Francisco Villamarín

Commitment, Enjoyment and Motivation in Young Soccer Competitive Players

Building upon Decis and Ryan (1985) Self-determination theory as well as the sportive behavioral correlates of the model of Commitment (Scanlan et al., 1976), this study tries to establish the relationship between motivation and commitment in youth sport. For this purpose 454 young competitive soccer players answered the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) and the Sport Commitment Questionnaire (SCQ) during the regular season. The SMS measures the three dimensions of the Motivational continuum (the Amotivation, the Extrinsic Motivation and the Intrinsic Motivation). The SCQ measures the Sportive Commitment and its composing factors such as the Enjoyment, the Alternatives to the sport, and the Social Pressure. Our findings provided a clear pattern of the influence of motivation in sport enjoyment and commitment, outlining the positive contribution of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to enjoyment and commitment. Amotivation, contributes positively to alternatives to sport and negatively to enjoyment and commitment, It should be noted that extrinsic motivation has a higher contribution to enjoyment whereas intrinsic motivation has a higher contribution to commitment.

The role of perceived control in physiological reactivity: self-efficacy and incentive value as regulators of cardiovascular adjustment.

The aim of this study was to verify the influence of self-efficacy and incentive value on cardiovascular reactivity. Ninety-six subjects were randomly assigned to four experimental groups in each of which the self-efficacy (high or low) and incentive value (high or low) were modified in relation to a mental arithmetic task. Subjects were led to believe that failure in this behaviour would result in the appearance of an aversive stimulus. Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and skin temperature were all recorded throughout task performance, and at two given moments prior to the task, in order to establish baseline values. Subjects with high self-efficacy experienced a smaller increase in heart rate and systolic pressure, a greater increase in diastolic pressure, greater reduction in skin temperature and a reduction in pulse pressure during task performance. The effects were moderated by the incentive value in such a way that the effects of self-efficacy on cardiovascular reactivity were stronger when the consequences of task failure were perceived as highly relevant (high incentive value).

Emotional responses to a negative emotion induction procedure in Borderline Personality Disorder

The aim of this study was to determine if patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) present higher emotional response than healthy controls in a laboratory setting. Fifty participants (35 patients with BPD and 15 healthy controls) underwent a negative emotion induction procedure (presentation of standardized unpleasant images). Subjective emotional responses were assessed by means of self-reported questionnaires while biological reactivity during the procedure was measured through levels of salivary cortisol (sCORT) and alpha- amylase (sAA). Patients with BPD exhibited significant lower cortisol levels and higher sAA levels compared to controls. Self-reported emotional reactivity did not give rise to differences between groups but participants with BPD did present higher levels of negative emotional intensity at baseline and during the entire procedure. The findings do not give support to the emotional hyperreactivity hypothesis in BPD. However, BPD patients presented heightened negative mood intensity at baseline, which should be considered a hallmark of the disorder. Further studies using more BPD-specific emotion inductions are needed to confirm the trends observed in this study.

Correlatos psicosociales de la adhesión al tratamiento antirretroviral en el Centro Penitenciario de hombres de Barcelona

Objective: to assess therapeutic adherence to HAART amongst HIV positive inmates and its likely relationship with sets of different variables. Materials and Methods: longitudinal study carried out at the Men’s Prison of Barcelona (Centro Penitenciario de Hombres de Barcelona). The prison data base, a semi-structured interview assessing socio-penal, demographic and clinical variables as well as treatment characteristics, and questionnaires on beliefs and emotional states were used. Adherence at the beginning of the study, and then after three and six months was also assessed. Results: inmates presented with low levels of social support, and showed moderate agreement regarding care received from medical and health personnel. They considered the level of treatment complexity to be high and gave moderate relevance to treatment side effects. They presented high agreement with the potential benefits of continuing with the treatment and showed moderate perception of the severity of the illness. They also showed high levels of self efficacy where treatment monitoring was concerned. The emotional variables showed low blood pressure, depression, anger and fatigue. Adherence to antiretroviral treatment did not vary throughout the study period. Socio-cognitive variables that correlated with adherence at different times of the study were self efficacy, perceived benefits, treatment complexity and side effects. Emotional states that correlated with adherence were depression and fatigue. Discussion: the relationship between self efficacy and adherence is frequently mentioned in studies on the prediction of HAART adherence. The relationship between the two factors of fatigue and sadness/depression and adherence was expected. Key words: Patients dropouts; HAART; epidemiological factors; prisons.OBJECTIVE to assess therapeutic adherence to HAART amongst HIV positive inmates and its likely relationship with sets of different variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS longitudinal study carried out at the Mens Prison of Barcelona (Centro Penitenciario de Hombres de Barcelona). The prison data base, a semi-structured interview assessing socio-penal, demographic and clinical variables as well as treatment characteristics, and questionnaires on beliefs and emotional states were used. Adherence at the beginning of the study, and then after three and six months was also assessed. RESULTS inmates presented with low levels of social support, and showed moderate agreement regarding care received from medical and health personnel. They considered the level of treatment complexity to be high and gave moderate relevance to treatment side effects. They presented high agreement with the potential benefits of continuing with the treatment and showed moderate perception of the severity of the illness. They also showed high levels of self efficacy where treatment monitoring was concerned. The emotional variables showed low blood pressure, depression, anger and fatigue. Adherence to antiretroviral treatment did not vary throughout the study period. Socio-cognitive variables that correlated with adherence at different times of the study were self efficacy, perceived benefits, treatment complexity and side effects. Emotional states that correlated with adherence were depression and fatigue. DISCUSSION the relationship between self efficacy and adherence is frequently mentioned in studies on the prediction of HAART adherence. The relationship between the two factors of fatigue and sadness/depression and adherence was expected.