Carla Borrego

Relationship between group cohesion and anxiety in soccer.

Abstract Group cohesion in sport is a widely spread theme today. Research has found cohesion to be influenced by several individual and group components. Among the cognitive variables that relate to cohesion we found competitive anxiety. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between task cohesion (ATG-T, and GI-T) and competitive state anxiety (A-state), and also if there would be a relation between cohesion and self-confidence. Participants were 366 football players of both genders male and female, aged between 15 to 23 years old, from Portugal’s championships. Cohesion was measured using the Portuguese version of the Group Environment Questionnaire, and to assess competitive anxiety, we used the Portuguese version of the Competition State Anxiety Inventory 2. Our results show that female athletes report experiencing more cognitive anxiety and less self-confidence than male athletes. Only cognitive anxiety relates in a significantly negative way with the perception of cohesion (GI-T e ATG-T) in the total number of participants and in male athletes. Relatively to the somatic anxiety, it only relates negatively with the perception of the integration of the group in the total number of participants and in the male gender.

Propriedades psicométricas da versão portuguesa para jovens atletas de basquetebol do motivational climate scale for youth sports

O presente estudo analisa as propriedades psicometricas da versao portuguesa para jovens atletas de basquetebol do Motivational Climate Scale for Youth Sports (MCSYS). No estudo participaram 441 jogadores de basquetebol (206 masculinos e 235 femininos) com idades compreendidas entre 11 e 16 anos (M=14.40; SD=1.27). Como processo de validacao, utilizou- se o metodo designado de abordagem por comite ( committee approach ), analise da consistencia interna atraves do coeficiente de Alfa de Cronbach, analise fatorial exploratoria (AFE) e analise fatorial confirmatoria (AFC). A analise da confiabilidade do questionario foi considerada adequada, sendo os valores superiores a .70. Quanto aos indicadores de validade de constructo, obtidos por meio da AFC, apresentaram valores aceitaveis para todos os indices. Finalmente, encontramos um apoio preliminar para a validade de constructo do MCSYS, evidencia suficiente para avaliacao do clima motivacional em jovens atletas de basquetebol.

Motivational Climate Sport Youth Scale: Measurement Invariance Across Gender and Five Different Sports

Abstract The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Motivational Climate Sport Youth Scale (MCSYSp) and invariance across gender and different sports (swimming, soccer, handball, basketball, futsal). A total of 4,569 athletes (3,053 males, 1,516 females) from soccer (1,098), swimming (1,049), basketball (1,754), futsal (340), and handball (328) participated in this study, with ages between 10 and 20 years (M = 15.13; SD = 1.95). The results show that the original model (two factors/12 items) did not adjust to the data in a satisfactory way; therefore, it was necessary to change the model by removing four items (two from each factor). Subsequently, the model adjusted to the data in a satisfactory way (χ2 = 499.84; df = 19; χ2/df = 26.30; p < .001; SRMR = .037; TLI = .923; CFI = .948; RMSEA = .074; IC90% .069–.080) and was invariant by gender and team sports (soccer, handball, basketball, futsal) (ΔCFK≤.01); however, it was not invariant between swimming and team sports (soccer, handball, basketball, futsal) (ΔCFI ≥ .01). In conclusion, the MCSYSp (two factors/eight items) is a valid and reliable choice that is transversal not only to gender, but also to the different studied team sports to measure the perception of the motivational climate in athletes. Future studies can research more deeply the invariance analysis between individual sports to better understand the invariance of the model between individual and team sports.

Assessment of Achievement Goals in Portuguese Football Referees: Exploring the Adaptation of the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQp)

To measure goal perspective in sport, reflected by Achievement Goal Theory (3), Duda & Nicholls (7) devel- oped the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ), that comprises 13 items to assess athletes disposi- tional goal orientations. However, the Portuguese version of TEOSQp, was validated in several contexts of sport: young football players (4), sport athletes, recreational exercisers and physical education students (5), and physical education stu- dents (6). So, the main purpose of this study is to assess the factorial validity of TEOSQp and confirm the two factors model structure in a football referees population. This propose was accomplished using confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA) procedures, with data from a sample composed by 200 Portuguese football referees (155 main referees; 45 assis- tant referees), from different categories (69 first category; 131 third category). Adopting the criteria proposed by Hu & Bentler (9), the results of CFA only provided support for two-factor structure and showed an reasonable model fit to the data with a 11-items model (�� =67.42; df=43; p=0.01; �� /df=1.56; SRMR=0.063; CFI=0.955; RMSEA=0.053; RMSEA 90%IC=0.026-0.077). This model also show acceptable reliability in Cronbachs alphas for both factors (ego=.82; task=.74). These findings lead us to the elimination of item 9 and 12. However, good factor validity and reliability charac- teristics of the TEOSQp was obtain with the 11-items model. Nevertheless, perhaps some caution is needed in interpreting these results and more studies are advisable to a strong adaptation of TEOSQp to football referees.

Characterization of Exhaust Emissions from A EURO 5 Light Passenger Vehicle Using Biodiesel Blends

The authors have performed experiments using a EURO 5 light passenger vehicle, operated over the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). Fuel blends containing 7% (B7) and 20% (B20) of biodiesel (84% soyabean/16% palm) in petroleum-based diesel were tested and compared with a diesel fuel (B0). The exhaust gases emissions were assessed for NO, NO₂, SO₂ and volatile organic compounds (VOC), including a speciation analysis of VOC. The experiment reveals that biodiesel blends improve the combustion efficiency, NO and SO₂ emissions, and increasing NO₂ and total VOC emissions. The VOC speciation analysis suggests that the type and fraction of VOC existent in exhausted gases is fuel dependent, changing their presence and concentrations according to the fuel used. Additionally, the concentration of the three main VOC species in exhaust gases from B0 (benzene, toluene and octane) decrease 60-80% if a B20 blend is used. This experimental study contributes to a better characterization of the emission factors of EURO 5 light passenger vehicles using diesel/biodiesel blends and to a better understanding of the impact of the use of biodiesel blends on pollutant emissions.