Isabel Balaguer

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.

Coach autonomy support and quality of sport engagement in young soccer players.

Based on the self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000), this study tested a model of the assumed sequential relationships between perceived autonomy support, psychological need satisfaction, self-determined motivation, and enjoyment/boredom. The hypothesized mediational roles of psychological need satisfaction and self-determined motivation were also studied. In a sample of 370 young male soccer players, path analysis results offered support for the proposed model. Total mediation was supported in the case of the psychological need satisfaction in the relationship between autonomy support and self-determined motivation, and partial mediation for self-determined motivation in the links between psychological need satisfaction and enjoyment (positive) and boredom (negative). Implications of autonomy-supportive behaviors provided by coaches for the quality of sport involvement among young athletes are discussed.

Goal orientation profile differences on perceived motivational climate, perceived peer relationships, and motivation-related responses of youth athletes.

Abstract The aims of this study were twofold: (a) to determine if dispositional achievement goal orientation profiles that are reported in the literature would be observed in a sample of youth athletes, and (b) to examine potential achievement goal orientation profile differences on perceptions of the motivational climate, perceptions of peer relationships, and motivation-related responses. Male soccer players (n = 223) aged 9–12 years (mean = 10.9, s = 0.6) completed a multi-section questionnaire containing assessments of dispositional goal (task, ego) orientations, the perceived task- and ego-involving features of the motivational climate, perceived peer acceptance and friendship quality (positive friendship quality, conflict), perceived ability, soccer enjoyment, and satisfaction with ones performance and the team. Four profiles were observed that closely matched those observed by Hodge and Petlichkoff (2000), though in the present study a lower proportion of participants exhibited achievement goal profiles consisting of relatively high ego orientation. Achievement goal profile differences were found for all variables except positive friendship quality, with a general trend for those reporting relatively lower task goal orientation to exhibit less adaptive responses. Overall, the findings support achievement goal frameworks (e.g. Nicholls, 1989) and suggest that further examination of dispositional achievement goals may afford a deeper understanding of social relationships and motivational processes in youth sport.

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.

Promoting Adolescent health through an intervention aimed at improving the quality of their participation in Physical Activity (PAPA): Background to the project and main trial protocol

Funded by the European Commission, the Promoting Adolescent health through an intervention is aimed at improving the quality of their participation in Physical Activity (PAPA) project revolved around the potential of youth sport to promote childrens mental and emotional health and physical activity engagement. A theoretically grounded coach education training programme (i.e. Empowering Coaching™), which was designed to create a sporting environment which was more positive and adaptive for young children, was customised for grassroots soccer, delivered and evaluated via a multi-method cluster RCT across five European countries; namely, England, France, Greece, Norway and Spain. In this article, a key part of the protocol of this large and multi-faceted project is presented. The ethical standards and procedures, characteristics of the population targeted and overall study design, and core self-report questionnaire measures completed by the players are described. Information is provided as well on the translation principles and procedures and data-collection procedures adopted in the PAPA project.

El autoconcepto y la autoestima en la adolescencia media: análisis diferencial por curso y género

Resumen El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en estudiar las características diferenciales del autoconcepto y la autoestima en la adolescencia media por edad y por género en una muestra representativa de la Comunidad Valenciana (N = 1.038, M edad = 16.31, Rango = 15–18 años). El instrumento utilizado ha sido una adaptación del Perfil de Autopercepciones para Adolescentes de Harter (1988) validado con adolescentes valencianos (Pastor, Balaguer, Atienza y García-Merita, 2001). Se realizan análisis descriptivos y diferenciales. Los resultados muestran que los chicos obtienen puntuacionespor encima de la media teórica en todas las dimensiones del autoconcepto, mientras que las chicas presentan puntuaciones por debajo de la media en Apariencia Física, Competencia Deportiva y Competencia Académica, y por encima de la media en el resto de subescalas. No se observan diferencias por curso, pero sí por género. Los chicos presentan puntuaciones más altas que las chicas en las subescalas de Apariencia Física, Competencia Académica, Competencia Deportiva y Autovalía Globaly más bajas que éstas en la subescala de Amistad Íntima.

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.

Comparing self-reported leisure-time physical activity, subjective health, and life satisfaction among youth soccer players and adolescents in a reference sample

The aim of the study was to examine to what extent young people who play organised soccer rate their leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, life satisfaction, and health more positively and higher than a same-aged population-based reference group (including some adolescents who also played organised soccer). Data from two samples of five countries (England, France, Greece, Norway, and Spain) were included: a sample of soccer players aged 10-14 years who participated in the Promoting Adolescent Physical Activity project [Duda, J.L., Quested, E., Haug, E., Samdal, O., Wold, B., Balaguer, I., …  Cruz, J. (2013). Promoting Adolescent health through an intervention aimed at improving the quality of their participation in Physical Activity (‘PAPA’): background to the project and main trial protocol. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology] and a nationally representative reference sample of 11- and 13-year olds from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. Results from multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the participants in the soccer sample, in particular girls, reported a higher level of moderate-to-vigorous leisure-time physical activity than those in the reference sample. They also rated their life satisfaction and subjective health more favourably than the reference sample. The associations did not differ according to age or socio-economic status. The results suggest that playing soccer is a positive activity for youth and seems to be a very potent way of increasing regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among girls. Thus, efforts aimed at increasing participation in organised youth soccer may potentially be beneficial to young peoples psychosocial health and hold the potential to increase physical activity, particularly among girls.

Estilo interpersonal controlador del entrenador, frustración de las necesidades psicológicas básicas, y burnout en futbolistas infantiles

En el presente trabajo, basado en la Teoria de las Necesidades Psicologicas Basicas (BPNT; Deci y Ryan, 2000), se puso a prueba un modelo con la siguiente secuencia: Estilo interpersonal controlador del entrenador Þ Frustracion de las necesidades psicologicas basicas Þ Burnout. Participaron 725 futbolistas varones de la categoria infantil con edades comprendidas entre los 11 y los 13 anos ( M = 12.6; DT = .54) que completaron los instrumentos que evaluaban las variables de interes. Los resultados del analisis de ecuaciones estructurales informaron que la percepcion del estilo controlador del entrenador actuaba de predictor positivo de la frustracion de las tres necesidades y que cada una de estas tres ultimas, se asociaba positivamente con el burnout