of exercise self-efficacy: a confirmatory analysis among malaysians with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Exercise self-efficacy (ESE) is one of the psychological constructs in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). The objective of the present study is to assess the validity and reliability of the Malay version of Exercise self-efficacy scale (ESE-M) among Malaysians with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling method using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out. Participants were invited to complete the ESE-M with 18 items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and composite reliability (CR) was computed using Mplus 8. A total of 331 Malaysians with T2DM with a mean age of 63 years old (Standard Deviation = 0.57) completed the questionnaire. Most of the participants were male (52%) and Malay (89.4%). Two initial CFA models (single factor and three factors) of ESE-M scale were tested and they did not fit to the data well. Several re-specifications of the models were conducted. The final model for the ESE-M showed improvement on the value of model fit indices for the single factor model (comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.952, Tucker and Lewis index (TLI) = 0.938, standardised root mean square (SRMR) = 0.044, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.054) and three factors model (CFI = 0.891, TLI = 0.863, SRMR = 0.049, RMSEA = 0.081). The CR for the self-efficacy factor was 0.921 (single factor), while CR for internal feelings, competing demands and situational (three factors) were 0.762, 0.818 and 0.864, respectively. The final model of single factor ESE-M showed better fit to the data compared to the three factors ESE-M. This indicated that the single factor ESE-M is more suitable to be adopted for future study among Malaysians with T2DM

Psychometric properties of the Malay version of the self-efficacy for exercise scale

Background: The present study was aimed at validating the Malay-language version of the Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE-M) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Methods: Data were collected from undergraduate students at all campuses of the Universiti Sains Malaysia. A total of 1,605 students completed the SEE-M (female: 71.5%, male: 28.5%), with the mean age of 20.3 years (SD = 1.5). Perceived self-efficacy was assessed with the 18-item SEE-M. Standard forward–backward translation was performed to translate the English version of the Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE) into the Malay version (SEE-M). Results: The 2 initial measurement models tested (1-factor and 3-factor models) did not result in a good fit to the data. Subsequent investigation of the CFA results recommended some modifications, including adding correlations between the item residuals within the same latent variable. These modifications resulted in good fit indices for the 1-factor model (RMSEA = .059, CFI = .939, TLI = .922, SRMR = .049) and the 3-factor model (RMSEA = .066, CFI = .924, TLI = .903, SRMR = .051). The final measurement models comprised all 18 SEE-M items, which had significant factor loadings of more than .40. The test-retest results indicated that the SEE-M was stable, with an intra-class correlation of .99. The composite reliability was .886 for the 1-factor model and .670–.854 for the 3-factor model. Conclusions: The translated version of the SEE-M was valid and reliable for assessing the level of self-efficacy for exercise among university students in Malaysia. Perspective: This study examining the psychometric properties of the SEE scale based on CFA was the first to assess 2 proposed models (1-factor and 3-factor models) simultaneously and to translate the original, English-language SEE into Malay.University Research Individual (1001.PPSP.8012250) from Universiti Sains Malaysia (http://www.research.usm.my/

The use of Mindfulness Acceptance Commitment (MAC) approach for Malaysian elite triathletes

Mindfulness Acceptance Commitment (MAC) approach has been introduced into the sport psychology field and has shown a lot of interest in the applied practices. Athletes who receive MAC approach are taught to deal with challenging internal experiences in a non-judgmental way, choosing to persist with their task-at-hand despite discomforts and to remain focused on being grounded at the present moment. In Malaysia, the elite triathletes have not been exposed to the MAC approach before. This paper aims to describe how the MAC approach was provided to the Malaysian elite triathletes. MAC was taught over six weeks, with one MAC theme introduced per week. Each triathlete was given a one-on-one session of 60-90 minutes per week with homework and practical exercises. After six weeks, the triathletes reported marked improvement in their sport and additional improvements in other domains of their life. Considering the promising improvements of the elite triathletes who received the MAC approach, it is worth considering that the MAC approach should be adapted and incorporated into the triathlon sport

Psychometric properties of the health-promoting lifestyle profile II: cross-cultural validation of the Malay language version

Background: Health-promoting behaviour is an important concept for health education. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of validated instruments to measure levels of health-promoting behaviour in the Malaysian context. The purpose of this study was to validate a Malay-language version of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) using a confirmatory approach. Methods: Participants were 997 university undergraduate students, with a mean age of 21 years (SD = 1.58). The majority of the participants (80.4%) were female. Health-promoting behaviour was assessed using the 52-item HPLP-II, which measures six components of health-promoting behaviour outcomes. HPLP-II was translated into the Malay language using standard forward and backward translation procedures. Participants then completed the HPLP-II Malay version (HPLP-II-M). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted using Mplus 8.0 software on the six domains of HPLP-II-M model. Results: The CFA result based on the hypothesised measurement model of six factors was aligned with the original HPLP-II, except for two low loading items which were subsequently removed from the CFA analysis. The final CFA measurement model with 50 items resulted in a good fit to the data based on RMSEA and SRMR fit indices (RMSEA = 0.046, 90%CI = 0.045, 0.048, SRMR = 0.062). The construct reliabilities for the HPLP-II-M subscales were acceptable, ranging from 0.737 to 0.878. Conclusion: The HPLP-II-M with six components of health-promoting behaviour outcomes and 50 items was considered valid and reliable for the present Malaysian sample.Research University Individual, Universiti Sains Malaysia (1001/PPSP/8012250

Financial literacy as a moderator linking financial resource availability and SME growth in Ghana

The argument holds that visionary and dynamic small and medium enterprises (SMEs) tend to position growth at the centre of strategy. However, there has been a growing body of literature that has examined how financial literacy can support owner-managersof SMEs in making solid financial decisions that will enhance the growth of their businesses. In the present study, financial literacy and financial resource availability were modelled as different antecedents of SMEs growth. Nevertheless, the boundary condition for such models has received very little attention in the context of Ghana. Accordingly, in regard to resource-based view (RBV) logic, the current research examined the implications of contingency variable financial literacy (proficiency) on the relationship between financial resource availability and SMEs growth, particularly in the context of Ghana. The findings of the current research revealed that high financial literacy led to more positive effect of financial resource availability on SMEs growth

Effects of technology-supported brain breaks videos on exercise self-efficacy among type 2 diabetes mellitus Malaysians

The technology supported Brain Breaks (BB) videos are a series of structured, web-based physical activity (PA) videos designed to promote learning and health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of BB videos on exercise self-efficacy (ESE) among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients using the Malay-versioned exercise self-efficacy scale (ESE-M). The study used a double-blind research design and was randomised into two groups: (1) The Technology Supported BB intervention group, and (2) the control group. 70 T2DM patients with a mean age of 57.6 years (SD= 8.5) were recruited from Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. For 4 months, participants in the intervention group were required to undertake PA every day using the BB videos (approximately 10 min). Both groups completed the ESE-M at pre-intervention, the end of the first month, the second month, the third month, and post-intervention. For the data analysis, a mixed factorial analysis of variance was used. The results showed that at the end of the intervention, the two groups’ ESE was significantly different (p < 0.001). From pre- to post-intervention, the intervention group’s ESE-M mean scores improved significantly. Technology-supported BB videos may be an effective strategy for improving ESE in T2DM patients

Co-Curricular Activities and Motives for Participating in Physical Activity among Health Sciences Students at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

Background: The purpose of the study was to compare the motives for participating in physical activity (PA) through the different types of co-curricular activities chosen by health sciences undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia. Methods: The participants were university students at USM’s Health Campus, who were invited to volunteer and complete two measures: a demographic form, including the types of co-curricular activities in which the students chose to enrol (sports, uniform and art), and the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS). Results: A total of 588 university students (female = 79.1%, male = 20.9%) with a mean age of 19.77 (SD = 1.39) participated in the study. The results showed significant differences in the motives of affiliation (P < 0.001), appearance (P = 0.008) and physical condition (P = 0.010) across the types of co-curricular activities in which the students participated. The students who enrolled in sports generally showed higher motives of affiliation, appearance and physical condition for participating in PA than other types of co-curricular activities. Conclusion: The study findings can provide further insights into the motives for participating in PA among health sciences students and encouragement for students to integrate PA into their daily routines.Universiti Sains Malaysia Short Term Grant (Grant Scheme No. 304/PPSP/61313041