It has been demonstrated that craving for gambling is associated with anxiety and depression in pathological gamblers. Exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, as well as positively influence abstinence rates in individuals with substance use disorders. In this study, we examined the impact of a physical activity program in 33 pathological gamblers. We also analyzed the association between craving and plasmatic levels of stress hormones (adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, and prolactin). The program involved eight 50-min sessions. Craving was assessed 24 h before, immediately before, and immediately after each session, as well as on a weekly basis. Before and after the program, we evaluated gambling behavior, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and plasma levels of stress hormones. We identified a significant reduction in craving following each session and at the end of the program. There was improvement in anxiety, depressive symptoms, and gambling behavior. The post-session reduction in craving was accompanied by post-program reductions in craving and anxiety but not by a post-program reduction in depressive symptoms. The craving reduction was associated with a variation in prolactin levels but not with variations in levels of cortisol or adrenocorticotropic hormone.
Soccer players inescapably live under stress during the sportive career, and many real-life aspects of soccer situations operate in the ongoing performance. This study’s main objective was to elaborate the List of Stressors in Professional Indoor and Field Soccer, a self-report instrument designed to measure the impact of 77 soccer situations upon the sport performance. Participants were 138 indoor and field soccer players from the Brazilian Premier League. Each situation was evaluated on a 7-point scale, ranging from the most negative (−3) to the most positive (+3). Data were analyzed according to the players’ perception of the items: distress or eustress and its intensity, and after that, situations perceived as plus −1 and +1 were compared by time in which they were experienced and distributed among five categories established by the literature: Expectations about the Performance, Personal Factors, Competition Aspects, Training Demands, and Relationship with Significant People. Narratives of athletes’ experiences were also used to discuss the results. An Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling using Bi-factorial (BI-ESEM) was employed to assess the factor structure. For the total participants, 49 situations were perceived as distress and 28 as eustress. Using the criteria established a priori, the distribution was among the five categories in the remaining 32 situations. Differences in perception between less and more experienced players were found in 11 situations. The results revealed that Brazilian professional soccer players experience various stressful situations. These events are important representations of environmental demands and could predict the performance as they are perceived as eustress or distress. Some of these stressful situations are inherent in sport and others adjacent to the sports system or environment. Coach pressure to win and conflicts with teammates are examples of stressors in-sport, family problems and disputes with press or fans are examples of stressors external to the team, also called peripheral opponents, and showed the relative social influence of significant others in soccer performance. We can conclude that the knowledge of the direction of a given stress situation has important practical implications in preparing athletes and helping them face the performance stressors that are part of soccer daily life.
Recently, the skill to play games has led to the professionalization of the activity in the form of “eSports” (electronic sports). Despite the popularity of eSports, little is known about its professional players from a psychological perspective. Given the importance of the coach-created environment in the athletes’ motivational processes, this study aimed to investigate the key psychological dimensions of the coach-created climate in 75 Brazilian professional players of League of Legends (LoL) considering the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Achievement Goal Theory (AGT). Fourteen hypotheses were tested, of which seven were confirmed. The empowering climate was a predictor of basic psychological-needs satisfaction and indirectly influenced autonomous motivation. The need satisfaction had a significant impact on both autonomous motivation and on lack of motivation, which, in turn, explained 56% of the variance in well-being and the intention to keep playing eSports. The disempowering climate was a predictor of psychological-needs thwarting but had no significant impact on autonomous motivation or lack of motivation. The results obtained support SDT and AGT in the context of eSports and were similar to those conducted with athletes from traditional sports, indicating that the empowering-and-disempowering-coaching-climates conceptualization applies not only to traditional sports athletes but also to professional eSports players.
El objetivo de este trabajo fue adaptarse interculturalmente y examinar las propiedades psicométricas de la Performance Perfectionism Scale for Sport(PPS-S) para uso en la población brasileña. Este instrumento fue basado en el modelo teórico de Hewitt y Flett y desarrollado por Hill, Appleton y Mallinson para medir el perfeccionismo en un contexto específico del desempeño deportivo. La validación del instrumento siguió las directrices para adaptaciones transculturales de instrumentos de medidas en ciencias de la salud. Después de la adaptación cultural de la escala original en inglés, el instrumento fue aplicado en 953 atletas (15-16 años) de ambos sexos. El modelo original de la escala fue probado, con análisis factorial confirmatorio, utilizando el software LISREL (versión 9.30). Los resultados mostraron un ajuste satisfactorio con 3 factores y 9 ítems (χ2 = 116,15 p <0,001, RMSEA = 0,063, GFI = 0,974, AGFI = 0,961, NFI = 0,937, CFI = 0,928, NNFI = 915, χ2 / gl = 4,83). Las pruebas satisfactorias de consistencia interna también se generaron a través del análisis de cargas factoriales y valores t.Contrariamente, los índices de alfa de Cronbach y confiabilidad compuesta no fueron adecuados en la variable latente que se refiere al perfeccionismo auto-orientado. La varianza media extractada carecía de buen ajuste y sólo asumió validez convergente en uno de los tres factores del instrumento.La validez discriminante también sugiere evidencia poco contundente y, por lo tanto, más estudios con otras muestras de atletas son necesarios para evaluar de forma más adecuada las propiedades psicométricas del instrumento y afirmar su uso adecuado.
El objetivo principal de esta investigación fue adaptar y evaluar culturalmente las propiedades psicométricas del Life Orientation Test para el contexto deportivo (LOT-S). La muestra consistió en 953 jóvenes atletas brasileños de ambos sexos, con una edad media de 16 años. Los resultados del análisis factorial confirmatorio produjeron dos dimensiones correlacionadas, que reflejan optimismo y pesimismo, y brindaron apoyo para un modelo de dos factores. Se encontró un ajuste satisfactorio para LOT-S con 6 ítems (χ2=10.96, df=8; RMSEA=.020 (IC 90%=.021-.049); CFI=.995; TLI=990; NFI=.980; GFI=.996; SRMR=.032). También se generaron pruebas satisfactorias de consistencia interna a través del análisis de cargas factoriales y valores t. Los índices alfa de Cronbach (.68/ .65) y la Fiabilidad Compuesta (.72/ .65) fueron adecuados en las variables latentes Optimismo y Pesimismo, respectivamente. Los valores de varianza promedio extraídos fueron insatisfactorios, sin embargo, las correlaciones positivas con Optimismo y las correlaciones negativas con Pesimismo entre Motivación, Resiliencia y Bienestar fueron indicativas de validez convergente. Las correlaciones entre las variables latentes en comparación con las raíces cuadradas de los valores de varianza promedio extraídos de cada constructo mostraron que el modelo tiene validez discriminante. Se logró la invariancia configuracional, métrica y escalar, lo que indica que LOT-S puede medir atletas de ambos sexos por igual. Aunque se necesitan más estudios para confirmar las propiedades psicométricas del instrumento, la adaptación de LOT al contexto deportivo fue el primer paso en el futuro sobre la influencia del Optimismo en el rendimiento deportivo Palabras clave: optimismo; pesimismo; dimensionalidad; estudio de validación The main objective of this research was to culturally adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Life Orientation Test version for the sports context (LOT-S). The sample consisted of 953 young Brazilian athletes of both sexes, with a mean age of 16 years. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis produced two correlated dimensions, reflecting optimism and pessimism, and provided support for a two-factor model. A satisfactory fit for LOT-S with six items was found (χ2=10.96, df=8; RMSEA=.020 (IC 90%=.021-.049); CFI=.995; TLI=990; NFI=.980; GFI=.996; SRMR=.032). Satisfactory tests of internal consistency were also generated through the analysis of factorial loads and t-values. Cronbach's alpha (.68/ .65) and Composite Reliability (.72/ .65) were adequate in Optimism and Pessimism, respectively. The values of average variance extracted were unsatisfactory, however, positive correlations with optimism and negative with pessimism between Motivation, Resilience and Well-Being were indicative of convergent validity. The correlations between the latent variables compared to the square roots of the average variance extracted values of each construct showed that the model has discriminant validity. The configural, metric and scalar invariance was achieved, indicating that the LOT-S can measure athletes of both sexes equally. Although more studies are needed to confirm the psychometric properties of the instrument, adapting the LOT to the sport context was the first step in the future works about the influence of Optimism on sports performance. Keywords: optimism; pessimism; dimensionality; validation study. O principal objetivo desta pesquisa foi adaptar culturalmente e avaliar as propriedades psicométricas do Life Orientation Test para o contexto esportivo (LOT-S). A amostra foi composta por 953 jovens atletas brasileiros de ambos os sexos, com idade média de 16 anos. Os resultados da análise fatorial confirmatória produziram duas dimensões correlacionadas, refletindo otimismo e pessimismo e forneceram suporte para um modelo de dois fatores. Foi encontrado um ajuste satisfatório para LOT-S com seis itens (χ2=10.96, df=8; RMSEA=.020 (IC 90%=.021-.049); CFI=.995; TLI=990; NFI=.980; GFI=.996; SRMR=.032). Testes satisfatórios de consistência interna foram gerados através da análise de cargas fatoriais e valores-t. Os índices alfa de Cronbach (.68/ .65) e de Confiabilidade Composta (72/ .65) foram adequados para Otimismo e Pessimismo, respectivamente. Os valores de variância média extraída foram insatisfatórios, no entanto, correlações positivas entre Otimismo e negativas entre Pessimismo e Motivação, Resiliência e Bem-Estar foram indicativos de validade convergente. As correlações entre as variáveis latentes comparadas às raízes quadradas dos valores de variância média extraída de cada construto mostraram que o modelo possui validade discriminante. A invariância configural, métrica e escalar foi alcançada, indicando que o LOT-S pode medir atletas de ambos os sexos igualmente. Embora sejam necessários mais estudos para confirmar as propriedades psicométricas do instrumento, a adaptação do LOT ao contexto esportivo foi o primeiro passo no futuro para a influência do otimismo no desempenho esportivo Palavras-chave: otimismo; pessimismo; dimensionalidade; estudo de validação.
The objectives of this study were to assess the psychometric properties of the Coach-created Empowering and Disempowering Motivational Climate Questionnaire (EDMCQ-C) by testing four different hypotheses. A procedure of translation and adaptation of the instrument between different languages and cultures was carried out. A total of 350 national level Brazilian athletes (aged between 15 and 17 years; mean = 17.0, SD = 1.7) completed the questionnaire. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (ESEM) were performed. Consistent with previous work on the EDMCQ-C, all solutions failed to achieve suitable levels of fit for a hierarchical model represented by five climate dimensions (autonomy-supportive, controlling, task-involving, ego-involving, and socially-supportive) and two global dimensions (empowering and disempowering). The 2-ESEM solution provided a satisfactory fit for the first-order model with two global factors supported. The 2-ESEM version of the questionnaire showed adequate predictive and discriminant validity, good internal consistency, and invariance across gender. Such results suggest that the EDMCQ-C is a promising scale to assess Brazilian athletes’ perception of the over-arching empowering and disempowering features of the coach-created motivational climate.
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