Population change of Common Buzzards Buteo buteo in central southern England between 2011 and 2016

Capsule: Distance sampling identified an increase in estimated population size of Common Buzzards Buteo buteo in central southern England between 2011 and 2016 of more than 50%. The rate of population growth slowed in later years. Aims: To assess the utility of a targeted distance sampling protocol to derive seasonal and annual population estimates for Common Buzzards across an area of southern England. Methods: We used a line transect survey methodology and multiple covariate distance sampling to assess population density and abundance of Common Buzzards in spring and autumn between 2011 and 2016 across a 2600 km2 area of central southern England. Results: Estimated population size increased by more than 50%, from approximately 2900 to 4500 individuals, across the period in a trend similar to that shown by Breeding Bird Survey data. Discussion: A slowing of the growth in population size of Common Buzzards in central southern England suggests that the species may be approaching carrying capacity in this area. These results also suggest that currently employed broad scale survey methodologies adequately reflect the general population trends for this species. Our data provide the first published estimates of the Common Buzzard population in central southern England derived from direct empirical assessment

Psychological Well-Being in the Coach-Athlete-SEPP triad: The Case for an Interpersonal Perspective

The importance of psychological well-being (PWB) is widely acknowledged in global research and policy and has important ramifications for health, performance, and engagement in high-performance sport organizations. Despite this compelling knowledge, and investigation of well-being at an individual level, little is known about PWB among close sport relationships. The aim of this presentation is to explore the interpersonal antecedents and outcomes of PWB among athletes, coaches, and sport and exercise psychology practitioners (SEPPs). Underpinned by an interpretative paradigm, triadic interview methods were used to collect data on the interpersonal nature of PWB among three coach-athlete-SEPP triads (n=12) within individual-based sports. Data were analysed using an abductive approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Themes that reflected the interpersonal nature of well-being among the coach-athlete-SEPP triad included: shared values and characteristics, meaningful experiences of growth and development, interpersonal resilience, factors linked to the organization (e.g., perception of organizational climate), psychological safety, situational properties of stress, and relational dynamics (e.g., alignment, adjustment and development, underpinning relational properties). PWB was found to be transferred among the triad through three interpersonal mechanisms (i.e., interpersonal coping, emotional contagion, and social appraisal). These findings implicate two key recommendations. First, we recommend that researchers extend understanding of how PWB changes over time among key close relationships in sport to extend theoretical knowledge. Second, organizations and practitioners are encouraged to consider how interventions, mentoring, and relationship-building schemes can be tailored within wider education and support packages to augment and manage PWB among their athletes, coaches, and support personnel

Retrospective Versus Momentary Methods: A Necessary Balance in the Study of Psychological Well-Being in Sport Organizations?

Objectives:A constellation of qualitative research has focused on organizational sport psychology in recent decades (Wagstaff & Larner, 2015). Using retrospective (e.g., interviews) and momentary (e.g., diaries) methods, research has yielded insights to the psychological well-being (PWB) of those operating within sport organizations. Methodological critiques have, however, polarized opinion on the use of retrospective and momentary designs. This presentation critically evaluates and reflects on these methods and their usefulness for future qualitative research on PWB.Methods:This presentation is informed by two qualitative empirical studies that we have recently conducted. The first study comprised three athletes, three coaches, and three practitioners and used individual and triadic semi-structured interviews to unpack individual and interpersonal PWB. The second study included five performance directors who engaged in two interviews and interval-contingent audio-recorded diaries that captured changes to PWB over a 28-day period.Findings and Discussion:The authors reflect on three methodological considerations: 1) how each method facilitates sharing of PWB experiences (e.g., via freedom, privacy, autonomy), 2) researcher contributions during each method (e.g., offering opportunity for catharsis), and 3) the interplay between methods (e.g., sense-making of real-time experiences). These considerations emphasize the need for balanced and integrated use of retrospective and momentary methods when studying PWB in sport.Conclusions:This presentation examines the usefulness of retrospective and momentary qualitative methods when exploring PWB. We recommend that researchers capture momentary real-time verbalizations of PWB whilst harnessing the sense- and meaning-making capacities afforded by interviews. Such endeavours would extend understanding of PWB in sport organizations

Unpacking interpersonal stress and well-being in competitive sport: Confessional tales of a doctoral researcher

Purpose: The objectives of this paper are to present a series of tales on how an early-career researcher has started to unpack the underexplored topic of interpersonal stress and well-being in competitive sport.Background: Understanding psychological stress and well-being has been a long-standing endeavour for sport psychology researchers, practitioners, and performers. In addition to the copious knowledge accumulated on individual experiences of stress (e.g., stressors, appraisals, emotions, and coping) and its associated outcomes (e.g., well-being), emerging literature has turned to interpersonal psychology (e.g., dyads, contagion). A lens that has progressed conceptual understanding of transactional stress. In doing so, research has unearthed how dyadic (e.g., coach-athlete) and triadic (e.g., coach-athlete-practitioner) relationships are collectively experienced, coped with, and managed by the people within them. Such progress is reflected on herein to synthesize how these concepts have been understood and applied within the research process.Methods: Through confessional tales, the researcher highlights his first-person experience of the dilemmas, uncertainty, and tensions in exploring interpersonal stress and well-being in sport. These tales unpack the conceptual, methodological, and moral difficulties experienced in the research process and are focused on three key areas: understanding the research landscape, emotional contagion within triadic interviews, and handling counter-transference in research.Conclusions: In summary, these confessional tales highlight the lessons learned when trying to understand an underexplored research area. Key recommendations are provided for sport psychology researchers and practitioners that reinforces the importance of broadening conceptual and methodological horizons, and in developing greater understanding of interpersonal stress management tools

Interpersonal psychological well-being among coach-athlete-sport psychology practitioner triads

The importance of psychological well-being (PWB) is widely acknowledged in global policy and has important ramifications for health, performance, and engagement among sport performers. Despite this compelling knowledge, little is known about PWB in close sport relationships. We aimed to explore the interpersonal antecedents, transfer mechanisms, and outcomes of PWB within and among athletes, coaches, and sport psychology practitioners (SPPs). Underpinned by an interpretative paradigm, we conducted individual and triadic interviews with three coach-athlete-SPP triads from individual sports and analyzed data using abductive reasoning applied to reflexive thematic analysis. The themes we constructed relating to antecedents of PWB were situational properties of stressors, factors relating to the organization, shared values and characteristics, and interpersonal resilience. PWB was transferred among the triad via interpersonal coping, emotional contagion, and social appraising. PWB was cyclic in nature and, thus, we constructed themes (i.e., psychological safety, meaningful experiences of growth and development, and relational dynamics), which represented those factors that acted as both antecedents and outcomes. Our findings transcend individual understandings of PWB in sport by representing the first interpersonal examination of PWB among coach-athlete-SPP triads. This shift is crucial for informing how performers can collectively evaluate and manage PWB in the context of their close sport relationships. These findings implicate two primary recommendations: first, we recommend that researchers extend conceptual understanding of PWB among those in close sport relationships. Second, organizations and practitioners are encouraged to consider how mentoring and relationship-building schemes can be tailored within wider education and support programs to bolster PWB among athletes, coaches, and practitioners

Novel loci for adiponectin levels and their influence on type 2 diabetes and metabolic traits: A multi-ethnic meta-analysis of 45,891 individuals

Circulating levels of adiponectin, a hormone produced predominantly by adipocytes, are highly heritable and are inversely associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and other metabolic traits. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in 39,883 individuals of European ancestry to identify genes associated with metabolic disease. We identified 8 novel loci associated with adiponectin levels and confirmed 2 previously reported loci (P = 4.5×10−8- 1.2 ×10−43). Using a novel method to combine data across ethnicities (N = 4,232 African Americans, N = 1,776 Asians, and N = 29,347 Europeans), we identified two additional novel loci. Expression analyses of 436 human adipocyte samples revealed that mRNA levels of 18 genes at candidate regions were associated with adiponectin concentrations after accounting for multiple testing (p<3×10−4). We next developed a multi-SNP genotypic risk score to test the association of adiponectin decreasing risk alleles on metabolic traits and diseases using consortia-level meta-analytic data. This risk score was associated with increased risk of T2D (p = 4.3×10−3, n = 22,044), increased triglycerides (p = 2.6×10−14, n = 93,440), increased waist-to-hip ratio (p = 1.8×10−5, n = 77,167), increased glucose two hours post oral glucose tolerance testing (p = 4.4×10−3, n = 15,234), increased fasting insulin (p = 0.015, n = 48,238), but with lower in HDL- cholesterol concentrations (p = 4.5×10−13, n = 96,748) and decreased BMI (p = 1.4×10−4, n = 121,335). These findings identify novel genetic determinants of adiponectin levels, which, taken together, influence risk of T2D and markers of insulin resistance