An Examination of Social Physique Anxiety among College Students: A Mixed Methodological Approach

Hart, Leary, and Rejeski (1989) defined the anxiety and/or fear associated with one’s physique being evaluated as Social Physique Anxiety (SPA). Since then, numerous studies have examined this psychological construct (Crawford & Eklund, 1994; Focht & Hausenblas, 2004; Russell & Cox, 2003). However, little research has been found examining this phenomenon within current college students. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the association between SPA, gender, and self-efficacy levels among college-aged students experiencing physical activity courses requiring exercise. A secondary purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine specific physique qualities among those with high and low levels of SPA. Participants included 237 undergraduate students at a Southeastern University participating in jogging, body conditioning, or weight training courses. After separating participants into high/low categories based on self-efficacy scores, analyses were conducted on the remaining 106 male (n = 56) and female (n = 50) participants. Results of the study indicated a significant, inverse relationship between SPA and self-efficacy (r = -.67). Analysis of Variance yielded a significant main effect for gender, as females experienced significantly higher SPA (p =.004). Qualitative themes identified those experiencing high SPA had a dislike for their physique, leading to feelings of a need for physique improvement and lower self-confidence. In contrast, those experiencing low SPA were pleased with their physique, and felt comfortable in social settings. This information could aid in creating interventions designed to decrease SPA prevalence (Scott, 2005) and increase levels of self-efficacy among the current college-aged student population

The combinatorics of Borel covers

In this paper we extend previous studies of selection principles for families of open covers of sets of real numbers to also include families of countable Borel covers. The main results of the paper could be summarized as follows: 1. Some of the classes which were different for open covers are equal for Borel covers -- Section 1; 2. Some Borel classes coincide with classes that have been studied under a different guise by other authors -- Section 4.Comment: Regular updat

Effects of a training program to enhance autonomy supportive behaviors among youth soccer coaches

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and implementation of a training emphasizing the use of autonomy supportive coaching behaviors among youth soccer coaches in game-play situations as well as evaluating its effects on motivational processes among athletes. Participants included youth sport soccer coaches and their intact teams. Coaches received a series of autonomy-supportive coaching training interventions based on successful programs in general and physical education (Reeve, Jang, Carrell, Jeon & Barch, 2004; Cheon, Reeve & Moon, 2012). Athletes completed questionnaires to assess perceived autonomy support, basic need satisfaction, and motivation (Harris & Watson, 2011). Observations indicated coaches were not able to significantly modify their behaviors, yet reflectively reported modest implementation of autonomy supportive behaviors. Coaches believed the training influenced their coaching style/philosophy in regards to the coach-athlete relationship and communication styles, emphasizing choice and rationales. Continued research is needed to enhance use of autonomy supportive behaviors with volunteer coaches in a youth sport environment

The Relationship of Gender and Self-Efficacy on Social Physique Anxiety among College Students

International Journal of Exercise Science 8(3): 234-242, 2015. The anxiety or fear associated with physique evaluation is defined as Social Physique Anxiety (SPA). Numerous studies have examined this construct, yet a gap exists exploring this phenomenon among current college students with SPA, self-efficacy, and gender concurrently. Therefore, the purposes of this study included quantitatively analyzing the association between SPA, gender, and self-efficacy. Participants included 237 students at a Southeastern university participating in jogging, body conditioning, or weight training courses. Analysis of Variance yielded a significant main effect for self-efficacy as well, as those with lower self-efficacy displayed higher levels of SPA (p\u3c 0.001). Stepwise regression analysis indicated self-efficacy and gender were both significant predictors of SPA. This information could aid in creating interventions designed to decrease the prevalence of SPA and increase levels of self-efficacy among the current college student population

An examination of a psychological skills intervention in an exercise program for overweight and obese individuals

Obesity may be defined as a state in which an individual has accrued an excess amount of body fat that may be dangerous for one’s overall health (CDC, 2015; Flegel, Carroll, & Ogden, 2012). One treatment option for obesity is bariatric surgery, which has been found to be effective when a large amount of weight loss is necessary (ASMBS, 2015). Physical activity participation has also been found to be a viable adjunctive treatment for weight management, decreasing disease risk, and improving overall quality of life for those who undergo bariatric surgery (Coen & Goodpaster, 2016; Hunt & Gross, 2009; Steele, Cuthbertson, & Wilding, 2015). Current research has demonstrated the use of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) intervention in conjunction with exercise to increase self-efficacy while promoting exercise adherence and behavior change (Annesi & Gorjala, 2010b). However, there is a gap in literature on physical activity combined with behavioral intervention as a means of weight loss and lifestyle change for these individuals. The Bariatric Exercise Lifestyle Transformation (BELT) program is designed to help overweight and obese individuals adopt a physically active lifestyle by learning to exercise safely and effectively. Little research has been conducted regarding the use of psychological skills to increase positive self-perceptions, self-efficacy for exercise and the transition from the 16-week BELT program to lifestyle physical activity. Therefore, the Following a Lifestyle of Wellness (FLOW) program has been developed as the behavioral component of the BELT program and includes 16-weeks of psychological skills education and practice. FLOW is based on SCT (Bandura, 2004), and includes psychological and behavioral strategies designed to increase self-efficacy and the motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle, as well as identifying the means to overcome potential barriers and avoid relapse. This study examined the effectiveness of the FLOW intervention aimed at increasing self-efficacy and positive self-perceptions while encouraging physical activity maintenance in a bariatric population, and explored the practicality of implementing the FLOW intervention into the existing BELT program. As part of a feasibility study, 11 participants (10 females and 1 male) completed the FLOW program. A variety of data sources were used to assess the effectiveness of the program including self-report questionnaires, intervention evaluations, and semi-structured interviews. Results indicated participants enjoyed the program and felt an increased sense of confidence and readiness to continue with a physically active lifestyle upon program graduation. Interviews indicated that individuals believed the FLOW program was effective for increasing positive self-perceptions, learning psychological skills necessary for behavior change, and improving motivation to exercise. The most effective psychological skills sessions were found to be goal setting, future preparation and planning, and stress management. Participants noted the support and accountability from the program facilitator enhanced their experience, and suggestions for improvement were also provided. This information can be used to improve the FLOW program moving forward. The findings of this study will not only benefit the existing BELT program, but serve as foundational for the development of similar programs in other bariatric and clinical settings

Star-Hurewicz and related properties

[EN] We continue the investigation of star selection principles first considered. We are concentrated onto star versions of the Hurewicz covering property and star selection principles related to the classes of open covers which have been recently introduced.The first and the second authors were supported by MURST - PRA 2000. The third author (corresponding author) was supported by MSRS, grant N0 1233.Bonanzinga, M.; Cammaroto, F.; Kocinac, LD. (2004). Star-Hurewicz and related properties. Applied General Topology. 5(1):79-89. https://doi.org/10.4995/agt.2004.199679895

Some new directions in infinite-combinatorial topology

We give a light introduction to selection principles in topology, a young subfield of infinite-combinatorial topology. Emphasis is put on the modern approach to the problems it deals with. Recent results are described, and open problems are stated. Some results which do not appear elsewhere are also included, with proofs.Comment: Small update

Adding many Baumgartner clubs

I define a homogeneous ℵ2–c.c. proper product forcing for adding many clubs of ω1 with finite conditions. I use this forcing to build models of b(ω1)=ℵ2, together with d(ω1) and 2ℵ0 large and with very strong failures of club guessing at ω1

The combinatorics of the Baer-Specker group

Denote the integers by Z and the positive integers by N. The groups Z^k (k a natural number) are discrete, and the classification up to isomorphism of their (topological) subgroups is trivial. But already for the countably infinite power Z^N of Z, the situation is different. Here the product topology is nontrivial, and the subgroups of Z^N make a rich source of examples of non-isomorphic topological groups. Z^N is the Baer-Specker group. We study subgroups of the Baer-Specker group which possess group theoretic properties analogous to properties introduced by Menger (1924), Hurewicz (1925), Rothberger (1938), and Scheepers (1996). The studied properties were introduced independently by Ko\v{c}inac and Okunev. We obtain purely combinatorial characterizations of these properties, and combine them with other techniques to solve several questions of Babinkostova, Ko\v{c}inac, and Scheepers.Comment: To appear in IJ

Combinatorics of Open Covers VI: Selectors for Sequences of Dense Sets

We consider the following two selection principles for topological spaces: [Principle 1:] { For each sequence of dense subsets, there is a sequence of points from the space, the n-th point coming from the n-th dense set, such that this set of points is dense in the space; [Principle 2:]{ For each sequence of dense subsets, there is a sequence of finite sets, the n-th a subset of the n-th dense set, such that the union of these finite sets is dense in the space. We show that for separable metric space X one of these principles holds for the space C_p(X) of realvalued continuous functions equipped with the pointwise convergence topology if, and only if, a corresponding principle holds for a special family of open covers of X. An example is given to show that these equivalences do not hold in general for Tychonoff spaces. It is further shown that these two principles give characterizations for two popular cardinal numbers, and that these two principles are intimately related to an infinite game that was studied by Berner and Juhasz