Anthony J. Amorose

Measuring interprofessional team collaboration in expanded school mental health: Model refinement and scale development

Expanded school mental health (ESMH) utilizes interprofessional collaboration to implement learning support and mental health promotion strategies in schools. This study reports on the early development and initial psychometric examination of a new scale, the Index of Interprofessional Team Collaboration for Expanded School Mental Health (IITC-ESMH), for measuring the functioning of interprofessional teams. Exploratory factor analysis results, using data collected from 436 members of interprofessional teams in schools, yielded a 26-item scale with a four-factor model (a) Reflection on Process, (b) Professional Flexibility, (c) Newly Created Professional Activities, and (d) Role Interdependence. Cronbachs alphas for the four factors were .91, .91, .84, and .80 respectively. The findings from this study provide evidence to support the IITC-ESMH as a reliable instrument for measuring interprofessional collaboration.

Predicting Changes in Athletes' Well Being From Changes in Need Satisfaction Over the Course of a Competitive Season

It is commonly believed that participation in structured sport programs leads to positive experiences and beneficial developmental outcomes for children and adolescents (see Coakley, 2007; Weiss, Amorose, & Allen, 2000). For instance, proponents of organized sport cite that participation can help build self-esteem, promote sportspersonship, encourage a valuing of physical activity, and provide a sense of enjoyment and well being. While there is some empirical support for the relationships between sport participation and these outcomes, research shows that children and youth can also experience a number of negative outcomes, such as high levels of stress, burnout, and low self-esteem as a result of their participation (see Brustad, Babkes, & Smith, 2001; Cahill & Pearl, 1993; Weiss et al., 2000). Thus, any positive effects of sport participation on psychosocial development and well being cannot be assumed to be an automatic consequence of participation—simply signing up to play will not guarantee positive results. Rather, the impact of sport on youth will ultimately depend on their experiences while participating. The goal of this study was to better understand how participation in sport leads to more or less positive outcomes for youth by exploring the link between athletes’ psychological need satisfaction and their well being. A beneficial framework for understanding youth sport experiences is self-determination theory (SDT) (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2000b, 2002), which posits there are three fundamental psychological needs essential for optimal functioning and well being: (a) competence, which reflects the need to perceive our behavior and interaction with the social environment as effective (White, 1959); (b) autonomy, which represents the need to perceive our behaviors and thoughts as freely chosen and that we are the origins of our own actions (deCharms, 1968); and (c) relatedness, which represents the need to perceive we are connected to those around us and experience a sense of belonging (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). According to SDT, the extent to which these needs are satisfied or thwarted in a particular social context, such as sport, will ultimately affect psychosocial development and well being. A recently formalized subtheory of SDT, labeled basic needs theory (BNT), details the link between need satisfaction and well being (see Ryan & Deci, 2002). Specifically, BNT predicts that people who feel their needs are fulfilled will experience positive well being and optimal functioning, whereas a deficiency in need satisfaction will lead to nonoptimal functioning and ill being (Ryan & Deci, 2000a). A number of studies supported the predictions outlined in BNT (see Ryan & Deci, 2002), including a handful of studies in the context of sport (see Gagné & Blanchard, 2007; Weiss & Amorose, 2008). For instance, Gagné, Ryan, and Bargmann (2003) conducted a diary study, which, among other things, examined the relationships between indexes of positive and negative well being and the daily fluctuations young female gymnasts Predicting Changes in Athletes’ Well Being From Changes in Need Satisfaction Over the Course of a Competitive Season

The Validity of Using Prior Ratings of Perceived Exertion to Regulate Resistance Exercise Intensity

This investigation examined the validity of using ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) to regulate intensity during resistance exercise. 19 male (M age = 22.2 yr., SD = 2.7) and 19 female (M age = 21.4 yr., SD = 2.3) participants estimated exertion when performing the knee extension at 40% to 90% of one-repetition maximum. One week later, participants were asked to produce weights for the knee extension that elicited the feelings of exertion associated with 9, 13, and 17 on the Borg RPE scale. The weight produced at 9, 13, and 17 during the production session was compared to the weight lifted at each RPE during the estimation session. The effect sizes associated with the differences in weight lifted across sessions at each RPE were generally small in magnitude, especially at the higher intensities (ES = .40, –.09, .15, respectively). The results of this investigation support the use of RPE as a method of prescribing the intensity of resistance exercise.

Initial Reliability and Validity of the Perceived Social Competence Scale

Objective: This study describes the development and validation of a perceived social competence scale that social workers can easily use to assess childrens and youths social competence. Method: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on a calibration and a cross-validation sample of youth. Predictive validity was also established. Results: A four-item measure, labeled the Perceived Social Competence Scale (PSCS), demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and factorial validity in samples of children and youth participating in youth development programs. Additionally, tests for gender invariance indicated that the PSCS worked equally well for males and females. The PSCS also demonstrated predictive validity, correlating positively with perceived belonging. Conclusion: Support was found for the PSCS as an empirically sound tool to assess children and youths perceptions of social competence.

Sport commitment among competitive female athletes: Test of an expanded model

Abstract In the present study, we examined an expanded model of sport commitment by adding two determinants (perceived costs and perceived competence) and behavioural commitment as a consequence of psychological commitment, as well as identifying psychological commitment as a mediator of relationships between determinants and behavioural commitment. Competitive female gymnasts (N = 304, age 8–18 years) completed relevant measures while coaches rated each gymnasts training behaviours as an indicator of behavioural commitment. Path analysis revealed that the best fitting model was one in which original determinants (enjoyment, involvement opportunities, investments, attractive alternatives) and an added determinant (perceived costs) predicted psychological commitment, in addition to investments and perceived costs directly predicting behavioural commitment. These results provide further, but partial, support for the sport commitment model and also suggest that additional determinants and behavioural consequences be considered in future research.

Social Responsibility among Low-Income Youth in Physical Activity-Based Positive Youth Development Programs: Scale Development and Associations with Social Relationships

Relationships with peers and adults are expected to foster social responsibility in physical activity-based positive youth development programs. Low-income youth (N = 479) were surveyed pre- and post-program.Psychometric properties of a new social responsibility scale were supported. Belonging predicted changes in social responsibility, and leader emotional support moderated the autonomy support- and belonging-social responsibility associations. Those with higher leader emotional support had a stronger positive association between autonomy support and social responsibility. Those with lower leader emotional support had a stronger positive association between belonging and social responsibility. Positive social relationships with peers and staff may facilitate social responsibility.

Exploring the impact of a summer sport-based youth development program

The purpose of this study was to examine the benefits of youth participation in a sport-based youth development summer program, the National Youth Sport Program (NYSP). This study also identified areas of programmatic strength within the program, as well as areas for improvement. 193 participants in NYSP completed a pre- and post-test that assessed belonging, social competence, athletic competence, and competence related to eight specific sports. Significant improvements in perceptions of overall athletic competence and competence related to five specific sports were found. Although perceptions of social competence and belonging increased from pre-to-post test, findings were not statistically significant. Site observations resulted in the identification of strengths and areas that also inform areas for programmatic improvement. Implications for the design, implementation, and evaluation of sport-based youth development programs are discussed.

The Development of the Perceived School Experiences Scale

Objectives: This article describes two studies related to the development of the Perceived School Experiences Scale (PSES). The PSES may be used by social workers to assess youths’ perceptions of three school-related protective factors, including school connectedness, academic press, and academic motivation. Method: In Study 1, exploratory and confirmatory analyses were conducted on a calibration (n = 386) and cross-validation sample (n = 387) of middle and high school students. In Study 2, test–retest reliability and predictive validity were established on a sample of high school students (n = 97). Results: The resultant 14-item PSES demonstrated acceptable factorial validity and gender invariance in samples of middle and high school students. The PSES also demonstrated acceptable test–retest reliability, and correlated positively with perceived belonging and social competence. Conclusions: Overall, the PSES has important implications for social workers as they assess important protective factors and document the effectiveness of their interventions for the children and youth they serve.

Selection of Resistance Exercise Intensity Using Ratings of Perceived Exertion from the OMNI—RES

This investigation evaluated the use of OMNI–Resistance Exercise Scale ratings of perceived exertion as a method for selecting training intensities that are appropriate for improving muscular fitness. 20 women (M = 21.3 yr., SD = 2.2) completed a one-repetition maximum for the chest press and knee extension. Participants returned for three sessions during which they were asked to select resistances which elicited the feelings of exertion associated with ratings of 3 (i.e., Easy to Somewhat easy), 6 (i.e., Somewhat hard) and 9 (i.e., Hard to Extremely hard). The average percentage of maximum lifted at a 3, 6, and 9 was 50, 69, and 88% for the chest press and 56, 74, and 90% for the knee extension, respectively. Effect sizes indicated large differences across the three ratings of perceived exertion within sessions and small differences between sessions. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from .69 to .95. The results indicated that OMNI–Resistance Exercise Scale ratings of 3, 6, and 9 can be used to accurately and reliably select intensities that are appropriate for improving muscular fitness.

The Case for the Perceived Social Competence Scale II

Objective: This study examines the psychometric properties of the revised Perceived Social Competence Scale (PSCS), a brief, user-friendly tool used to assess social competence among youth. Method: Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) examined the factor structure and invariance of an enhanced scale (PSCS-II), among a sample of 420 youth. Correlations between PSCS-II and self-reported social skill scores were examined. A longitudinal CFA tested the invariance of the factor structure over time with a different sample of 451 youth. Results: The revised 5-item PSCS-II demonstrated acceptable factorial validity, factorial invariance across time and gender as well as strong predictive validity. Conclusion: The PSCS-II was supported as a strengthened version of the PSCS to measure social competence in social work research and practice.