Gender differences in motivation and perception of utility of the scholar spot

El principal objetivo del estudio es analizar las diferencias entre el nivel de autodeterminación y la satisfacción de las necesidades psicológicas básicas en función del género y su incidencia sobre la percepción de utilidad del deporte. Participaron en el estudio 1897 jóvenes jugadores de baloncesto, balonmano, fútbol y voleibol (1378 chicos y 519 chicas). Diferentes instrumentos fueron utilizados para medir las distintas variables abordadas en el estudio. Los resultados mostraron que los chicos presentan puntuaciones más altas en todos los tipos de motivación y que su sentimiento de competencia es más elevado que el de las chicas. Por otro lado, la motivación autodeterminada y la satisfacción de las necesidades conducen a percibir mayor utilidad del deporte en ambos génerosThe aim of the study was to analyze the differences between self-determination level and satisfaction of the three psychological needs with respect to gender and their influence on the perception of utility of the sport. The sample comprised 1897 basketball, handball, football and volleyball young players (1378 boys and 519 girls). Different measures were used to examine the differences between the variables contained in the study. Results showed that boys were more intrinsically and extrinsically motivated and showed less a motivation than girls, as well as their scored higher in competence than girls. However, both for boys and girls, self-determined motivation and psychological needs satisfaction led to a greater perception of utility of the spor

Analysis of the group process and the performance in semiprofessional soccer

El principal objetivo del estudio es aplicar un modelo teórico analizando dos de los antecedentes de la eficacia colectiva, el clima motivacional y la cohesión grupal, y su principal consecuencia como es el rendimiento. Los participantes fueron 203 futbolistas que participaban en el grupo XIV de la Liga Nacional de Tercera División, que rellenaron diversos instrumentos para valorar el clima motivacional, la cohesión y la eficacia colectiva. Los resultados obtenidos señalan que el modelo teórico que se aplica confirma que el clima que implica a la tarea predice la cohesión grupal. Además, la cohesión tarea se manifiesta como el principal predictor de la eficacia colectiva, y ésta a su vez del rendimiento. La principal conclusión es que para optimizar la percepción de eficacia colectiva y con ello, la mejora del rendimiento, parece fundamental que los entrenadores planteen estrategias para fomentar los aspectos tarea del clima motivacional y la cohesión grupal en los jugadores.The main aim of the study was to test a theoretical model examining two of the antecedents of the collective efficacy, motivational climate and group cohesion, as well as performance as their principal consequence. Participants were 203 footballers who played in the XIV group of National League in Third Division and filled several instruments to assess motivational climate, cohesion and collective efficacy. The theoretical model showed that mastery climate predicted group cohesion. Furthermore, task cohesion emerged as the strongest predictor of collective efficacy, and this variable predicted performance. The main conclusion is that to optimize perception of collective efficacy and so, increase performance, it seems important that coaches promote strategies to enhance task related motivational climate and group cohesion in players

Influence of coaches training on athletes motivation

El objetivo del estudio era conocer la influencia de las formaciones académica y federativa de los entrenadores sobre los niveles de motivación, diversión, aburrimiento e intención de persistencia en jóvenes deportistas. Para ello, participaron 432 jóvenes con edades entre 10 y 16 años (M = 13,44; DT = 2,92), pertenecientes a disciplinas deportivas individuales (n = 162) y colectivas (n = 270), de género masculino (n = 245) y femenino (n = 187), seleccionados mediante un muestreo por conglomerados. También, participaron 88 entrenadores deportivos, con edades entre los 20 y 56 años (M = 35,79; DT = 9,58). Se llevó a cabo un análisis de diferencias en función de la cualificación académica y federativa de los entrenadores. Los resultados señalaron que los deportistas dirigidos por entrenadores sin formación federativa presentaban mayores niveles de desmotivación. Asimismo, los deportistas entrenados por técnicos sin titulación académica obtuvieron mayores puntuaciones en las regulaciones extrínsecas (identificada y externa). Por tanto, los hallazgos respaldan parcialmente la relevancia de la formación de los entrenadores, obteniéndose diferencias en regulaciones alejadas del máximo nivel de autodeterminación (externa), desmotivación y aburrimientoThe aim of the study was to examine the influence of the coaches´ academic and federative training on motivation, enjoyment, boredom and intention to persist levels in youth athletes. Participants were 432 youth athletes (male = 245, female = 187) ranged from 10 to 16 years old (M = 13.44; SD = 2.92) who participated in individual (n = 163) and collectives sports (n = 270) selected by cluster sampling. Moreover, 88 sport coaches, ranged from 20 to 56 years old (M = 35,79; SD = 9,58), participated in the study. An analysis of differences with regard to academic and federative coaches´ qualification was conducted. Results revealed that athletes trained by coaches without federative training showed greater amotivation levels. Moreover, individuals trained by coaches without academic qualification had higher scores in extrinsic regulation (identified and external). Therefore, findings partially supported the relevance of coaches’ qualification levels, due to the differences found in some extrinsic regulations (external), amotivation and boredo

Changes in compliance with school-based physical activity recommendations in Spanish youth: The UP&DOWN longitudinal study

The study aimed (a) to examine changes in physical activity (PA) during the whole day, school hours, recess, and physical education classes (PEC) during a 2-year period in primary and secondary students; (b) to identify changes in the proportion of compliance with specific PA recommendations for these periods; and (c) to examine whether PA levels at baseline are associated with PA levels 2 years later. Eight hundred and fourteen (51.8% boys) children and 658 (50.1% boys) adolescents from 41 Spanish schools participated in the study. Hip-worn accelerometers were used to assess PA during different time periods. Light PA (LPA) declined during the whole day, school hours, recess (all P < 0.001, except child girls for recess), and PEC (all, P < 0.05) in children and adolescents. Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) during the whole day and recess declined in child boys (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively) and adolescent boys (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). MVPA during PEC declined in adolescent boys (P < 0.001) and adolescent girls (all P < 0.05). The proportion of compliance with the specific PA recommendations for these periods declined (P < 0.05), except for PEC in adolescent girls. PA during the whole day at baseline was moderately associated with PA during the whole day years later (ICCs = 0.210-0.544, with one exception), but this association was lower for the school-based PA. In conclusion, time spent in MVPA and LPA during the whole day and recess declined over time in child and adolescent boys and during PEC in adolescents. These findings highlight the need to promote PA interventions in these settings

Resolving the complex structure of the dust torus in the active nucleus of the Circinus galaxy

To test the dust torus model for active galactic nuclei directly, we study the extent and morphology of the nuclear dust distribution in the Circinus galaxy using high resolution interferometric observations in the mid-infrared with the MIDI instrument at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. We find that the dust distribution in the nucleus of Circinus can be explained by two components, a dense and warm disk-like component of 0.4 pc size and a slightly cooler, geometrically thick torus component with a size of 2.0 pc. The disk component is oriented perpendicular to the ionisation cone and outflow and seems to show the silicate feature at 10 micron in emission. It coincides with a nuclear maser disk in orientation and size. From the energy needed to heat the dust, we infer a luminosity of the accretion disk corresponding to 20% of the Eddington luminosity of the nuclear black hole. We find that the interferometric data are inconsistent with a simple, smooth and axisymmetric dust emission. The irregular behaviour of the visibilities and the shallow decrease of the dust temperature with radius provide strong evidence for a clumpy or filamentary dust structure. We see no evidence for dust reprocessing, as the silicate absorption profile is consistent with that of standard galactic dust. We argue that the collimation of the ionising radiation must originate in the geometrically thick torus component. Our findings confirm the presence of a geometrically thick, torus-like dust distribution in the nucleus of Circinus, as required in unified schemes of Seyfert galaxies. Several aspects of our data require that this torus is irregular, or "clumpy".Comment: 20 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication by A&

The night-sky at the Calar Alto Observatory II: The sky at the near infrared

We present here the characterization of the night sky-brightness at the near-infrared, the telescope seeing, and the fraction of useful time at the Calar Alto observatory. For this study we have collected a large dataset comprising 7311 near-infrared images taken regularly along the last four years for the ALHAMBRA survey (J, H and Ks-bands), together with a more reduced dataset of additional near-infrared images taken for the current study. In addition we collected the information derived by the meteorological station at the observatory during the last 10 years, together with the results from the cloud sensor for the last ~2 years. We analyze the dependency of the near-infrared night sky-brightness with the airmass and the seasons, studying its origins and proposing a zenithal correction. A strong correlation is found between the night sky-brightness in the Ks-band and the air temperature, with a gradient of ~ -0.08 mag per 1 C degree. The typical (darkest) night sky-brightness in the J, H and Ks-band are 15.95 mag (16.95 mag), 13.99 mag (14.98 mag) and 12.39 mag (13.55 mag), respectively. These values show that Calar Alto is as dark in the near-infrared as most of the other astronomical astronomical sites in the world that we could compare with. Only Mauna Kea is clearly darker in the Ks-band. The typical telescope seeing at the 3.5m is ~1.0" when converted to the V-band, being only slightly larger than the atmospheric seeing measured at the same time by the seeing monitor, ~0.9". Finally we estimate the fraction of useful time based on the relative humidity, gust wind speed and presence of clouds. This fraction, ~72%, is very similar to the one derived in Paper I, based on the fraction of time when the extinction monitor is working.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, accepted to be published in PAS

Design of an Advanced Platform for Citizen Participation Committed to Ensuring Freedom of Speech

This paper presents a proposal for an advanced system of debate in an environment of digital democracy which overcomes the limitations of existing systems. We have been especially careful in applying security procedures in telematic systems, for they are to offer citizens the guarantees that society demands. New functional tools have been included to ensure user authentication and to permit anonymous participation where the system is unable to disclose or even to know the identity of system users. The platform prevents participation by non-entitled persons who do not belong to the authorized group from giving their opinion. Furthermore, this proposal allows for verifying the proper function of the system, free of tampering or fraud intended to alter the conclusions or outcomes of participation. All these tools guarantee important aspects of both a social and technical nature, most importantly: freedom of expression, equality and auditability

Efectos de una intervención escolar en la actividad física, el tiempo de sueño, el tiempo de pantalla y la dieta en niños

La inactividad física, los comportamientos sedentarios y el consumo de alimentos no saludables representan un problema de salud pública entre los adolescentes. El objetivo es examinar los efectos de una intervención escolar en los comportamientos de movimiento que interaccionan durante las 24 horas (actividad física, pantallas y sueño), la dieta mediterránea y el estado de salud. Se ha llevado a cabo un diseño cuasi-experimental, durante dos meses y medio. Han participado 121 niños, entre 8 y 9 años (M = 9.01 ± .09 años; 47.11% niñas), de dos escuelas de Educación Primaria, de los cuales 66 se han asignado al grupo control y 55 al grupo experimental. Se han desarrollado diez sesiones de tutoría, de una hora semanal, sobre hábitos saludables. Se han medido la actividad física, el tiempo de pantallas, la duración de sueño, la dieta mediterránea y el estado de salud, antes y después de la intervención, a través de cuestionarios. Los niños del grupo experimental muestran un incremento significativo en la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y en los valores de actividad física entre semana en comparación con sus valores iniciales. Además, los mayores valores iniciales en el grupo control en la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y en la proporción de sujetos activos, han desaparecido entre los dos grupos después de la intervención. Un programa escolar implementado en las tutorías, a través de diez sesiones de una hora de duración, parece eficaz para mejorar la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y la proporción de niños activos, pero no para otros comportamientos relacionados con la salud. Multiple health-risk behaviors such as physical inactivity, sedentary behaviors or unhealthy diet represent a public health problem among adolescents. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of a school-based intervention on 24-hour movement behaviors (i.e., physical activity, screen-based behaviors, and sleep), Mediterranean diet, and self-rated health status. A quasi-experimental design has been carried out for two months and a half in a sample of 121 children, aged 8-9 years (M = 9.01 ± .09 years old; 47.11% girls), from two elementary schools. Sixty-six students from one of the schools has been assigned to the control group and 55 students from the other school has been included in the experimental group. In the experimental group, ten one-hour weekly sessions about knowledge, awareness, and practices of health-related behaviors have been implemented by a research group member through the tutorial action plan. 24-hour movement behaviors, Mediterranean diet, and self-rated health status has been measured before and after the school-based intervention using self-reported questionnaires. Experimental group children show a significant increase in adherence to the Mediterranean diet and being physically active during the weekdays compared to their baseline values. Moreover, the greater baseline values in the adherence to the Mediterranean diet, as well as being physically active during weekend days in the control group, disappear between both groups after the intervention. Ten one-hour sessions of a school-based intervention conducted through the tutorial action plan seem effective in improving children's adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the proportion of active children, but not other health-related behaviors

Motivación y burnout en profesores de educación física: incidencia de la frustración de las necesidades psicológicas básicas

A través del presente trabajo se pretende valorar la importanciade las necesidades psicológicas básicas para explicar y predecir el tipo demotivación y los niveles de burnout en profesores de educación física. Paraello, la muestra estuvo formada por 357 docentes de género masculino yfemenino, pertenecientes a diferentes centros educativos públicos y privadosde España. Se realizó un análisis de regresión lineal por cada variabledependiente, que indicaron cómo la frustración de la necesidad de competenciapredecía positivamente la desmotivación, el agotamiento emocionaly el cinismo, y negativamente la motivación intrínseca y la eficacia profesional;la frustración de autonomía predecía positivamente el agotamientosemocional y negativamente la eficacia profesional; y la frustración de relacionessociales predecía positivamente la eficacia profesional. Estos resultadosestán en la línea de la Teoría de la Autodeterminación (Deci y Ryan,2000; Ryan y Deci, 2000), destacando la importancia que adquieren lasatisfacción de autonomía, competencia y relaciones sociales para optimizarla motivación y el bienestar de los profesores de educación física