This study examined the effectiveness of different self-talk strategies on increasing performance in different motor tasks. Specifically, four laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the effect of motivational versus instructional self-talk strategies on four different tasks. Included in the experiments were a soccer accuracy lest, a badminton service test, a sit up test, and a knee extension task on an isokinetic dynamometer. Results of the first two experiments indicated that only the participants of the instructional group improved their performance significantly more than the motivational and control groups. Results of the third experiment indicated no significant differences between the three groups, although all groups showed improvements across trials. Results of the fourth experiment showed a significant improvement for both the motivational and instructional groups compared to the control group. It appears that when the task requires fine motor movements, an instructional self-talk strategy is more effective, whereas when the task requires predominantly strength and endurance, both motivational and instructional strategies are effective.

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A three-wave study over one year with 882 adolescents, aged 10 to 16 years at the initial testing, examined psychosocial variables regarding four health-related behaviors: exercise, eating fruit, smoking, and drug use. Analysis showed that during the stages of the study, high school students' exercise behavior decreased and their smoking behavior increased as well as their willingness to use drugs. It seems that study of physical education and health education during adolescence must take into account the possible differences in psychosocial variables associated with health-related behaviors as well as the different stages of adolescence.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to detect differences between selected and unselected young handball athletes following a talent selection program, and to identify those characteristics that could predict young athletes' selection in such programs. Methods: The sample consisted of 129 male young players all invited to train in youth pro-selection groups. Variables included height, body mass, body mass index, 30m running speed, standing long jump, hand grip strength, ball velocity, flexibility, agility with 5-0-5 test, and a shuttle run test. Statistics included a multivariate analysis of variance to investigate the mean differences on the dependent variables and a linear discriminant analysis (Wilks' lambda) for the determination of the main variables that distinguish successful sample (SP) from less successful sample (LSP) athletes. Results: MANOVA showed a significant effect of athletes' level, with mean values revealing the superiority of selected athletes on all variables measured. Linear discriminant analysis revealed ball throwing speed and body height as exhibiting the highest correlation that distinguish SP from LSP athletes, followed by standing jump and maximum oxygen intake variables. Conclusions: Statistically significant differences exist between SP and LSP athletes, in parameters that are considered basic and significant in team sports like handball.