Fabienne d'Arripe-Longueville

Competitive strategies among elite female gymnasts: An exploration of the relative influence of psychological skills training and natural learning experiences

Abstract The purposes of this qualitative study were, (a) to compare the competitive strategies developed by national and international female gymnasts through natural learning experiences, (b) to compare the competitive strategies used by national gymnasts who benefited from a psychological skills training (PST) program to those developed by international gymnasts via natural learning experiences, and (c) to investigate the functions these strategies served in the two aforementioned cases. Individual in‐depth interviews were conducted with three international and six national gymnasts. Three of the six national gymnasts followed a PST, whereas the other three did not. The international gymnasts never benefited from PST neither before nor during the study. The results indicated that the strategies developed through natural experiences over time by the international gymnasts were wider and more elaborate than those of their national counterparts, but akin to those used by the national gymnasts who had benefited from a PST. The specific consequences of the characteristics of the international context and psychological skills training on the strategies gymnasts elaborated were also highlighted. Results are discussed relative to research on deliberate practice and sport talent development (Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch‐Romer, 1993).

The effects of social relationships and acceptance on disturbed eating attitudes in elite adolescent female athletes: The mediating role of physical self-perceptions

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of social relationships (i.e., coach, friends, and parents) and acceptance (i.e., peers) on disturbed eating attitudes (DEAs) in elite adolescent female athletes, through the mediating role of physical self-perception (i.e., perceived physical appearance and perceived physical ability). METHOD The sample comprised 227 elite adolescent female athletes (M(age) = 15.75; SD(age) = 3.00) engaged in various esthetic sports. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling method and mediation analysis. RESULTS They showed that peer acceptance and quality of parent-athlete relationships have a significant negative influence on DEA in elite adolescent female athletes. Moreover, the quality of relationship with the coach and sport friend has a significant positive influence on DEA in female athletes through the mediating role of perceived physical ability. DISCUSSION The quality of relationship with parents and peer acceptance would be a protective factor regarding DEA, whereas the quality of relationships with coach and friend in sport would be risk factors for the development of DEA in adolescent female athletes through the mediating role of perceived physical ability. Recommendations for future use of, and research on, activities are outlined. The effects of social relationships and acceptance on DEA in elite adolescent female athletes: the mediating role of physical self-perceptions.

The influence of trained peer tutoring on tutors' motivation and performance in a French boxing setting

The aim of this study was to examine the potential motivational and behavioural benefits of two peer tutoring programmes for tutors in a sport setting. Differences between the sexes were also explored. Thirty two college-age males and females, all novices on a French boxing task, were assigned to a 2×2 [sex×training type: physical practice associated with trained peer tutoring (TPT) vs physical practice associated with untrained peer tutoring (UPT)] factorial design. All participants were given six French boxing lessons of 2 h each. The TPT programme included structured methods to prepare the participants to fulfil their role of tutors, whereas the UPT programme did not. The results demonstrated that the TPT programme resulted in higher scores for coaching skills. Furthermore, interaction effects revealed that the TPT programme yielded better offensive outcomes for males and better defensive outcomes for females. Although the UPT participants expressed higher self-efficacy, no differences emerged for intrinsic motivation and causal attributions. Finally, male tutors displayed higher self-efficacy and offensive outcomes than female tutors. The results are discussed in the light of previous findings in the educational and sport psychology literature.

Effect of implicit theories on judgement of cheating acceptability in physical education: The mediating role of achievement goals

Abstract We tested a hypothetical model that examined both the effects of implicit theories of ability on the judgement of cheating acceptability in a physical education context and the mediating role of the achievement goals defined in the social-cognitive model of achievement motivation. Data were collected from 477 middle-school students, who completed measures of implicit theories of ability, achievement goals, and judgement of cheating acceptability in team sports within a cross-sectional design. The results indicated that performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals mediated the relationships between entity theory and the judgement of cheating acceptability, and mastery-approach and mastery-avoidance goals mediated the relationships between incremental theory and the judgement of cheating acceptability. Further research is needed to determine whether these results would be replicated with other moral variables and other contexts.

Development and validation of the French Self-Regulatory Eating Attitude in Sports Scale.

In this study, the French Self‐Regulatory Eating Attitude in Sports Scale (SREASS) was developed and then validated. Five subscales measure the control of eating attitude in contexts of: (a) food temptation, (b) negative affects, (c) social interaction, (d) lack of compensatory strategy, and (e) lack of anticipation of consequences on performance. The validation procedure required the participation of 527 student athletes and four successive studies to develop and present a preliminary scale and assess the clarity of the items (study 1), evaluate the factorial structure validity of the scale and test the invariance across gender (study 2), assess the time stability (study 3), and assess the external validity of the instrument (study 4). The present results provide preliminary evidence for the appropriateness of the SREASS for French student athletes. Nevertheless, further evaluation of this instrument is warranted to establish the robustness of the present findings.

Beliefs about Physical Activity in Sedentary Cancer Patients: an In-depth Interview Study in France

This study was designed to identify beliefs about physical activity in cancer patients. Semi- structured interviews were conducted with 20 patients under treatment, who were invited to identify perceived barriers for not adopting a physically active lifestyle and to express their beliefs about physical activity. Content analyses revealed five main categories of beliefs including four types of barriers: (a) barriers related to the side effects of treatment; (b) barriers related to a lack of perceived physical abilities; (c) barriers related to a lack of interest for physical activity; (d) beliefs about the negative effects of physical activity, and (e) beliefs about the positive effects of physical activity. These findings extend the existing literature by indicating how stereotypes may play a role in explaining sedentary lifestyles in cancer patients.

Testing the effect of text messaging cues to promote physical activity habits: a worksite-based exploratory intervention

This study aims to test the efficacy of text messaging cues (SMS) to promote physical activity (PA) habit formation in the workplace. Employees (N = 49; 28 females and 21 males, Mage = 47.5 ± 8.29 years) were randomized into two parallel groups: a PA group enrolled in a 28‐week supervised PA program and a PA+SMS group enrolled in the same PA program with text messaging cues received before their PA sessions. The exercise habit was assessed every week from self‐reports on an online application. PA maintenance and several physical fitness measures were also assessed prior to and after the intervention to evaluate its general impact. Mixed model analysis of the 603 observations indicated a small but significant effect of the SMS cues on the speed at which participants engaged in PA behaviors, as the significant interaction effect revealed that the slope of the exercise habit over time was slightly steeper in the PA+SMS group (B = 0.0462, P = 0.0001) than in the PA group (B = 0.0216, P = 0.01). SMS delivery had a marginal effect on the maintenance of PA behaviors 1 year after the intervention. The results suggest that text messaging can help to form PA habits at the workplace and might facilitate long‐term maintenance of PA behaviors.

The Internalisation of Sociocultural and Thin-Ideal Standards in Sports scale: Development and preliminary validation in female athletes participating in aesthetic sports

Thinness is a part of todays sociocultural standards of beauty and thus is implicated in body-image dissatisfaction and eating disorders. In female aesthetic sports, thinness is a standard for aesthetics and performance. Measuring the internalisation of thin-ideal standards in these athletes may therefore help athletes, coaches, parents, administrators, sport psychologists, and so on to gain insight into the risks associated with body-image dissatisfaction and disordered eating. This study aimed to develop and validate the Internalisation of Sociocultural and Thin-Ideal Standards in Sports (ISTISS) scale. Four studies involving 357 female aesthetic athletes examined the exploratory factorial structure, temporal stability, and concurrent validity of the ISTISS, which gave rise to a 10-item scale with two subscales: internalisation of sociocultural standards and thin-ideal standards in sports. Internal consistencies were satisfactory and relationships with the self-regulation of eating attitude in sport were as expected. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the appropriateness of the ISTISS scale for female aesthetic sports athletes.

Can exercise change the stereotypes associated with individuals with cancer

The purpose of this study was to examine whether exercising can positively influence the stereotypes associated with individuals with cancer and, more specifically, have an effect on the impression formation related to warmth and competence. A total of 193 French college students (Mage = 21.08, SD = 1.44 years; 88 females and 105 males) were randomly assigned to one of the conditions of a 2 (participant sex) × 2 (target health status: cancer vs no information) × 3 (target exercise status: exerciser vs non‐exerciser vs no information) experimental design. Results indicated that exercising target with cancer was perceived as the most competent compared with targets with cancer and those without information about cancer. These results suggest that exercising could be an effective way to undermine cancer stereotypes and reduce discrimination against people with cancer.

Worksite physical activity barriers and facilitators: a qualitative study based on the transtheoretical model of change

Background: Many of the studies on worksite physical activity (PA) have investigated either the effectiveness of PA programs for employees and the work-related outcomes or health promotion interventions to increase PA. However, studies on barriers and enabling factors for participation are scarce and have generally not been theoretically grounded. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify worksite PA barriers and facilitators from the perspective of the transtheoretical model of change (TTM). Methods: Thirty employees (15 females and 15 males; Mage = 44.70; SD = 5.20) were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews lasting from 60 to 90 min. Participants came from several organizations that offered PA programs and were at different exercise stages of change. They were invited to describe: (a) general information on the place of PA in their daily lives and in the workplace, and the reasons for (b) worksite PA participation or (c) non-participation. The interview transcripts were analyzed both inductively and deductively with reference to the exercise stages of change. Results: Three categories of barriers and facilitators related to physical, psychological and environmental dimensions were identified. For all exercise stages of change combined, psychological and environmental barriers were significantly more reported than physical barriers, whereas physical and psychological facilitators were more cited than environmental facilitators. Further qualitative analysis suggested that these categories differed with the exercise stage of change. At the precontemplative and contemplative stages, all types of barriers predominated (e.g., physical constraints due to the workstation, fear of management disapproval, time constraints). At the preparation stage, physical, and psychological needs emerged in relation to worksite PA (e.g., need to compensate for sedentary work, stress regulation). At the action and maintenance levels, physical, psychological, and environmental facilitators were reported (e.g., enhanced physical condition, workplace well-being, social ties). At the relapse stage, specific life changes or events broke the physically active lifestyle dynamics. Conclusion: This study identified the contribution of different types of worksite PA barriers and facilitators according to the exercise stage of change. The identified facilitators are consistent with the general TTM processes of change, while being specific to the workplace. Practical strategies are discussed.