Albert J. Petitpas

A Life Skills Development Program for High School Student-Athletes

Sport and after school activities have been identified as fertile ground for adolescents to develop initiative and feelings of self-efficacy. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of a national intervention program that uses sport participation as a vehicle to enhance life skill development in urban youth. Evaluation data are provided and some potential advantages of using sport and after-school activities to promote social competence are discussed.

Prevalence of psychological distress among patients at a physical therapy clinic specializing in sports medicine

To assess the frequency with which patients at an orthopedic physical therapy clinic specializing in sports medicine experience clinically meaningful psychological distress, 200 consecutive patients were administered a standardized measure of psychopathology. Patients varied in terms of diagnosis, stage of rehabilitation, and level of athletic involvement. The physical therapist and athletic trainer responsible for the rehabilitation of a patient rated a patients behavior during rehabilitation sessions. Approximately 19% of patients reported a clinical level of psychological distress. Most patients demonstrated few overt signs of a maladaptive psychological response to injury. The physical therapist or athletic trainer rating was not significantly correlated with a patients self‐reported psychological distress. It was concluded that psychological distress occurs infrequently among patients at a sports medicine clinic, but with sufficient regularity to warrant concern.

Attributions for recovery and adherence to rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A prospective analysis

Abstract The relationship between causal attributions for recovery and adherence was examined in a sample of 80 individuals (25 females and 55 males) undergoing rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Participants estimated their speed of recovery and then rated their open-ended attributions for recovery on the Revised Causal Dimension Scale (McAuley, Duncan and Russell, 1992). Adherence was assessed in terms of attendance at rehabilitation sessions and practitioner ratings for the remainder of the rehabilitation period. Participants who perceived themselves as recovering rapidly attributed their recovery to more stable and personally controllable factors than participants who perceived themselves as recovering slowly. Causal dimension ratings predicted attendance at rehabilitation sessions, but not practitioner ratings of adherence. The results, which further demonstrate the relevance of causal attributions to health behavior, are compared with previous cross-sectional findings.

Ethical beliefs and behaviors in applied sport psychology: The AAASP ethics survey

Abstract AAASP members (N = 508) were surveyed to obtain preliminary data on ethical beliefs and behaviors specific to the practice of applied sport psychology. Completed surveys were received from 165 individuals. On the structured response portion of the survey, there were few differences in ethical beliefs and behaviors as a function of gender, professional/student status, and academic discipline. Nevertheless, a large number of controversial behaviors (N = 24) and difficult judgments (N = 8) were identified. Results of the open-ended portion of the survey indicated that most of the questionable ethical practices cited by respondents corresponded to violations of American Psychological Association (APA) Ethical Standards. The findings lend initial support for AAASP to adopt the APA Ethical Standards and suggest the need for ethics training specific to applied sport psychology.

Metaqualitative reflections in sport and exercise psychology

In responding to a series of questions regarding qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology, we offer our reflections on the: (a) strengths/merits and weaknesses/limitations of qualitative research; (b) frustrations, joys, concerns and dilemmas associated with evaluating, teaching or reading qualitative research and (c) future of qualitative research. We identify numerous positive aspects of qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology, which are tempered only slightly by several negative aspects. We argue that qualitative methods hold considerable promise for future research in sport and exercise psychology.

The Effects of Music and a Coxswain on Attentional Focus, Perceived Exertion, Motivation, and Performance During a 1,000 m Ergometer Rowing Sprint

Music has often been portrayed as a dissociative (i.e., distracting) mechanism. This study demonstrates that music may not be unifunctional in regards to attentional focus; that is, external concentration on music can coexist with task-relevant thoughts. Female intercollegiate rowers (N = 26) performed four 1,000 m sprints on a rowing ergometer at maximal effort under music, coxswain, combined music and coxswain, and control conditions. Findings indicate that during the 1,000 m rowing sprint, both external and task-relevant dimensions of attentional focus can exist simultaneously. This implies a new consideration of music as either dissociative or associative based on task-related factors.

Injury in Sport

This article focuses on the importance of psychological factors in most aspects of the injury process in athletes. These psychological factors have been identified in both the occurrence and aftermath of sport injury, and psychological interventions have been used to reduce injury risk and to facilitate physical and psychological recovery from sport injury.

Coping with verbal gamesmanship in golf: The PACE model

ABSTRACT Gamesmanship is an act or verbal gesture used to psychologically unsettle opponents to gain an advantage in sport competition. Although verbal gamesmanship, colloquially known as trash talk, is most frequently used in the sports of ice hockey, American football, and basketball, it also has been found to occur in the game of golf. The purpose of this article is to help athletes, coaches, and sport psychologists to understand and develop strategies to cope with verbal gamesmanship in golf. To this end, verbal gamesmanship is described and the acronym PACE, theoretically grounded in a cognitive-behavioral approach, is presented as a tool that golfers can use to respond to verbal gamesmanship. PACE can help golfers to remind themselves to Pause, Assess, Concentrate, and Execute, all of which can be helpful when faced with verbal gamesmanship in golf settings.

Athletic identity foreclosure

Athletic identity foreclosure refers to commitment to the athlete role in the absence of exploration of occupational or ideological alternatives. This article traces the theoretical underpinnings of the construct, examines the role of sport participation in identity development, and provides an overview of the course, correlates, and consequences of athletic identity foreclosure. Implications for future research are discussed.

Coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success: A Comparison to the Sport Psychology Literature

POSITION AND PERSONAL POWER According to the industrial/organizational literature, effective leadership requires a combination of position and personal power. Coaches by virtue of their title have position power, but their effectiveness is typically a factor of their ability to develop effective relationships with players that are based on trust and mutual respect. With this in mind, it is interesting to note that the foundational components of the pyramid include the interpersonal characteristics of friendliness, loyalty, and cooperation. These relational components would appear to provide the trust and respect that enhance coaches’ personal power.