Examining the relationship between psychological skills and confidence in goalkeepers

This study examined the relationships that exist between psychological skills and confidence. Analysis of the relationship took place with ice hockey, lacrosse and soccer goalkeepers. Participants (N = 1927) completed measures of psychological skills (ACSI-28) and confidence (CSCI) online. Participants deemed psychological skills as important, but rarely used them to enhance performance. Goalkeepers (N = 412) scored higher on both the personal coping resource score (M = 50.82, SD = 9.24) and confidence (M = 41.88, SD = 5.66) than non-goalkeepers on the personal coping resource score (M = 47.48, SD = 9.60) and confidence (M = 41.84, SD = 5.69). Multiple MANOVAs identified significant differences between goalkeeper and non-goalkeepers on five of seven ACSI-28 subscales. Goalkeepers scored significantly higher on the ACSI-28 subscales coping with adversity; peaking under pressure; goal setting/mental preparation; concentration; and confidence and achievement motivation. A correlational analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between personal coping resource and confidence scores. A significant correlation exists. This study indicates goalkeepers possess a different set of psychological skills and confidence level than their counterparts

Examining the Parental Authority Style of Fathers Within Various Family Configurations

The discipline style of one\u27s parents is often discussed as a factor toward various behavioral outcomes of their children. In some literature, certain types of families, step - families for example, have been labeled as exhibiting a particular parenting style perhaps more than some other type of family. In this project 3 parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive) are reviewed and examined in relation to 3 types of families (blended families, single parent families, and families with 2 biological parents present in the home). In particular, the parenting style of the fathers or stepfathers was examined. Parenting style was determined in the families of 50 college students by administering a Parental Authority Questionnaire to the students, thus judging style from the perspective of the student. It was determined that there was significant disagreement between parenting styles as compared with family types, indicating that there is some relationship between the two

Endophenotypes of executive functions in obsessive compulsive disorder? A meta-analysis in unaffected relatives.

Endophenotypes are mediator traits between genetic influences and clinical phenotypes. Meta-analyses have consistently shown modest impairments of executive functioning in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) patients compared to healthy controls. Similar deficits have also been reported in unaffected relatives of OCD patients, but have not been quantified. We conducted the first meta-analysis combining all studies investigating executive functioning in unaffected relatives of individuals with OCD to quantify any deficits. A search of Pubmed, Medline and PsychInfo databases identified 21 suitable papers comprising 707 unaffected relatives of OCD patients and 842 healthy controls. Effect sizes were calculated using random effects models. Unaffected relatives displayed a significant impairment in global executive functioning. Analyses of specific executive functioning subdomains revealed impairments in: planning, visuospatial working memory and verbal fluency. Deficits in executive functioning are promising endophenotypes for OCD. To identify further biomarkers of disease risk/resilience in OCD, we suggest examining specific executive functioning domains

Facial emotion processing in schizophrenia : a non-specific neuropsychological deficit?

Original article can be found at : http://journals.cambridge.org/ Copyright Cambridge University PressBackground: Identification of facial emotions has been found to be impaired in schizophrenia but there are uncertainties about the neuropsychological specificity of the finding. Method: Twenty-two patients with schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls were given tests requiring identification of facial emotion, judgement of the intensity of emotional expressions without identification, familiar face recognition and the Benton Facial Recognition Test (BFRT). The schizophrenia patients were selected to be relatively intellectually preserved. Results: The patients with schizophrenia showed no deficit in identifying facial emotion, although they were slower than the controls. They were, however, impaired on judging the intensity of emotional expression without identification. They showed impairment in recognizing familiar faces but not on the BFRT. Conclusions: When steps are taken to reduce the effects of general intellectual impairment, there is no deficit in identifying facial emotions in schizophrenia. There may, however, be a deficit in judging emotional intensity. The impairment found in naming familiar faces is consistent with other evidence of semantic memory impairment in the disorder.Peer reviewe

Valuing Distributed Energy Resources for Non-Wires Alternatives

Distributed energy resources (DER) as non-wires alternatives, regardless of owner, have the potential to reduce system operating costs and delay system upgrades. However, it is difficult to determine the appropriate economic signal to incentivize DER investors to install capacity that will benefit both the DER investors and the system operator. In an attempt to determine this co-optimal price signal, we present a bilevel optimization framework for determining the least cost solution to distribution system over-loads. A key output of the framework is a spatiotemporal price signal to DER owners that simultaneously guarantees the DER owners' required rate of return and minimizes the system operation costs. The framework is demonstrated with a case by which the system operator considers utility owned battery energy storage systems, traditional system upgrades, and energy purchase from DER owners. The results show that by valuing DER for non-wires alternatives the utility owned storage system sizes can be reduced, less hardware upgrades are necessary, and upfront capital costs as well as operating costs are reduced.Comment: under revie

Assessing the Effects of Voluntary Mental Imagery Skills on Memory and Other Cognitive Functions

Aphantasia is a new name for an old concept: people that are unable to form clear mental images voluntarily. In this study, we attempted to verify and support some of the claims made in the relatively few published studies available on the topic. We were successful in doing so, as well as finding new significant correlations with other types of memory not previously studied