Personality Traits of Women in Team Sports vs. Women in Individual Sports

Abstract

The problem under investigation was to determine if were distinguishing personality traits when women who compete in team sports were compared to women who compete in individual sports. The subjects were chosen from a selected group of 156 women AAU athletes and the 1964 United States Olympic team. Those women who agreed to take part in the study were sent a copy of Form A of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire, which was the instrument used to measure selected personality factors. Differences between groups were analyzed by means of the t test.

The results indicated that women athletes who compete in individual sports rated higher on the personality factors of dominance, adventurousness, sensitivity, introversion, radicalism, and self-sufficiency and lower on the factor of sophistication when compared to women athletes who compete in team sports. No differences were found in the factors of sociability, intelligence, stability, surgency, conscientiousness, suspecting, guilt-proneness, high self-sentiment, or high ergic tension.     

Some Attitudes Associated with Sport Participation among Junior High School Females

This paper focuses on young female participants and their self-perceptions. The findings indicate that self-perceived characteristics of ambition, competition, strength, and speed were more evident for participants than nonparticipants. However, there was no significant difference between participants and nonparticipants concerning characteristics of happiness, affection, femininity, sensitivity, gentleness, and attractiveness. The data also indicated that the young female participants have not developed a highly professionalized orientation toward competition, yet they are more likely to be concerned about playing well than are nonparticipants. The findings suggest that even by early adolescence either selectivity and/or socialization differences are emerging between female participants and nonparticipants.     

The relationship between salivary adrenocortical hormones changes and personality in elite female athletes during handball and volleyball competition.

Salivary cortisol, androstenedione delta 4, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in 20 elite sportswomen were measured using radioimmunoassay in samples taken 5 min before and after a handball or volleyball competition. Three psychometric tests--State Trait Anxiety Inventory, Bortner, and Questionnaire de Personnalité pour Sportifs (questionnaire of personality for sports participants)--were used to evaluate the participants' personalities. Results indicated higher concentrations of cortisol and lower concentrations of delta 4 and DHEA in handball players before and after the competition. Cortisol values increased significantly during the competition in both groups. No changes were observed in androgen levels. The state of anxiety was higher in handball players, characterized by Pattern A behavior, whereas Pattern B behavior defined the volleyball players. The results suggest that adrenocortical changes during handball and volleyball competition are influenced by the different energy systems required by the two activities, individual personality characteristics, and the athlete's anxiety level relative to winning or losing.     

Where, when, and why young athletes use imagery: an examination of developmental differences

The purpose of this study was to investigate young athletes' imagery use from a developmental perspective. The participants were 110 male and female athletes competing in both team and individual sports. They represented four different age cohorts (i.e., 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, and 13-14 years). Sixteen focus groups, two for each age category and gender, were used as the method of data collection. The findings indicated "where," "when, " and "why" young athletes use imagery and how imagery use changes as children move from early childhood through to early adolescence. Overall, results revealed that all age cohorts reported using imagery in both training and competition and for both cognitive and motivational purposes. The present research also found support for studying imagery use by young athletes from a developmental perspective.     

Exploring the relationships between collective efficacy,perceptions of success,and team attributions

Abstract

We examined the influence of collective efficacy and subjective interpretations of success/failure on team causal attributions. The participants were 71 male and female high school athletes on 20 track relay teams. Before a selected competition, participants completed a collective efficacy questionnaire. Then, immediately after their race, they were administered a modified version of the revised Causal Dimension Scale-II. A multi-level framework was employed to assess collective efficacy as an individually held perception and as a shared team belief. The individual perceptions of team success/failure significantly predicted the locus of causality and stability dimensions, whereas aggregated collective efficacy emerged as a significant team level predictor of average stability. Individual perceptions of collective efficacy were significantly related to team control and this relationship was moderated by the sex of the team. The findings indicate that collective efficacy beliefs held by athletes and teams prior to a competition influence the formation of post-competition team attributions in sport.     

女排精神对促进我国妇女体育发展的研究

2019年女排世界杯的强势夺冠,女排精神被国家与人民大力推崇与表扬。在我国妇女体育发展滞后的情况下,中国女排依然能够位列世界之巅,离不开女排队员们的努力拼搏,也离不开女排精神的传承与发展。为促进我国妇女体育发展,应积极了解女排精神,推广女排精神。本文研究表明:女排精神促进妇女竞赛队伍团队文化建设,有利于提高妇女竞赛团体竞赛成绩的提高;女排精神促进妇女运动员吃苦耐劳、艰苦奋斗,提高妇女运动员的训练效率;女排精神促进妇女传统体育观的改变,扩大妇女体育群体;女排精神促进国家对妇女体育的重视;女排精神促进媒体对妇女体育的宣传力度和覆盖。     

Group-Based Emotions: Evidence for Emotion-Performance Relationships in Team Sports

Purpose: In team sports, players have to manage personal interests and group goals, emphasizing intricacies between personal and social identities. The focus of this article was to examine the effect of identity mechanisms on appraisal processes, based on the following research question: Does the level of self-abstraction (low [personal identity] versus high [social identity]) lead to group-based emotions and influence performances? Method: An experimental design was used in which the level of self-abstraction was manipulated through the induction of a self- versus a team-oriented goal. Thirty elite male rugby players (M_age = 19.06, SD = 0.78, randomly split) participated in a match reproducing conditions similar to those of official games. Individual and perceived team-level emotions and performance were measured 17 times during the match. Results: Linear Mixed Effects models showed that a high level of self-abstraction: (a) led to more positive and less negative individual (variances explained: 52% and 46%) and perceived team-referent (variances explained: 57% and 40%) emotions; (b) reduced the correlation of team-referent emotions with individual ones; and (c) positively influenced team and individual performances (variances explained: 50% and 19%). Moreover, after controlling for potential effects of the level of self-abstraction, only positive team-referent emotions influenced performance. Conclusions: This study is the first to experimentally manipulate athletes’ social identity to examine group-based emotions in sport. Challenging the usual intrapersonal approaches, these findings suggested that social identity and its association with team-referent emotions could be one of the key dimensions of emotion-performance relationships in team sports.     

中国古代北方少数民族体育文化研究(下)

运用文献资料调研与考古等方法,分析古代北方少数民族体育教育训练、管理、竞赛、传承与交融等问题。古代北方少数民族体育教育训练存在官学与私学两种形式,并且随着社会进步其训练理论与方法不断发展;至南北朝时出现了专业运动团队,从元代开始有了专门的管理机构;北方少数民族在借鉴汉族做法的同时,也制定了适合本民族体育竞赛的规则。古代北方少数民族体育文化主要是通过生产实践、民俗、军事活动、宗教活动等途径传承,其交融主要受游牧文化与农耕文化具有互补性、民族心理感情和游牧民族对中原王朝的依附等因素影响;广泛的民族分布和各异的民俗风情、民族纷争与融合以及稳定的政治局面是交融的基础;交融的特征主要表现在体育文化的认同性和排他性、借鉴性与创新性、运动项目由生存技能性与军事实用性向娱乐消遣和健身性转变,具有专业化与大众化的互动性、历史发展的局限性。古代北方少数民族体育在促进民族交流和团结方面产生了巨大的历史作用,值得研究与借鉴。     

Differences in self-regulatory skills among talented athletes: The significance of competitive level and type of sport

Abstract

Research has shown that talented athletes outscore their mainstream peers on the basis of self-regulation. Although valuable, this does not tell us more about the distinction between good athletes and the best, which is a prerequisite in talent development. Therefore, we examined the self-regulatory skills of 222 male and female talented athletes aged 12–16 years as a function of competitive sport level (junior international or junior national athletes) and type of sport (individual or team sports). Multivariate analyses of covariance in combination with a discriminant function analysis revealed that “reflection” distinguishes between athletes at the highest levels of excellence. Furthermore, athletes playing individual sports had higher scores on “planning” and “effort” than team sport athletes, highlighting the importance of differences between types of sport. In conclusion, we emphasize the importance of reflection as a self-regulatory skill. Reflection facilitates the development of sport-specific characteristics, which may vary by type of sport. This means that an advanced sense of reflection may help talented athletes to acquire desirable characteristics during their “talent” years to ultimately reach adult elite levels of competition.     

女子拳击运动员的个性心理特征

卡特尔十六种人格因素是国际公认有效和可靠的个性心理特征测量的工具。本文以山东体育学院女子拳击运动员、非拳击项目女运动员和曲阜师范大学非体育专业女大学生为研究对象,并对她们的个性心理特征进行16PF测试与分析,目的在于指导女子拳击运动员的训练、选材,为女子拳击运动员心理健康教育和健全个性培养提供有益的借鉴,帮助她们不断健全自我的个性以适应体育竞技、社会需求。     

Kein Heimvorteil in der 1. Tischtennisbundesliga der Herren

A home field advantage is given when the home team wins more than half of the games under home conditions. For team sports, this advantage has been well-established in many studies. The present study examines the home field advantage for individual sports on the example of table tennis. Therefore, all games of the men’s first German National League of table tennis (n?=?406) were analyzed for the seasons 2008/2009 to 2012/2013. There was a home field advantage of 51.48?%. A more specific measure for the home field advantage is to look at single games (“best-of-five” modus), where the home teams won more games (2.01 per competition) than the away teams (1.95 per competition). Both results were statistically not significant. A statistically significant correlation between the size of the home field advantage and the number of spectators was found, as well as an advantage by competition rules of the home team in the opening game, whereas the travel distances of the away teams did not affect the results. Accordingly, the home field advantage is less pronounced in individual sports than in team sports. The player’s performance, however, is positively influenced by the social support of home spectators and the specific competition rules.     

Factors affecting sports involvement in a school-based youth cohort: Implications for long-term athletic development

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to determine the factors affecting sports involvement in a school-based adolescent population. The cross-sectional cohort study assessed anthropometry, physical capacities and motor competence in 501 boys (aged 10–16 y), from junior (10–12 y) and senior (13–16 y) cohorts. Sports participation data was collected from junior participants. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed moderate maturity, anthropometry, physical capacity and motor competence differences between sports in the senior cohort (F = 2.616, p < 0.001, η² = .08), but not in the junior cohort. Furthermore, differences in physical fitness were revealed between playing levels (F = 2.616, p < 0.001, η² = .08), with a discriminant analysis correctly classifying 73% of participants using aerobic fitness and vertical jump measures. Representative level participants engaged in more structured training and commenced organised competition at a later age (F = 4.332, p < 0.001, η² = .21). This study’s findings are twofold: 1) physical and motor competence profiles differ more between sports with increasing age, and 2) participants at a higher level of competition report delayed engagement in their main sport. As a result, schools may be the ideal environment in which to provide children and adolescents with the opportunity to sample different sports.     

Sleep habits in German athletes before important competitions or games

Sleep is generally regarded as a valuable resource for psychological and physiological well-being. Although the effects of sleep on athletic performance have been acknowledged in sport science, few studies have investigated the prevalence of sleep problems and their effects on elite athletes before a sport event. In this study, 632 German athletes from various sports were asked about their sleep habits during the night(s) before an important competition or game. The findings indicate that 65.8% of the athletes experienced poor sleep in the night(s) before a sports event at least once in their lives and a similarly high percentage (62.3%) had this experience at least once during the previous 12 months. Athletes of individual sports reported more sleep difficulties than athletes of team sports. The main sleep problem was not being able to fall asleep. Internal factors such as nervousness and thoughts about the competition were rated highest for causing sleep problems. Most athletes stated that disturbed sleep had no influence on their athletic performance; however, athletes also reported effects such as a bad mood the following day, increased daytime sleepiness, and worse performance in the competition or game. The differences between individual and team sports indicate that athletes in some sports need more help than those in other sports in managing sleep problems.     

Competition,gender and the sport experience: an exploration among college athletes

Worldwide, sport and physical activity rates of women generally lag behind those of men. One reason for this could be the way that sport cultures typically frame and value competition. This study provides an examination of the meaning and impact of ‘competition’ on the sport participation experiences of men and women. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, individual and group interviews were conducted with 76 current and former male and female collegiate athletes from both varsity and club sports regarding the impact of competition on their sport experiences. Results revealed that women and men tended to view and interpret competition differently, which strongly impacted their sport experiences. Sport programming that embraces a balance of cooperation and competition may be valuable for attracting and retaining both male and female participants.     

Sport,women, and leadership: Results of a project on executives in German sports organizations

Abstract

Throughout the world, women are a small minority within the governing bodies of organized sport. This paper presents the results of three empirical studies that have been undertaken within a German research project. The representative survey of all male and female executives in German sports federations (N=697) included questions concerning their socio-demography, their careers as executive members of sports organizations, as well as their careers in sport and their chosen occupation. The survey reveals significant gender differences in terms of, for example, age, family situation, responsibilities in the executive committees, duration of office, and career barriers. Furthermore, we conducted 23 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with women in leadership positions to explore the women's individual perspectives. The aim of a second interview study (“drop-out” study) was to identify barriers in the voluntary careers of seven male and nine female leaders who left office prematurely (i.e. earlier than they had originally planned). These informants can be seen as experts who have an excellent insight into their organizations and who have also experienced barriers that caused them to “drop out”. The respondents’ statements showed similarities with regard to socio-economic background but considerable differences in terms of gender-specific experiences, attitudes, and evaluations. The demands placed on the sports leaders were much more in line with the biographies of the men interviewed than with the personal circumstances of the women.     

Body image, perceived and actual physical abilities in normal-weight and overweight boys involved in individual and team sports

The aim of the study was to examine the relationships among body image, perception of physical abilities, and motor performance in boys involved in organized individual (i.e. tennis, fencing, judo) and team (i.e. soccer, handball, volleyball) sports. Altogether, 162 children (12.6 ± 1.0 years) were categorized as normal-weight (n = 85) or overweight (n = 77). Body image was measured using Collins' Child Figure Drawings, while individuals' perceptions of strength, speed, and agility were assessed using the Perceived Physical Ability Scale. Fitness tests of the standing long jump, 20 m sprint, and 10 × 5 m shuttle-run were also administered. Overweight boys showed greater body dissatisfaction and lower actual physical abilities than normal-weight peers. Participants involved in team sports reported lower body dissatisfaction and better performances in the shuttle-run compared with those involved in individual sports. For boys participating in team sports, body dissatisfaction was a significant mediator of the effect of body mass index on perceived physical ability. Results may influence intervention efforts, suggesting that targeting personal, psychological, and physical factors may prove efficient across physical activity locations and weight groups.     

Basic psychological skills usage and competitive anxiety responses: perceived underlying mechanisms

This study examined the relationship between basic psychological skills usage (i.e., goal-setting, imagery, self-talk, and relaxation) and the intensity and directional dimensions of competitive anxiety. Semistructured interviews were used on a sample of 15 elite athletes (M age = 24.3 years, SD = 4.2) from a variety of team and individual sports. Findings revealed that the participants maintained the intensity of their anxiety response prior to competition and could deploy goal-setting, imagery, or self-talk to enable facilitative interpretations of anxiety-related symptoms to performance. Higher levels of self-confidence and an optimistic outlook toward forthcoming competition were also expressed. The underlying mechanisms perceived to be responsible for these effects included effort and motivation, attentional focus, and perceived control over the anxiety response.     

Physical Fitness and Cardiac Risk Factors of Professional Firefighters across the Career Span

This study examined the relationship between basic psychological skills usage (i.e., goal-setting, imagery, self-talk, and relaxation) and the intensity and directional dimensions of competitive anxiety. Semistructured interviews were used on a sample of 15 elite athletes (M age = 24.3 years, SD = 4.2) from a variety of team and individual sports. Findings revealed that the participants maintained the intensity of their anxiety response prior to competition and could deploy goal-setting, imagery, or self-talk to enable facilitative interpretations of anxiety-related symptoms to performance. Higher levels of self-confidence and an optimistic outlook toward forthcoming competition were also expressed. The underlying mechanisms perceived to be responsible for these effects included effort and motivation, attentional focus, and perceived control over the anxiety response.     

Sleep/wake behaviours of elite athletes from individual and team sports

Abstract

Sleep is an essential component for athlete recovery due to its physiological and psychological restorative effects, yet few studies have explored the habitual sleep/wake behaviour of elite athletes. The aims of the present study were to investigate the habitual sleep/wake behaviour of elite athletes, and to compare the differences in sleep between athletes from individual and team sports. A total of 124 (104 male, 20 female) elite athletes (mean ± s: age 22.2 ± 3.0 years) from five individual sports and four team sports participated in this study. Participants' sleep/wake behaviour was assessed using self-report sleep diaries and wrist activity monitors for a minimum of seven nights (range 7–28 nights) during a typical training phase. Mixed-effects analyses of variances were conducted to compare the differences in the sleep/wake behaviour of athletes from two sport types (i.e. individual and team). Overall, this sample of athletes went to bed at 22:59 ± 1.3, woke up at 07:15 ± 1.2 and obtained 6.8 ± 1.1 h of sleep per night. Athletes from individual sports went to bed earlier, woke up earlier and obtained less sleep (individual vs team; 6.5 vs 7.0 h) than athletes from team sports. These data indicate that athletes obtain well below the recommended 8 h of sleep per night, with shorter sleep durations existing among athletes from individual sports.