Gareth Hall

Drive for leanness and health-related behavior within a social/cultural perspective

We examined relationships between drive for leanness and perceived media pressure to change appearance, internalization of an ideal physique, exercise frequency, and dieting. Men and women (N=353) completed the Drive for Leanness Scale, the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire-3, the Eating Attitudes Test-26, and a demographic inventory. Drive for leanness was significantly correlated with athletic internalization (.52), pressure to attain an ideal physique (.25), exercise frequency (.36), and dieting (.25). Structural equation modeling revealed a good fitting model (χ(2)=2.85, p<.241; CFI=.99; NNFI=.98; RMSEA=.04; SRMR=.02) with internalization predicting drive for leanness, which in turn predicted dieting and exercise. Results reveal social/cultural theory helps enhance the understanding of the drive for leanness and its relationship with health-related behavior.

Gender invariance and correlates of the Drive for Leanness Scale

We examined the drive for leanness scales gender invariance and its relationships with health-related behavior and body image-related drives. Men (N=342) and women (N=309) attending British universities completed the drive for leanness scale, drive for thinness scale, drive for muscularity scale, and a demographic inventory. Support for configural and metric, but not scalar, invariance emerged. Drive for leanness was positively correlated with weight training frequency, supplement use, drive for thinness, and drive for muscularity in both genders. Results provide guidance on comparing drive for leanness scale scores across gender and contribute to a coherent understanding of the drive for leanness and its correlates.

Talking about terrorism: A study of vernacular discourse

This article examines a neglected dimension of the dominant discourse of terrorism, namely, the vernacular, ‘everyday narratives’ of lay members of the public. While there are many studies of elite- and public-level discourses of terrorism, large numbers of public opinion and attitude studies, and a growing number of focus group studies on vernacular understandings of security and citizenship, there are few studies which specifically focus on lay discourses of terrorism. Importantly, there are even fewer studies which employ discursive psychology and conversation analysis as their primary methodological approach. Consequently, we do not know much about how ordinary people speak about in daily conversation – and therefore, how they understand or ‘know’ – what terrorism is, how it manifests, what its causes are, and how it is best dealt with. This article reports on some of the key findings of an empirical study of vernacular discourse about terrorism carried out in Aberystwyth, Wales. It reflects on what these findings tell us about how important political discourses are expressed in different arenas by different actors, how they are consumed and circulate, how they are resisted, how hegemonic they are in practice, and how they reflect cultural dispositions and the politics of legitimacy.

Conceptualising commitment: a thematic analysis of fans of Welsh rugby

Sports fans derive much of their self-concept from their group membership and committing to a specific team is an essential component of fandom. Few studies, however, examine how sports fans commit to their team, or what commitment means for them. An exploratory qualitative study was, therefore, conducted to investigate sports fans’ understanding of commitment. Using focus groups, Welsh rugby fans from three regions in Wales discussed their commitment to their favourite team. Thematic analysis was used to interpret Welsh rugby fans’ dominant thoughts about their commitment where four themes were identified in the data: affective loyalty, involvement, distinctiveness and individualism. In general, sports fans distinguished between different types of commitment and used commitment as a means for evaluating in- and out-group fan behaviour, as well as for personal image management. Future research could build on the present study by using these themes to develop a measurement scale for assessing fans’ commitment to their team.

A qualitative approach to understanding the role of lecture capture in student learning experiences

Abstract Lectures continue to be the dominant form of university teaching, and lecture capture technologies are tentatively taken up to support this form of delivery, rather than being used as a viable alternative. Much of the previous research, however, has been self-reports or survey-based, with far less attention given to qualitative explorations. This study aims to bridge this gap by using qualitative methods in order to examine students’ experiences of lecture capture provisions within the context of their own learning by utilising six focus groups to generate data. Thematic analysis was used to understand group opinions and experiences of lecture capture within university teaching. Two conceptual themes emerged: enhancing the learning environment and working and learning strategically. Results show that the value of lecture capture provisions could not be fully evaluated by students without considering their current learning environments. The main positive function of lecture capturing was to alleviate negative perceptions of lectures as a learning event, but it also provided students an opportunity to learn strategically. The extent to which lecture capturing develops and enhances the learning experience is discussed. Recommendations for how universities could utilise lecture capturing are proposed.