F. Atienza

Satisfaction with Life Scale: analysis of factorial invariance across sexes

This study analyzes the factorial invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) across sexes. Data from 2080 Spanish junior high school students (1023 males and 1057 females) were analyzed. Single group analyses showed an acceptable one-factor measurement model for both male and female groups. The factor means were found to be unequal. Sequential multigroup analyses, using the multi-sample procedure in LISREL 8, to test the equivalence of factor structures of the SWLS for male and female groups showed that factor loadings and unique variances are not invariant across the sexes. The results obtained showed that the SWLS exhibits some sensitivity to sexes in the groups analyzed.

SATISFACTION WITH LIFE SCALE: ANALYSIS OF FACTORIAL INVARIANCE FOR ADOLESCENTS AND ELDERLY PERSONS '

The purpose of this work is to analyze the factorial invariance of the Satisfaction With Life Scale across samples of adolescents and elderly persons. Data from 266 subjects were analyzed. Half were Spanish junior high-school students (65 girls and 68 boys) and the other half were Spanish elderly people (68 women and 65 men). Single-group analyses showed an acceptable one-factor model for both adolescent and elderly groups. Sequential multigroup analyses to test the equivalence of factor structures for adolescent and elderly groups showed that factor loadings and variances are not invariant. The scale is sensitive to age in these groups.

Factor Analysis and Reliability of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire

The purpose of this work was to analyze the factor structure, estimate reliability of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire of Hall and Pongrac, and examine differences between men and women on factor scores. The results for 63 men and 47 women supported the bifactorial structure and reliability of this self-report and its adequacy in comparisons of visual and kinesthetic imagery scores.

VIDEO MODELING AND IMAGING TRAINING ON PERFORMANCE OF TENNIS SERVICE OF 9-TO 12-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

The purpose of this work is to analyze, in a pilot study, the effects of video modeling and imagery training over 24 weeks on tennis service performance. Three groups of 9- to 12-yr.-old tennis players participated: (a) a physical practice group, who received physical training, (b) a physical practice + video group who received physical training plus watched a video modeling mental training, and (c) a physical practice + video + imagery group who received physical training plus video modeling and imagery mental training. The results for the intragroup pre-posttest comparisons showed that tennis performance did not significantly improve for the physical training group. The groups given mental training showed improvement from pre- to postintervention. Finally, the posttest comparison between groups indicated that diere were significant differences between the group given physical training only compared to the groups given mental training but that the latter two did not differ significantly from each other.

The relationship between professional tournament structure on the national level and success in men's professional tennis

This article discusses the relationship between a nations mens professional tennis tournament structure and that nations success in the international mens game. The 2002 mens professional tennis tournament calendar provided the distribution of events on the top thirty nations. Criteria for a nations success in mens professional tennis were: nations number of players with ATP points, nations number of players in the top 200 ranking, and the combined ATP ranking of a nations top 5 male players. Pearson correlations were performed between the number of tournaments and each criterion. Results showed a considerable variation in the number of events ranging between 67 (United States) and 4 (Sweden). On the other hand, 29 of the 30 countries had Internationally ranked male player/s and 22 had player/s ranked inside the top 200. Results also showed that: 1. nations with a high number of mens professional events are best positioned to provide for more professionally ranked players, 2. nations with more professional mens tournaments are likely to experience success in the mens international game, and 3. having a high number of tournaments is not a prerequisite to having a group of players ranked among the games elite. It can be concluded that competition is an important factor in player development and that countries who want to be successful at the professional level should try to provide best competitive progression for their players.

The Importance of Coaches’ Autonomy Support in the Leisure Experience and Well-Being of Young Footballers

Drawing on the self-determination framework, the study examined the effect of coaches’ autonomy support on the leisure experience of young male football players. Specifically, a model was tested analyzing the long-term predictive power of the players’ perceptions of the coaches’ autonomy support at the beginning of the season on the subjective vitality of young football players at the end of the season, through needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation (IM). Moreover, we tested whether the effects of coaches’ autonomy support on the aforementioned variables (needs satisfaction, IM, and subjective vitality) at the end of the season remained at the beginning of the following season. Because the coach in the second season was not the same one as in the first season, the perception of coaches’ autonomy support at the beginning of the second season was used as a control variable. Three hundred and sixty football players (M age = 12.60 years; SD = 0.52) completed a questionnaire on the variables of interest at the beginning of the first season (T1), at the end of the first season (T2), and at the beginning of the second season (T3). The results of the path analyses showed that players’ perceptions of coaches’ autonomy support at the beginning of the season (T1) positively predicted needs satisfaction at the end of the first season (T2), which in turn predicted IM at the end of the first season (T2). Additionally, IM significantly and positively predicted subjective vitality at the end of the first season (T2). Finally, needs satisfaction, IM, and subjective vitality at the end of the second season (T2) positively predicted these same variables at the beginning of the second season (T3). Results emphasized the importance of the autonomy support offered by the coach in promoting the quality of young people’s leisure experience playing football and its benefits for their well-being.