Understanding the Coping Process from a Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Purpose: To explore conceptual links between the Cognitive-Motivational-Relational Theory of coping (Lazarus, 1991) and Self-Determination Theory of motivation (Deci & Ryan, 1985) Method: We present a very brief overview of the two theories. We also discuss how components from the two theories can be examined together to facilitate research in the health/exercise domain. To this effect, we offer a preliminary integrated model of stress, coping and motivation, based on the two aforementioned theories, in an attempt to illustrate and instigate research on how motivational factors are implicated in the coping process. Conclusion: We believe that the proposed model can serve as a platform for generating new research ideas which, besides their theoretical relevance, may have important applied implications

Psychological needs and the prediction of exercise-related cognitions and affect among an ethnically diverse cohort of adult women

Previous research has highlighted a need for identifying the psychological strategies which best maximize the affective responses to exercise (e.g., Blanchard, Rodgers, & Gauvin, 2004). The present study compared the effects on affective responses of using different imagery types while exercising. Participants (N = 75, mean age = 20.2 years, SD = 1.33) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 imagery conditions (i.e., enjoyment imagery, energy imagery, or technique imagery). Affect was recorded before and after 20 min of moderate intensity cycle ergometry (50% Heart Rate Reserve) using the Exercise-Induced Feeling Inventory (EFI; Gauvin & Rejeski, 1993) and the Feeling Scale (Hardy & Rejeski, 1989). Controlling for affect reported before the exercise bout, the enjoyment imagery group reported significantly higher levels of postexercise valence than the energy and technique imagery groups and higher revitalization than the technique imagery group. These findings indicate that enjoyment imagery could be used to further improve the affective benefits associated with exercise

How can large-scale twisted magnetic structures naturally emerge from buoyancy instabilities?

We consider the three-dimensional instability of a layer of horizontal magnetic field in a polytropic atmosphere where, contrary to previous studies, the field lines in the initial state are not unidirectional. We show that if the twist is initially concentrated inside the unstable layer, the modifications of the instability reported by several authors (see e.g. Cattaneo et al. (1990)) are only observed when the calculation is restricted to two dimensions. In three dimensions, the usual interchange instability occurs, in the direction fixed by the field lines at the interface between the layer and the field-free region. We therefore introduce a new configuration: the instability now develops in a weakly magnetised atmosphere where the direction of the field can vary with respect to the direction of the strong unstable field below, the twist being now concentrated at the upper interface. Both linear stability analysis and non-linear direct numerical simulations are used to study this configuration. We show that from the small-scale interchange instability, large-scale twisted coherent magnetic structures are spontaneously formed, with possible implications to the formation of active regions from a deep-seated solar magnetic field

Echoes in Age From the World of J.R.R. Tolkien

An author who encountered Tolkien at Oxford recounts a series of personal and literary responses after long familiarity with Tolkien’s work

Physical activity barriers in the workplace : an exploration of factors contributing to non-participation in a UK workplace physical activity intervention

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore factors contributing to non-participation in a workplace physical activity (PA) intervention in a large UK call centre. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 16 inactive individuals (nine male/seven female), aged 27±9 years, who had not taken part in the intervention were interviewed to explore their perceptions of PA, the intervention and factors which contributed to their non-participation. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings – Six superordinate themes were identified: self-efficacy for exercise; attitudes towards PA; lack of time and energy; facilities and the physical environment; response to the PA programme and PA culture. Barriers occurred at multiple levels of influence, and support the use of ecological or multilevel models to help guide future programme design/delivery. Research limitations/implications – The 16 participants were not selected to be representative of the workplace gender or structure. Future intentions relating to PA participation were not considered and participants may have withheld negative opinions about the workplace or intervention despite use of an external researcher. Practical implications – In this group of employees education about the importance of PA for young adults and providing opportunities to gain social benefits from PA would increase perceived benefits and reduce perceived costs of PA. Workplace cultural norms with respect to PA must also be addressed to create a shift in PA participation. Originality/value – Employees’ reasons for non-participation in workplace interventions remain poorly understood and infrequently studied. The study considers a relatively under-studied population of employed young adults, providing practical recommendations for future interventions

The SCUBA Local Universe Galaxy Survey I: First Measurements of the Submillimetre Luminosity and Dust Mass Functions

We have used SCUBA to observe a complete sample of 104 galaxies selected at 60 microns from the IRAS BGS and we present here the 850 micron measurements. Fitting the 60,100 and 850 micron fluxes with a single temperature dust model gives the sample mean temperature T=36 K and beta = 1.3. We do not rule out the possibility of dust which is colder than this, if a 20 K component was present then our dust masses would increase by factor 1.5-3. We present the first measurements of the luminosity and dust mass functions, which were well fitted by Schechter functions (unlike those 60 microns). We have correlated many global galaxy properties with the submillimetre and find that there is a tendancy for less optically luminous galaxies to contain warmer dust and have greater star formation efficiencies (cf. Young 1999). The average gas-to-dust ratio for the sample is 581 +/- 43 (using both atomic and molecular hydrogen), significantly higher than the Galactic value of 160. We believe this discrepancy is due to a cold dust component at T < 20 K. There is a suprisingly tight correlation between dust mass and the mass of molecular hydrogen as estimated from CO measurements, with an intrinsic scatter of ~50%.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, 8 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Accumulation is late and brief in preferential choice

Preferential choices are often explained using models within the evidence accumulation framework: value drives the drift rate at which evidence is accumulated until a threshold is reached and an option is chosen. Although rarely stated explicitly, almost all such models assume that decision makers have knowledge at the onset of the choice of all available attributes and options. In reality however, choice information is viewed piece-by-piece, and is often not completely acquired until late in the choice, if at all. Across four eye-tracking experiments, we show that whether the information was acquired early or late is irrelevant in predicting choice: all that matters is whether or not it was acquired at all. Models with potential alternative assumptions were posited and tested, such as 1) accumulation of instantaneously available information or 2) running estimates as information is acquired. These provided poor fits to the data. We are forced to conclude that participants either are clairvoyant, accumulating using information before they have looked at it, or delay accumulating evidence until very late in the choice, so late that the majority of choice time is not time in which evidence is accumulated. Thus, although the evidence accumulation framework may still be useful in measurement models, it cannot account for the details of the processes involved in decision making