Toward a Theory of Emotions in Competitive Sports

Exploring proportions of spontaneous and goal-directed self-talk - It is not always the one or the other

The dichotomous classification of self-talk statements into goal-directed as a more controlled type of self-talk and spontaneous as a more uncontrolled type of self-talk might be an oversimplification. To address this issue, two studies were conducted aiming to explore the idea that the distinction between the two self-talk types should rather be proportional and not mutually exclusive. In Study 1, football players took part in a penalty competition and were subsequently asked to state the self-talk they had before and after the penalty. In Study 2, table tennis players took part in two activities (i.e., a precision task and a competitive set) and were subsequently asked to state the self-talk they had before the individual rounds in each activity. In both studies, the players subsequently rated for each self-talk statement the extent to which it was spontaneous and the extent to which it was goal-directed. The majority of self-talk statements were rated to some extent as both spontaneous and goal-directed. For Study 1, paired-sample t-tests showed that before a penalty kick self-talk was more goal-directed than spontaneous and after the penalty kick it was more spontaneous than goal-directed. In the more exploratory Study 2, multilevel regression analyses showed that the two types of self-talk could not predict sports performance. While the results support the usefulness of the distinction between spontaneous and goal-directed self-talk, treating the two types of self-talk as proportional rather than dichotomous might reflect more accurately the mental activity. Key words: dual-process, organic self-talk, self-regulation, System 1, System 2.

Health hazards in sports: Exploring the influence of despotic leadership and perceived organizational politics on well-being

In recent years, the concept of despotic leadership has garnered considerable attention in sports. Despotic leadership significantly reflecting leaders' deviant behavior has today heightened the risk of health hazards in the workplace. In addition, the perceived organizational politics have also yielded a deleterious result on employees' well-being. In the dynamic landscape of healthcare, understanding the implications of organizational behavior on well-being is paramount for risk management. This study elucidates the relationships between despotic leadership, perceived organizational politics, workplace incivility, emotional exhaustion, person-organization unfit, and health harm, which can pose significant risks in a healthcare setting. The quantitative study was conducted using an empirical survey with respondents representing sports organizations. A Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze data from 429 participants using Smart PLS. The study findings suggest that despotic leadership and perceived organizational politics can lead to increased risks, manifested as workplace incivility, emotional exhaustion, and person-organization unfit. These organizational risks subsequently translate to tangible health harm for employees. Mediation analyses revealed that workplace incivility, emotional exhaustion, and person-organization unfit mediate the detrimental health outcomes rooted in leadership and organizational politics. The study underscores the urgent need for risk management strategies to foster a healthier organizational culture and leadership approach in healthcare settings. This will ensure enhanced employee well-being and a reduction in associated health risks, thus aligning with best practices in healthcare policy.

Determining Factors Influencing Collegiate Players' Intention to Pursue a Professional Career

The rise of professional careers in playing sports has been seen in the recent generation. Ranging from traditional sports to recent e-games, it can be seen that student athletes are not only considering these as motivational factors for education, but also as future career paths. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap about the factors influencing college athletes' aspirations to play professionally. The study examines the complex web of athlete decision-making by utilizing the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and analyzing the roles of motivational factors, self-efficacy, affective behavior, and behavioral domains. With the use of structural equation modeling, the study deciphers the intricate links, emphasizing the critical role that attitude plays in affective behavior. It emphasizes how much optimism and self-efficacy shape an athlete's behavior and subsequent pursuit of professional careers. The current research provides a benchmark for future studies exploring student athletes' career goals. This research adds understanding to the knowledge gap regarding the complex decision-making procedures of aspiring professional athletes. Both theoretical and practical implications are provided based on the results of the study, which stakeholders and institutions may consider for student athletes wanting to pursue a professional sports career.

Examining the relation between emotional experiences and emotional expressions in competitive tennis matches

Introduction

Emotions consist of different components such as the emotional experience, physiological reactions, action tendencies, or emotional expressions. Assessing the relation of these components may help to better understand the role of emotions in sport competitions. Based on the component process model of emotions, the goal of the present study was to assess the relation between emotional experiences and emotional expressions.

Methods

Twenty tennis players (7 female) with an average age of 23.10 (SD = 4.88) were taped during competitive tennis matches. Thereafter, in individual meetings, after having watched themselves on the footage at pre-selected points, the players had to indicate whether, immediately after the end of a rally, they had a positive or a negative emotional experience and, in case they had one, rate its intensity. Moreover, based on their observable behavior, the players were also asked to state whether they could recognize a positive or a negative emotional expression and, in case they recognized one, rate its intensity. The occurrence of emotional expressions was additionally rated by two external coders. Using multilevel models, separate analyses were conducted for positive emotions after won points and negative emotions after lost points.

Results and discussion

For both positive and negative emotions, the results indicated a positive correlation between emotional experiences and emotional expressions. Moreover, the intensity of emotional experiences could predict the occurrence of an emotional expression rated by both the players or external coders. These insights into the relation between emotional experiences and emotional expressions may help players to more effectively regulate their emotions.

Mediation effect of emotional self-regulation in the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being in Chilean adolescents

Adolescents' subjective well-being and physical activity have been found to be correlated in previous studies. However, the underlying mechanisms of this relationship, especially the potential contribution of emotional self-regulation, have received little attention. This study aims to investigate the extent to which emotional self-regulation mediates the association between adolescent physical activity habits and their subjective well-being. The study involved 9585 adolescents who completed a cross-sectional survey. Participants were aged between 10 and 19 years old and attended primary and secondary schools in all 16 regions of Chile. The survey utilized a self-report questionnaire to measure physical activity habits, subjective well-being, and emotional self-regulation. Sociodemographic variables, such as age, gender, and socioeconomic level, were also considered in the analysis. The results showed that physical activity habits, emotional regulation, and subjective well-being were positively correlated. Among these factors, the strongest association was found between subjective well-being and emotional self-regulation. The mediation analysis revealed a partial mediation effect of emotional self-regulation between physical activity habits and subjective well-being. In other words, physical activity habits affect subjective well-being to the extent that these habits affect emotional self-regulation. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the link between physical activity habits and subjective well-being among adolescents. They also offer useful information for the development of public programs and policies aimed at promoting physical activity habits and subjective well-being in young people.

Self-based goals, underlying reasons, performance and discrete emotions among parkrunners

Introduction

A temporal sequence of hypothesized relationships was tested between self-based goals and their underlying reasons → stress appraisals → performance and emotions, among UK parkrunners. A conditional process model was also examined to ascertain the potential moderating role of self-determined reasons in explaining the indirect relationship of self-based goals predicting performance and emotions via stress appraisals.

Methods

Utilizing a prospective design, 324 parkrunners (M_age = 45.27; SD = 10.73 years) completed online measures of self-based goals, their underlying reasons at 7 days (T1), and stress appraisals at 24 h (T2), prior to their next UK parkrun. Performance data and discrete emotions (pride and shame) were reported 24 h post-parkrun (T3).

Results

Structural Equation Modeling revealed partial support for the hypothesized model. More specifically, findings suggested that: (1) T1 self-determined reasons underpinning a self-approach goal positively predicted T2 challenge appraisals and T3 pride, (2) T1 self-determined reasons for pursuing a self-avoidance goal corresponded to reduced T3 performance and shame, (3) T2 challenge and threat appraisals were found to positively relate to T3 pride, and (4) the slower parkrunners ran, the more shame they felt post-event. T2 challenge and threat appraisals were found to mediate the relationship between T1 self-determined reasons underlying a self-approach goal and T3 pride. Further analysis failed to support a conditional process model.

Discussion

Our findings suggest the intensity of pursuing a self-based goal does not matter at all, but underlying self-determined reasons are a key driver influencing stress appraisals, performance and subsequent emotions among parkrunners.

The recognition of affective states associated with players' non-verbal behavior in volleyball

The visible non-verbal behavior of volleyball players after a point might indicate their affective state. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the point outcome (i.e., win vs. loss) and the importance of the situation (i.e., first vs. fifth set) influence how well the affective states (indexed through non-verbal behavior) can be recognized. For this purpose, 111 participants were presented 60 video excerpts showing the non-verbal behavior of volleyball teams immediately after a rally and asked whether the shown team had just won or lost a point. The results indicated that the recognition rate was significantly higher for won (80.09%) than for lost points (65.56%) as well as for points of the fifth set (77.84%) than for points of the first set (68.51%). Furthermore, an explorative analysis showed that the recognition rate was significantly higher for won points of the fifth set (89.19%) than for those of the first set (72.13%).

Individual characteristics of physical and mental development and their connection with regular physical exercises when playing basketball

Basketball includes a wide range of physical actions with and without the ball, which puts forward certain requirements for motor fitness, moral, volitional and mental qualities, as well as creativity and decision-making skills in rapidly changing and often unforeseen circumstances. The scientific novelty is determined by the fact that in order to categorically define the term of "features of physical and mental development and their connection with regular physical exercise", the authors analysed the works of leading scientists on the theory and methods of physical education, grouped by the authors in accordance with the main concepts. The aim of the article is to study of the phenomenon of physical culture of the student's personality, namely, the targets of the modern system of physical education and the structure of personal physical culture of a person; the humanisation and democratisation of the system of physical education; the development of the concept of the theory of physical culture and its implementation in the conditions of reformation of higher education. The practical significance of the study is determined by the fact that the elements of basketball are included in the programmes of physical education of preschool children, in the curricula for physical culture of all degrees of general secondary education (primary, secondary, high school), in the programme for physical education of higher education institutions.