Francesca Vitali

Motivational climate, resilience, and burnout in youth sport

PurposeGrounded in the theoretical framework of achievement goal theory, the purpose of this study was to examine the role of some personal factors (perceived competence and resilience) and situational variables (motivational climate) on burnout in young athletes practicing team sports.MethodsParticipants were 87 adolescent basketball and volleyball players.ResultsMastery (task-involving) climate correlated positively with resilience and perceived competence, and negatively with the three dimensions of burnout (emotional/physical exhaustion, reduced sense of accomplishment, and sport devaluation). In contrast, performance (ego-involving) climate related positively with the three dimensions of burnout. Regression analysis results showed perceived mastery climate to significantly contribute to the amount of the variability in two burnout variables (i.e., reduced sense of accomplishment and sport devaluation). In addition, resilience and perceived competence were shown to moderate the effects of the motivational context towards burnout.ConclusionsOverall, findings suggest protective effects of mastery climate, resilience, and perceived competence against burnout symptoms. From an applied perspective, coaches should adopt suitable behaviours to promote a mastery-involving climate.

Self-Efficacy, Emotional States, and Performance in Carom Billiards

Based on an integrative approach to the study of the emotional–cognitive–motor linkage in sport competition, the purpose was to examine the mediating role of emotion-related (psychobiosocial) states in the relationship between self-efficacy (technical and cognitive) and performance in carom billiards. Forty-five male players of master or intermediate categories, between 30 and 74 years of age (M = 51.2, SD = 10.8), participated in the study. Measures included scores of technical and cognitive self-efficacy, functional (i.e., facilitative to performance) and dysfunctional (i.e., debilitative to performance) psychobiosocial states, and performance outcome. The assessment took place prior to one game of a national or an international competition. Results showed technical self-efficacy, cognitive self-efficacy, functional states, and performance to be significantly and positively related among them. Functional psychobiosocial states mediated the effect of both technical and cognitive self-efficacy on performance. Overall, the findings supported an integrative approach to the study of the linkage among cognition, emotion, and action in sport.

Effects of Combined Aerobic-Strength Training vs Fitness Education Program in COPD Patients

We compared the effects of a new physical activity education program approach (EDU), based on a periodically supervised protocol of different exercise modalities vs traditionally supervised combined strength-endurance training (CT) on health-related factors in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Twenty-eight COPD patients without comorbidities were randomly assigned to receive either EDU or CT. CT was continuously supervised to combine strength-endurance training; EDU was taught to progressively increase the rate of autonomous physical activity, through different training modalities such as Nordic walking, group classes and circuit training. Body composition, walking capacity, muscle strength, flexibility and balance, total daily energy expenditure and quality of life were evaluated at baseline, after 28 weeks training period (3d/week) and after a 14-week follow-up. No adverse events occurred during the interventions. After training, CT and EDU similarly improved walking capacity, body composition and quality of life. However, after 14 weeks of follow-up, such improvements were not maintained. Only in CT, muscle strength and flexibility improved after training but returned to baseline after follow-up. EDU, similar to CT, can effectively and safely improve health-related parameters in COPD patients. EDU could be an attractive alternative to traditional supervised training for improving quality of life in COPD patients.

Intenzioni imprenditoriali e scelta professionale: il ruolo della auto-efficacia personale

Nell’insieme degli elementi che strutturano il processo di scelta professionale, quello delle intenzioni imprenditoriali e considerato come una determinante chiave delle azioni imprenditoriali. Approfondire il tema della intenzionalita imprenditoriale significa considerare come il fenomeno imprenditoriale prenda l’avvio ben prima del processo di creazione di impresa vero e proprio, trovando origine in una fase di preparazione e predisposizione, in cui fattori psicologici e sociali assumono una importanza fondamentale. Fra gli elementi personali in grado di influenzare le intenzioni imprenditoriali, le convinzioni di auto-efficacia personale sembrano giocare un ruolo rilevante. Il contributo presenta una ricerca svolta su un gruppo di 184 aspiranti imprenditori (108 M; 76 F). I risultati ottenuti confermano le ipotesi di partenza: a) i soggetti che dimostrano un piu elevato senso di self-efficacy, mostrano piu forti intenzioni imprenditoriali; b) i soggetti che dimostrano un piu elevato senso di self-efficacy, evidenziano atteggiamenti piu positivi verso il lavoro imprenditoriale; c) i soggetti che dimostrano un piu elevato senso di self-efficacy, attribuiscono un ruolo piu importante alle aspettative di supporto sociale nell’influenzare le intenzioni imprenditoriali.

L'esperienza tedesca degli assessment center: analisi di casi

Con l’intento di presentare una breve panoramica descrittiva delle esperienze tedesche legate alle applicazioni della metodologia degli Assessment Center (AC), si illustrano tre casi considerati come esemplari per l’analisi di quello che e oggi lo stato dell’arte di questo strumento nel Paese cui il metodo deve le proprie origini storiche, qui brevemente descritte. L’attenzione viene focalizzata sulle modalita di applicazione del metodo, sulle aree di indagine e sulle dimensioni considerate per la valutazione delle condotte lavorative. Il primo caso descrive la realta di un importante Istituto di consulenza e di ricerca, con anni di esperienza nelle applicazioni e nello studio degli AC, l’Institut fur Qualitative Personalarbeit di Bergisch Gladbach, gestito da Wolfgang Jeserich. Il secondo caso prende in esame la Divisione di Gestione del Personale della Beiersdorf AG, una multinazionale che utilizza sistematicamente il metodo e ne ha elaborato una nuova tipologia, quella dell’AC internazionale. Il terzo caso e rappresentato dall’analisi delle esperienze di Ernst August Bolte, titolare di un avviato studio di consulenza di Amburgo. In conclusione, si analizzano similarita e differenze tra l’attuale situazione tedesca e quella italiana.