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The Mediating Role of Coping between Competitive Anxiety and Sport Commitment in Adolescent Athletes
- Joan Pons, Carme Viladrich, Yago Ramis, Remco Polman
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- Journal:
- The Spanish Journal of Psychology / Volume 21 / 2018
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 26 March 2018, E7
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Framed in cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotions (Lazarus, 1999), this study aimed to test how coping mediated the relationship between competitive anxiety and sport commitment in a sample of adolescent athletes. Five-hundred adolescents (M = 16.42; SD = 1.54) participated in our study. Participants completed competitive anxiety, coping, and sport commitment measures. We defined the measurement model using confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling; and compared two different models of mediation (i.e., total and partial mediation) using structural equation modeling. Results favored partial mediation model where cognitive anxiety factors predicted sport commitment. Results from this model suggest direct and mediated structural relations between concepts. Somatic anxiety had a weak influence on sport commitment (total effects = 0.090 [–.131, .311]). Worry showed a positive influence on sport commitment (total effects = .375 [.262, .486]) through direct and mediated effects. Concentration disruption showed a negative impact on sport commitment (total effects = –.544 [–.724, –.363]) trough mediated effects only, showing a negative path on task-oriented coping and a positive path on disengagement-oriented coping. As a whole, our findings identify task coping efforts undertaken by adolescent athletes as a key element in the relationship between competitive anxiety and sport commitment. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the design of coping interventions in adolescents.
16 - Social sport and exercise psychology
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- By Remco Polman, Bournemouth University, Erika Borkoles, Bournemouth University, Xavier Sanchez, University of Cumbria
- Edited by Linda Steg, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands, Kees Keizer, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands, Abraham P. Buunk, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands, Talib Rothengatter, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands
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- Book:
- Applied Social Psychology
- Published online:
- 28 May 2018
- Print publication:
- 24 April 2017, pp 342-360
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Summary
Introduction
The physical, mental, cognitive, and health benefits of regular physical activity, exercise and sport participation are today well documented. Regular exercise positively influences most of our physiological systems and helps in protecting against, and rehabilitation of, several chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, numerous cancers, diabetes, stroke, and metabolic disorders (e.g., obesity). It also builds muscle and strengthens bones, preventing osteoporosis. In the elderly, it helps in maintaining balance, thereby reducing the risk of falls and maintaining independent living. This is particularly important as falls and related injuries are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in people aged 65 years and older. Exercise also helps to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression and buffers against stress. Moreover, there is good evidence to suggest that regular exercise maintains brain integrity and improves cognitive functioning across the lifespan. It has been suggested that, if exercise could be packed into a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine. Regular exercise appears to be a ‘magic bullet’ for human health and well-being.
Physical inactivity or sedentary behaviour, on the other hand, is also an important cause of health problems in Western societies. The amount of sedentary behaviour we engage in on a daily basis (e.g., watching television, surfing the internet, reading, or playing videogames), independent of how much physical activity or exercise we do, predicts ill health. For instance, a large longitudinal Canadian study showed that those who sat a very long time in one block had a 50 per cent increase in mortality in comparison to those who sat for shorter periods in one block. This study showed a dose–response relationship (positive correlation) between sitting time (duration of blocks) and ill health, which was independent of the amount of physical activity people engaged in (Katzmarzyk, Church, Craig, and Bouchard, 2009). This suggests that the time we spend sitting and its distribution across the day is related to morbidity and mortality, independent of being less or more physically active. This is why many governments across the globe have developed campaigns to promote physical activity, exercise, and sports. In this chapter, we will demonstrate that social psychologists can contribute in important ways to reach these goals.