The CSGU: A Measure of Controllability, Stability, Globality, and Universality Attributions

This article reports initial evidence of construct validity for a four-factor measure of attributions assessing the dimensions of controllability, stability, globality, and universality (the CSGU). In Study 1, using confirmatory factor analysis, factors were confirmed across least successful and most successful conditions. In Study 2, following less successful performances, correlations supported hypothesized rela­tionships between subscales of the CSGU and subscales of the CDSII (McAuley, Duncan, & Russell, 1992). In Study 3, following less successful performances, moderated hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that individuals have higher subsequent self-efficacy when they perceive causes of performance as controllable, and/or specific, and/or universal. An interaction for controllability and stability demonstrated that if causes are perceived as likely to recur, it is important to perceive that causes are controllable. Researchers are encouraged to use the CSGU to examine main and interactive effects of controllability and generalizability attributions upon outcomes such as self-efficacy, emotions, and performance

A social support intervention to reduce intentions to drop-out from youth sport:the GAA super games centre

Research has highlighted that drop-out from youth sport has emerged to become a global trend with drop-out rates exceeding 30% in some countries. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a change in perceived support on intentions to drop out from youth sport at the end of a social support intervention. A pre-intervention examination of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in 2012 identified a 19.38% drop-out rate involving 3,491 participants between the ages of 12-16 years. A psychosocial intervention developed for the GAA called the Super Games Centre was delivered and evaluated over a 24-week period to 103 participants. The findings demonstrated that higher perceived available support was significantly associated with lower levels of intentions to drop out at the end of the intervention. Furthermore, social identity emerged as a significant mediating factor in explaining the association between changes in perceived support and intentions to drop out. A post-intervention examination in 2018 found that the GAA had established 95 Super Games Centres since 2015, and this has led to an increase in 7,012 new participants between the ages of 12-16 years. Future research and implications for social support intervention methodology are discussed

Winning students are employable students

First paragraph: Skills and employability have a direct impact on life opportunities. Understanding how skills are learned, developed, applied, maintained and adapted over time can facilitate improving the employability of individuals. Sports scholars are a unique population for investigation as they need to maintain a wide range of skills and acquire new ones in order to perform in two domains (education and sport). The ability to refine a previous skill, or learn new skills that may be required to be effective in a new domain or wider activity, is an important issue for society as a prosperous economy depends on the development of new skills

Attributions: Contemporary research and future directions

This article focuses on the doctoral research of the winner of the 2009 DSEP PhD Dissertation Prize, Peter Coffee. Based upon proposals by Rees et al. (2005), seven studies are discussed, collectively providing support for the following propositions: (a) controllability is an important attribution dimension; (b) sport attribution research should examine alternative perspectives to those of Weiner's (1979, 1985, 1986) model; and (c) attribution research should move beyond examining main effects of attribution dimensions to exploring interactive effects. The programme of research demonstrates the potential theoretical and applied advantages for examining an expanded conceptualisation of generalisability dimensions, together with testing interactive effects of attribution dimensions. The article concludes with suggestions for future research

Understanding the psychosocial processes of physical activity for individuals with severe mental illness: A meta-ethnography

First paragraph: Physical activity can benefit individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) (Richardson et al., 2005). The benefits of physical activity for individuals with SMI are threefold: psychological, social and physical. Psychologically, patients can experience mood elevating effects, reduced anxiety, improved concentration, increased self-esteem and reduced psychiatric symptoms like voices (Faulkner & Biddle, 1999). Socially, co-patients in the physical activity setting can motivate, support and encourage interaction (Fogarty & Happell, 2005), facilitating the development of a positive social identity. Physically, patients can combat a significant side effect of anti-psychotic medication such as weight loss (Faulkner et al., 2003)

GAA super game centre research report

First paragraph: Drop out from youth sport participation is a global issue that has emerged to become a major public health concern around the world. The initial catalyst for this multi-year research effort stemmed from a trend within GAA participation which points to a substantial drop out (58%) between the ages of 12 to 22 years. The GAA have responded to this challenge by forming a collaborative partnership with a group of international leading experts from the University of Stirling

Benefit or cost? A rookie driver’s perception of high cohesion

Cohesion is a multidimensional dynamic construct incorporating both task and social elements of a team: how members come together and remain unified in pursuit of team goals. Cohesion is vital for team harmony and the many advantages have been extensively studied. Some other research has evidenced the disadvantages of high team cohesion. Cohesion’s impact on performance is unclear. Cohesion can impact performance both positively and negatively. High cohesion contributes to harmful group processes such as deindividuation and group think: this could negatively affect performance. The purpose of this investigation was to develop understanding of how the important psychological costs of high cohesion in motorsport impacts performance. This was a mixed method case study of a World Rally Championship team across an entire competitive season. Narrative theory framed the case study process with the main qualitative data derived from interviews with the motorsport driver after each competition of the season and at the end of the season. 7.5 hours of data were thematically analyzed. Performance and cohesion were measured by self-rating across the season. Cohesion was consistently high, but performance wasn’t reciprocated accordingly. High cohesion produced 4 psychological costs: pressure to conform with normative influence, rigid demands and methods with narrow goal focus, communication issues and pressure to perform. This case study supports previous literature that proposes that high cohesion potentially negatively impacts performance through these psychological costs which can work to disrupt effective communication. A new model is offered to minimize the detrimental impact on performance produced through the psychological costs of high team cohesion

It Depends on the Partner: Person-related Sources of Efficacy Beliefs and Performance for Athlete Pairs

This study explored person-related sources of variance in athletes’ efficacy beliefs and performances when performing in pairs with distinguishable roles differing in partner dependence. College cheerleaders (n = 102) performed their role in repeated performance trials of two low- and two high-difficulty paired-stunt tasks with three different partners. Data were obtained on self-, other-, and collective efficacies and subjective performances, and objective performance assessments were obtained from digital recordings. Using the Social Relations Model framework, total variance in each belief/assessment was partitioned, for each role, into numerical components of person-related variance relative to the self, the other, and the collective. Variance component by performance role by task-difficulty RM-ANOVAs revealed the largest person-related variance component differed by athlete role and increased in size in high-difficulty tasks. Results suggest the extent athlete performance depends on a partner relates to the extent the partner is a source of self-, other-, and collective efficacy

The PASS-Q: The Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire

This article provides initial evidence for the construct validity of the Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire (PASS-Q), which assesses emotional, esteem, informational, and tangible support. In Study 1, con analyses provided evidence for a four-dimension factor structure. Correlations supported hypothesized relationships between the PASS-Q dimensions and the Social Support Survey questions (Richman, Rosenfeld, & Hardy, 1993). In Study 2, the four-dimension factor structure was supported in an independent sample. Further, higher levels of perceived available emotional, esteem, informational, and tangible support were associated with higher levels of self-con levels of burnout. Researchers are encouraged to use the PASS-Q to examine the effects of perceived available support in sport contexts.!rmatory factor!dence and lowe

The TRAMS: The Team-Referent Attributions Measure in Sport

Objectives: To provide initial evidence for the construct, concurrent, and predictive validity of the Team-Referent Attributions Measure in Sport (the TRAMS). Design: Cross-sectional in Studies 1 and 2, and multiple time points in Study 3. Method: Study 1 required participants (N = 500) to complete the TRAMS for their "least successful" and "most successful" performances in the preceding three months. In Study 2, after performance, participants (N = 515) completed the TRAMS and the Causal Dimension Scale for Teams (CDS-T; Greenlees et al., 2005). Study 3 required participants (N = 165) to complete a measure of pre-competition collective-efficacy prior to performance (Day 1, Time 1), the TRAMS following performance (Day 1, Time 2), and a measure of subsequent collective-efficacy prior to subsequent performance (Day 7-9, Time 3). Results: Study 1 supported the factor structure of the TRAMS across least successful and most successful conditions. Study 2 provided further support for the factor structure of the TRAMS, together with evidence of concurrent validity with subscales of the CDS-T. Study 3 revealed, following team defeat, interactions between controllability and generalisability dimensions: Controllability had a significant effect upon subsequent collective-efficacy when causes of team defeat were also perceived to generalise across situations and/or across teams. Following team victory, stable attributions were positively associated with subsequent collective-efficacy. Conclusions: This article provides initial evidence for the validity of the TRAMS and demonstrates for team-referent attributions the theoretical advantages of examining a broader conceptualisation of generalisability attributions and interactive effects of attributions