“I must do this!”: A latent profile analysis approach to understanding the role of irrational beliefs and motivation regulation in mental and physical health

Mobile phone dependence among Chinese university students: the contribution of irrational beliefs and solitude

This research aimed to explore the impact of selected psychological variables on mobile phone dependence among Chinese university students. Specifically, the study focused on the relationship between solitude and irrational beliefs on mobile phone dependence. The study included 2,888 university students from Guangdong, Southern China, and found that both irrational beliefs and solitude had significant direct effects on mobile phone dependence. The study also revealed that solitude mediated the relationship between irrational beliefs and mobile phone dependence. The results of this study indicate that psychosocial environments, including feelings of solitude and irrational beliefs, can influence mobile phone dependence among undergraduate students. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to these factors and their potential impact on student behavior, particularly when it comes to academic growth and development. Further research in this area may help identify effective strategies to address mobile phone dependence among university students and promote healthier psychosocial environments.

Effects of physical health beliefs on college students' physical exercise behavior intention: mediating effects of exercise imagery

OBJECTIVE

This study explores the relationship between physical health beliefs and physical exercise behavior intention of college students and constructs a mediation model through the mediation role of exercise imagery.

METHODS

Using the stratified cluster sampling method, 1356 college students were measured in group psychology by using the Physical Health Beliefs Scale, Exercise Imagery Inventory, and Physical Exercise Behavior Intention Scale. The statistical software Mplus 8.1, SPSS 22.0 and SPSS PROCESS 3.3 were used for statistical processing. The common method deviation test was carried out by Harman single-factor control method. Finally, the bootstrap sampling test method and process plug-in were used to test the significance of intermediary effect.

RESULTS

(1) physical health beliefs have a significant predictive effect on physical exercise behavior intention (β = 0.32, p < 0.001); (2) exercise imagery (β = 0.13, p < 0.001) mediate the relationship between physical health beliefs and physical exercise behavior intention (physical health beliefs → exercise imagery → physical exercise behavior intention (95% Cl: 0.14, 0.32)).

CONCLUSION

physical health beliefs can directly improve the physical exercise behavior intention of college students, which can also affect college students' physical exercise behavior intention indirectly through exercise imagery. The findings suggest that exercise imagery are important variables that mediate the effect of the college students' physical health beliefs on their physical exercise behavior intention.

Cognitive vulnerability, anxiety, and physical well-being in relation to 10-year cardiovascular disease risk: The ATTICA epidemiological study

This study aimed to evaluate the association between irrational beliefs and the 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence among apparently healthy adults. The ATTICA study is a population-based, prospective cohort (2002-2012) consisting of 853 participants without evidence of CVD (453 men and 400 women) who underwent psychological evaluations. Participants completed the Irrational Beliefs Inventory (IBI, range 0-88), a self-reported measure consistent with the Ellis model of psychological disturbance. We conducted a factor analysis to develop irrational beliefs factors to evaluate the association between subcategories of irrational beliefs and CVD incidence. Demographic characteristics, detailed medical history, other psychological factors, and dietary and other lifestyle habits were also evaluated. The incidence of CVD was defined according to the International Coding Diseases (ICD)-10 criteria. The identified dominant irrational beliefs factor, "cognitive vulnerability to anxiety," consisted of demandingness, perfectionism, emotional irresponsibility, anxious overconcern, dependence on others, and overconcern for the welfare of others, was strongly associated with an increased 10-year CVD risk. Nested multi-adjusted regression analysis revealed that anxiety, as well as negative physical well-being, mediated this relationship, and subset of irrational beliefs predicted CVD risk directly and indirectly through anxiety and negative physical well-being. These findings further map the path through which irrational beliefs can contribute to CVDs and provide insights in favor of preventive healthcare.

Irrational Performance Beliefs and Mental Well-Being Upon Returning to Sport During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Test of Mediation by Intolerance of Uncertainty

Purpose: This study examined the extent to which irrational performance beliefs and intolerance of uncertainty co-occur in relation to mental well-being among a sample of athletes and coaches (N = 94, M age = 31.99, SD = 12.81) upon their return to sport following COVID-19 disruptions. Methods and Results: Despite the parity in views, independent samples t-test results identified three significant differences in the tested variables between athletes and coaches, which suggested that athletes are more likely to entertain depreciative thoughts about performances and react more aversively to uncertainty, whereas coaches reported a better mental well-being state. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis confirmed a significant positive relationship between composite irrational performance beliefs and intolerance of uncertainty scores, with both these variables being inversely related to mental well-being. Results from a simple atemporal mediation analysis using the PROCESS macro verified that intolerance of uncertainty fully mediated the adverse effect irrational beliefs exert on mental well-being. Conclusion: Sports psychology practitioners within the framework of REBT are advised to explore their orientation of modifying irrational beliefs aligned to clients' perceptions and tolerance of uncertainty in sport through the inclusion of IU-specific awareness and behavioral experiments.

Understanding the influence of irrational beliefs and body image inflexibility on exercise dependence and psychological well-being: A latent profile analysis approach

Irrational beliefs are a risk factor for mental ill-health and exercise dependence. In addition to this, researchers have also proposed that body image inflexibility can determine mental health and behavioural outcomes. However, research is yet to explore whether and to what extent irrational beliefs and body image inflexibility align to influence mental health and exercise dependence. We examined the latent profile structure of irrational beliefs and body image inflexibility, and how these latent profiles relate to mental health and exercise dependence in exercise active adults. Results indicate a two class profile, whereby class 1 is characterized by high irrational beliefs and body image inflexibility, and class 2 is characterized by low irrational beliefs and body image inflexibility. Those in class 1 reported significantly greater depression, anxiety, stress, and exercise dependence than those in class 2 (p ≤ .02). The findings are discussed in relation to the implications for practitioners in the mental health of exercise participants.

Psychological well-being and exercise addiction: The treatment effects of an REBT intervention for females

Whilst there is growing research on the benefits of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) for athletic performance and wellbeing, there has been little attention on the effectiveness of REBT for the exercising population. Recent evidence suggests that REBT may be helpful for males who show signs of exercise addiction, but the effects for females are currently unknown. The current study aims to build on the extant research by adopting a single-case research design to examine the effects of REBT on irrational beliefs, exercise addiction symptomology, psychological distress, and unconditional self-acceptance (USA) of three female exercisers. Self-report data were collected at pre-, during, and post-REBT timepoints. Visual analyses revealed reductions in irrational beliefs and psychological distress, and increases in USA, maintained two-weeks post-REBT. Exercise addiction symptomology also reduced during the intervention, and this was maintained for two out of the three exercisers post-REBT. Social validation data supported these findings. The study adds weight to the efficacy of REBT in improving exercise addiction and its comorbidities.

Cumulative lifetime stressor exposure and health in elite athletes: the moderating role of perfectionism

Although greater lifetime stressor exposure has been associated with physical and mental health issues in the general population, relatively little is known about how lifetime stressors impact the physical and mental health of elite athletes or the factors moderating this association. Given that many elite athletes show signs of perfectionism, and that this trait has been linked with ill-health, it is possible that perfectionism may moderate the lifetime stressor-health relationship. To test this possibility, we examined how cumulative lifetime stressor exposure was associated with general mental and physical health complaints in elite athletes, and the extent to which these associations were moderated by perfectionism. Participants were 110 elite athletes (64 female; M age = 29.98 years, SD = 10.54) who completed assessments of lifetime stressor exposure, physical health, psychological distress, and perfectionism. As hypothesised, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that experiencing more severe lifetime stressors was related to poorer physical and mental health. Furthermore, self-oriented perfectionism moderated the association between lifetime stressor count and severity and physical health, but not mental health. Overall, these data demonstrate stressor-specific effects among elite athletes and highlight the potential importance of assessing lifetime stressor exposure and perfectionistic tendencies in order to improve athlete health and well-being.

Ready for Failure? Irrational Beliefs, Perfectionism and Mental Health in Male Soccer Academy Players

Since Junior-to-Senior Transition (JST) is only considered successful when soccer players become professionals, many junior athletes must cope with failure, and their sporting careers and mental health may be at risk. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to (a) identify different career expectancies of male soccer academy players, and (b) describe irrational beliefs, perfectionism and mental health levels associated with different career expectancies, identifying risk factors in the JST. A total of 515 male soccer players between 14 and 19 years old (M = 16.7; SD = 1.6) who played in Spanish professional youth academies during the 2020–2021 season, answered questionnaires on sports career model, beliefs, perfectionism and mental health (i.e., iPBI, MPS-2 and GHQ-12). The results suggest that the number of juniors who aspire to be professionals (57%) far exceeds the number of players who become professionals (10%; Dugdale in Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports 31:73–84, 2021). Also, results show that this population presents high levels of demandingness (M = 5.5), low frustration tolerance (M = 5.2), self-organization (M = 5.2) and social functioning (M = 5.5), and low scores on depreciation (M = 2.6) and loss of confidence and self-esteem (M = 2.4). In a more detailed way, the results are compared according to expectancies. These academies are usually environments where success and failure are antagonistic concepts, and where perfectionism and irrational beliefs are normalized and integrated among all members of this context. However, the possible maladaptive effects put their mental health at risk. With the aim of rationalizing the concepts of success and failure and protecting their mental health, especially those who will not become professionals, this study proposes a new route based on the REBT philosophy and ARRC technique.

"I must be perfect": The role of irrational beliefs and perfectionism on the competitive anxiety of Hungarian athletes

In this study the influence of irrational beliefs and perfectionism on the emergence of competitive anxiety was investigated. While previous studies indicate that higher irrational beliefs predict greater competitive anxiety, in the present study it is hypothesized that this relationship is mediated by perfectionism. A serial atemporal multiple mediation analysis revealed that both adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism were significant partial mediators between irrational beliefs and competitive anxiety. The total score and all four subscale scores on irrational beliefs had both direct and indirect effects on cognitive competitive anxiety, the latter effects mediated by both forms of perfectionism. Depreciation beliefs had a direct effect, and demandingness and awfulizing had indirect effects, on somatic competitive anxiety when both forms of perfectionism were entered as mediators. These findings suggest that both irrational beliefs and perfectionism influence the emergence of competitive anxiety, therefore rational emotive behavioral therapy with a focus upon perfectionism may be an effective means of reducing competitive anxiety in athletes.

The role of irrational beliefs and motivation regulation in worker mental health and work engagement: A latent profile analysis

Research concerning rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) and autonomous and controlled motivation within athletic settings is burgeoning. It is proposed that irrational beliefs (i.e., illogical, rigid, and extreme) together with controlled forms of motivation, can determine psychological well-being and physical health in these contexts. For example, research indicates that extreme negative self-evaluation (i.e., self-depreciation) is related to more controlled (less autonomous) motivation regulation, which may underpin poorer health. Though, research is yet to understand the concomitant influence of both irrational beliefs and motivation regulation on work related variables such as presenteeism, persistence and turnover intention, as well as non-work-related variables such as life satisfaction and mental-wellbeing. The present two study paper examines the latent profile structure of irrational beliefs and motivation regulation, and how these latent profiles relate to health and work-related variables. Across studies 1 and 2, results indicated a two-class profile whereby class 1 is characterised by low irrational beliefs and high self-determined motivation (low irrational engagement), and class 2 is characterised by high irrational beliefs and low self-determined motivation (high irrational engagement). Those in Class 2 reported poorer life satisfaction, persistence, and presenteeism, as well as greater depression, anxiety, stress, intention to quit, and absenteeism than those in class 1. Thus, findings indicate that poorer work and health outcomes are associated with greater irrational work engagement. The findings are discussed in relation to the practical implications for occupational workers.

Exploring the Association Between Irrational Beliefs, Motivation Regulation and Anxiety in Ultra-Marathon Runners: A Mixed Methods Approach

Researchers are beginning to explore the antecedents to anxiety symptomology. Such antecedents to anxiety symptomology may be that of irrational beliefs and motivation regulation. It has been intimated that both irrational beliefs and motivation regulation can be risk factors for increased anxiety in athletes. Research is yet to explore the association between these two antecedents, and how and whether they interact in predicting anxiety symptomology. The present paper investigates such associations within two phases. In phase one, we identify the predictive capacity of irrational beliefs and motivation regulation on anxiety symptomology in 61 elite ultra-marathon runners. Results support intimated associations between irrational beliefs and motivation regulation, evidencing that irrational performance beliefs negatively associated with relative autonomous motivation. In addition, it was found that irrational performance beliefs positively associated with anxiety symptomology, whilst autonomous motivation negatively associated with anxiety symptomology in elite ultra-marathon runners. In phase two, we use a narrative approach to understand seven elite athletes’ stories surrounding their performance beliefs, motivation, and anxiety symptomology. Phase two supports findings in phase one, evidencing that the co-existence of both irrational performance beliefs and controlled motivation is an antecedent to anxiety symptomology and dysfunctional behaviours in ultra-marathon runners. The findings of both phase one and phase two are discussed in relation to the theoretical and practical implications for elite athletes.

Adolescent Soccer Athletes’ Irrational Beliefs About Basic Psychological Needs are Related to Their Emotional Intelligence and Mental Health

There has been a scarcity of research regarding the unique mental health risk factors that adolescent athletes face. The recently proposed Rational Emotive Self Determination Scale for Adolescents (RESD-A) has been suggested to understand some of the antecedent and associative factors of adolescent athlete mental health. The principal aim of this study is to examine the structural and criterion validity of the RESD-A in an athlete sample for the first time. To achieve this aim, two hundred and forty-two club level soccer athletes participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test the validity of the RESD-A’s factor structure. Partial correlation analyses with the subscales of RESD-A, emotional intelligence, and mental health scores were used to examine criterion validity. Initial results for the structural and criterion validity of the RESD-A with an athlete population are promising. The potential importance, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Link Between Irrational Beliefs and Important Markers of Mental Health in a German Sample of Athletes: Differences Between Gender, Sport-Type, and Performance Level

In this article, we conducted the first meaningful study of irrational beliefs (IBs) in a German sample of athletes. Moreover, we investigated associations between IBs and potential general as well as sport-specific markers of mental health in German athletes. As general markers, we considered psychological distress and wellbeing in addition to IBs, and as sport-specific markers, we considered anxiety, perfectionism, and athletic identity. To achieve this, our first step was to translate and validate a specific measure of irrational beliefs, namely the Irrational Performance Beliefs Inventory (iPBI). The iPBI is a performance-relevant measure that captures specific IB, taking into account the situational circumstances of the target population, namely operators in different performance context (academia, sports, business, medicine, etc.). Its theoretical basis is largely Ellis' work on rational and irrational beliefs. We developed a short and a long version of the iPBI, which both capture four core IBs (i.e., demandingness, awfulization, low frustration tolerance, and depreciation). Factorial validity was confirmed by a confirmatory factor analysis (comparative fit index = 0.92) with data from 234 athletes. Both versions of the newly developed iPBI showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.77) and retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficients >0.71). Results of the correlational analyses indicated low positive relationships between IBs and athletes' psychological distress, and low negative relations between IBs and wellbeing. In terms of sport-specific markers, there were low to moderate correlations with IBs. This study also examined the differences in IBs between females and males, individual and team sport athletes, and across three different performance levels. Implications of these findings are discussed along with approaches for future research and applied work.