Examining Correlates, Antecedents, and Outcomes of Children’s Imagery Use in Physical Activity Contexts

Imagery is described as a conscious internal experience and involves re-experiencing past events and/or creating never-experienced events in one’s mind (Guerrero & Munroe-Chandler, 2018). The benefits of using imagery in physical activity contexts are well-documented (see Munroe-Chandler & Guerrero, 2018). People can use imagery in both structured and less structured physical activity contexts. Children, for example, have reported using imagery in both active play (unstructured physical activity; Tobin et al., 2013) and sport (structured physical activity; Munroe-Chandler et al., 2007) settings. Children’s imagery use in active play has proven to increase motivation and physical activity participation, while children’s imagery use in sport has been shown to improve sport-specific skills and strategies, self-efficacy, and collective efficacy (see Munroe-Chandler & Guerrero, 2018). Research on children’s imagery use in both structured and unstructured settings continues to grow; however, there are a few lines of research that remain unexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to extend our knowledge on children’s imagery use by examining correlates and antecedents of active play imagery, and outcomes of sport imagery. This objective was accomplished in three empirical studies. In Chapter 2 the associations between active play imagery and personal and social skills and self-confidence (correlates) were examined. The underlying aim of this study was to determine whether active play imagery was linked to children’s personal development. Result showed that the types of active imagery (capability, social, and fun) were positively linked to personal and social skills, with social imagery accounting for the most variance. Additionally, capability and fun imagery emerged as significant predictors of self-confidence, and fun imagery accounted for the most amount of variance. The overall objective of Chapter 3 was to identify whether individual differences (antecedents) in physical activity participation and imagery ability predicted children’s use of active play imagery. The primary antecedents of interest were physical activity participation and imagery ability, while age and gender served as control variables. Results of this study revealed that age and physical activity participation were positively associated with all three types of active play imagery. Furthermore, external visual imagery was positively related to fun imagery, whereas internal visual imagery and kinesthetic imagery had no associations with active play imagery. Lastly, in Chapter 4 the effects of children’s sport imagery on components of physical literacy (outcomes; i.e., motivation, confidence, perceived and actual competence) were examined. This study was conducted with two sport programs. Children in the experimental condition completed imagery sessions over four consecutive weeks while also participating in their regular weekly practices, whereas children in the control condition did not receive any imagery sessions but continued participating in their weekly practices. No group differences were found at the end of the intervention; however, children in the experimental condition did report higher scores on perceived competence and received higher scores on actual competence from pre- to postintervention. The findings of this dissertation can be used to inform future research designs, child practitioners, and physical activity programming and curriculum

Psychometric Properties of the Adult Self-Report: Data from over 11,000 American Adults

The first purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of the Adult Self-Report (ASR) via traditional confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and contemporary exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). The second purpose was to examine the measurement invariance of the ASR subscales across age groups. We used baseline data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. ASR data from 11,773 participants were used to conduct the CFA and ESEM analyses and data from 11,678 participants were used to conduct measurement invariance testing. Fit indices supported both the CFA and ESEM solutions, with the ESEM solution yielding better fit indices. However, several items in the ESEM solution did not sufficiently load on their intended factors and/or cross-loaded on unintended factors. Results from the measurement invariance analysis suggested that the ASR subscales are robust and fully invariant across subgroups of adults formed on the basis of age (18–35 years vs. 36–59 years). Future research should seek to both CFA and ESEM to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the ASR

Effects of a Guided Imagery Intervention on Children\u27s Active Play: A Pilot Study

The overall purpose of the present pilot study was to examine the effects of a 2-week guided imagery intervention on children\u27s active play. Additional outcome variables were the basic psychological needs (competence and relatedness), motivation (intrinsic and identified), active play intention, and active play imagery (capability, social, and fun). The sample comprised 17 female students (Mage = 9.57, SD = 0.53) randomly assigned to an imagery (n = 7) or control group (n = 10). Each group listened to an automated script 3x/week for the duration of the study. Results indicated significant differences for perceived competence and autonomy, as well as capability imagery. The imagery group reported a significant decrease in perceptions of competence and autonomy from baseline to post-intervention, while the control group showed a significant increase. Further, the imagery group showed a greater decrease in their frequency of capability imagery than the control group

Home Team (Dis)Advantage Patterns in the National Hockey League:Changes Through Increased Emphasis on Individual Performance with the 3-on-3 Overtime Rule

Past research examining National Hockey League (professional ice hockey; NHL) data from the 4-on-4 overtime era (seasons between 2005-06 and 2013-14) revealed an inconsistent home team (dis)advantage pattern (Hoffmann et al., 2017) such that home teams that were superior to their visiting counterparts had slightly greater odds of winning during regulation play compared to overtime (demonstrating home crowd advantages for team performance during regulation); in contrast, home teams experienced lower odds of winning in the shootout period than in overtime regardless of team quality (thereby demonstrating risks for individual choking from home crowd pressures). In this study, we explored the NHL home (dis)advantage pattern during four more recent seasons (2015-16 through 2018-19) in which the league instituted 3-on-3 play during overtime (perhaps increasing individual pressure for athletes competing in the 3-on-3 overtime period). We used archival data from the regular season (N = 5,002 games) to compare home teams’ odds of winning in regulation (with 5-on-5 skaters per team) to overtime (with 3-on-3) and in the shootout, adjusting for the quality of home and visiting teams. We conducted fixed-effects and multi-level logistic regression modeling. Evenly matched home teams were 1.66 times more likely to win than inferior home teams when games concluded in regulation versus overtime. Superior home teams were 4.24 times more likely to win than inferior home teams when games concluded in regulation rather than overtime. Thus, it is apparently more difficult for superior and evenly matched home teams to win in overtime than during regulation, suggesting that such home teams may be susceptible to choking in overtime. In contrast to the earlier 4-on-4 overtime era, home teams did not have lower odds of winning in the shootout compared to overtime. These results may have implications for NHL coaches’ and players’ tactical decision-making

Typologies of Family Functioning and 24-h Movement Behaviors

Research on the importance of the family environment on children’s health behaviors is ubiquitous, yet critical gaps in the literature exist. Many studies have focused on one family characteristic and have relied on variable-centered approaches as opposed to person-centered approaches (e.g., latent profile analysis). The purpose of the current study was to use latent profile analysis to identify family typologies characterized by parental acceptance, parental monitoring, and family conflict, and to examine whether such typologies are associated with the number of movement behavior recommendations (i.e., physical activity, screen time, and sleep) met by children. Data for this cross-sectional observational study were part of the baseline data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Data were collected across 21 study sites in the United States. Participants included 10,712 children (female = 5143, males = 5578) aged 9 and 10 years (M = 9.91, SD = 0.62). Results showed that children were meaningfully classified into one of five family typologies. Children from families with high acceptance, medium monitoring, and medium conflict (P2; OR = 0.54; 95% CI, 0.39–0.76); high acceptance, medium monitoring, and high conflict (P3; OR = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.20, 0.40); low acceptance, low monitoring, and medium conflict (P4; OR = 0.24; 95% CI, 0.16, 0.36); and medium acceptance, low monitoring, and high conflict (P5; OR = 0.19; 95% CI, 0.12–0.29) were less likely to meet all three movement behavior recommendations compared to children from families with high acceptance, high monitoring, and low conflict (P1). These findings highlight the importance of the family environment for promoting healthy movement behaviors among children

Typologies of Family Functioning and 24-h Movement Behaviors

Research on the importance of the family environment on children’s health behaviors is ubiquitous, yet critical gaps in the literature exist. Many studies have focused on one family characteristic and have relied on variable-centered approaches as opposed to person-centered approaches (e.g., latent profile analysis). The purpose of the current study was to use latent profile analysis to identify family typologies characterized by parental acceptance, parental monitoring, and family conflict, and to examine whether such typologies are associated with the number of movement behavior recommendations (i.e., physical activity, screen time, and sleep) met by children. Data for this cross-sectional observational study were part of the baseline data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Data were collected across 21 study sites in the United States. Participants included 10,712 children (female = 5143, males = 5578) aged 9 and 10 years (M = 9.91, SD = 0.62). Results showed that children were meaningfully classified into one of five family typologies. Children from families with high acceptance, medium monitoring, and medium conflict (P2; OR = 0.54; 95% CI, 0.39–0.76); high acceptance, medium monitoring, and high conflict (P3; OR = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.20, 0.40); low acceptance, low monitoring, and medium conflict (P4; OR = 0.24; 95% CI, 0.16, 0.36); and medium acceptance, low monitoring, and high conflict (P5; OR = 0.19; 95% CI, 0.12–0.29) were less likely to meet all three movement behavior recommendations compared to children from families with high acceptance, high monitoring, and low conflict (P1). These findings highlight the importance of the family environment for promoting healthy movement behaviors among children

Metabolic Costs of a 58-minute Multi-Intensity Exercise Session with and Without Music and Cueing

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(2): 358-365, 2020. It is unclear if the presence or absence of music and cueing influence total energy expenditure (TEE) during a multi-intensity exercise program. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference between TEE with or without music and cueing during a 58-minute exercise session using heart rate estimation (HRe) and indirect calorimetry (IC). Using a randomized crossover design, 22 participants (6 males; 16 females; 27.64 ± 10.33 yrs.) were randomized into two groups (Group A = 11; Group B = 11). All participants performed the same 58-minute exercise session under two conditions: with music (WM) and without music and cueing (WOM). TEE was obtained through the Activio heart rate system for all 22 participants. TEE and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) were also obtained in a subset of eight participants (4 males; 4 females; 28.25 ± 5.9 yrs.) via IC through a ParvoMedics metabolic cart. Paired samples t-tests were performed to compare TEE between conditions using HRe and IC. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM Analytics, SPSS v24 with significance set at p\u3c 0.05. A significant difference (p= 0.008) was found between TEE WM and WOM using IC (475.74 ± 98.50 vs. 429.37 ± 121.42), but not between TEE WM and WOM using HRe (p= 2.04; 482.67 ± 151.79 vs. 452.90 ± 164.59). The presence of music and cueing increased TEE when monitored via IC, but not when measured via wearable heart rate technology. Music and cueing does aid in additional caloric expenditure

Effectiveness of empiric carbapenem versus non-carbapenem therapy for extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacterales infections in non-intensive care unit patients: a real-world investigation in a hospital with high-prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacterales

ObjectiveTo investigate whether empiric carbapenem therapy, compared to empiric non-carbapenem therapy, was associated with improved clinical outcomes among hospitalized, non-intensive care unit (ICU) patients with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales infections.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study of adult, non-ICU patients admitted with ESBL-producing Enterobacterales infections. Primary outcome was time to clinical stability from the first empiric antibiotic dose. Secondary outcomes were early clinical response and 30-day all-cause hospital readmission. We used multivariate regression methods to examine time to clinical stability.ResultsOf the 142 patients, 59 (42%) received empiric carbapenems and 83 (58%) received empiric non-carbapenems, most commonly ceftriaxone (49/83, 59%). Median age was 59 years. The most common infection source was urinary (71%). The carbapenem group had a higher proportion of patients who received antibiotics within 6 months of admission (55% vs 28%, P < .01) and history of ESBL (57% vs 17%, P < .01). There were no significant differences in hours until clinical stability between the carbapenem and non-carbapenem groups (22 (IQR: 0, 85) vs 19 (IQR: 0, 69), P = .54). Early clinical response (88% vs 90%, P = .79) and 30-day all-cause hospital readmission (17% vs 8%, P = .13) were similar between groups.ConclusionAmong hospitalized non-ICU patients with ESBL-producing Enterobacterales infection, we found no difference in time to clinical stability after the first empiric antibiotic dose between those receiving carbapenems and those who did not. Our data suggest that empiric carbapenem use may not be an important driver of clinical response in patients with less severe ESBL-producing Enterobacterales infection

Análisis y diagnóstico estratégico del Centro de Gestión Tecnológica de Servicios: un ejercicio de prospectiva tecnológica

The strategic prospective and long-term vision, in the organizational field and in the development of the territories, has been taking greater force in recent decades, due to the constant changes that directly or indirectly impact the development of an organization or territory, to the need to guarantee sustainability over time and to the low capacity of forecasting of some areas of knowledge to offer models that conform to reality and make their forecasts accurate. These reasons justify more and more the use of prospective models in the strategic planning of organizations and territories worldwide. Thus, this document presents a strategic diagnosis based on the implementation of prospective methods, which contributes to the assertive confrontation of the social, economic and technological challenges faced by the Service Technology Management Center (CGTS) Regional Valle as a training center for SENA. In turn, this exercise is part of the prospective work that has been carried out in this training center for the construction of a Technological Development Plan with a 2019-2029 horizon that represents a commitment to continuous improvement over the institutional planning exercise where establish strategies, strategic projects, alliances that allow compliance and articulation between each of them.La prospectiva estratégica y la visión a largo plazo, en el campo organizacional y en el desarrollo de los territorios ha venido tomando mayor fuerza en las últimas décadas, debido a los constantes cambios que impactan directa o indirectamente el desarrollo de una organización o territorio, a la necesidad de garantizar sostenibilidad en el tiempo y a la baja capacidad de previsión de algunas áreas de conocimiento para ofrecer modelos que se ajusten a la realidad y acierten en sus previsiones. Estas razones justifican cada vez más la utilización de modelos prospectivos en la planeación estratégica de las organizaciones y territorios a nivel mundial. Es así como, este documento presenta un diagnóstico estratégico a partir de la implementación de métodos prospectivos, que aporta a la confrontación asertiva de los retos en materia social, económica y tecnológica a los que se enfrenta el Centro de Gestión Tecnológica de Servicios (CGTS) Regional Valle como centro de formación del SENA. A su vez, este ejercicio hace parte del trabajo prospectivo que se ha venido realizando en este centro de formación para la construcción de un Plan de Desarrollo Tecnológico con horizonte 2019-2029 que representa un compromiso de mejora continua sobre el ejercicio de planeación institucional donde se establecen estrategias, proyectos estratégicos, alianzas que permitan el cumplimiento y la articulación entre cada uno de ellos