Kevin L. Burke

The Relationship Between the Use and Effectiveness of Imagery: An Exploratory Investigation

The major purposes of the present investigation were (a) to enhance the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ) by adding an effectiveness component to the already existing frequency component;(b) to assess when, and under what conditions, imagery is being employed by athletes; and (c) to conduct an exploratory analysis of the impact of gender and type of sport on imageryuse. Participants were 523 athletes from both individual and team sports at two NCAA Division I universities. They all completed the SIQ, Imagery Use Questionnaire (IUQ) and anopen-ended questionnaire assessing their imagery use. Results revealed that both the revised SIQ and IUQ had high internal consistency reliability. Results from the IUQ as well as theopen-ended questionnaire, revealed that athletes used imagery predominantly before competition. Open-ended findings revealed that athletes also used imagery in tough/difficult situationswhere pressure was high. Results are discussed in terms of previous imagery and socialization literature, and practical implications as well as future research directions are offered.

A reformulation of the moderating effects of productive humor

Abstract The ability to effectively cope with stress has been demonstrated to be an important factor in warding off potential physical disease and psychological distress. Responses to stressful events have been shown to greatly vary across individuals. Research has shown that intervening variables, such as cognitive appraisals of stressful events, can markedly affect the amount of stress (e.g., mood disturbance, anxiety, changes in neurotransmitter concentrations, suppression of immune system functioning) individuals experience. One such intervening variable, productive humor, was hypothesized to have a positive stress-moderating effect. Four different experimental conditions were used to assess the impact of a stressful situation on mood and anxiety state. Two conditions had subjects produce a humorous narrative in response to the stressful situation. One of these conditions included an instructional video on the use of productive humor. A third condition had subjects produce an intellectual narrative, while a fourth condition had subjects produce no narrative. The humorous narrative conditions were hypothesized to lead to the greatest moderation in stress (i.e., mood and anxiety). In the humorous narrative (without training) condition, subjects who were more successful at producing the narratives showed significantly more moderated changes in mood and anxiety levels pre-task to post-task. These changes were not significantly different from the intellectual or no narrative conditions. The significant difference found between high versus low humorous narrative producers may be accounted for in terms of success versus non-success at completing the experimental task. Finally, among subjects with initially high pre-task mood or anxiety levels and high tendencies to use productive humor, successful performance of some type of a verbal, cognitive task (i.e., humorous or intellectual narrative) was found to be more beneficial in moderating the effects of stress versus silence. These latter findings were based on patterns of results from post hoc analyses with small sample sizes, thus suggesting the need for future research along similar lines.

Examining the Stability of the 7-Item Social Physique Anxiety Scale Using a Test-Retest Method.

This study examined the stability of the 7-item Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS-7) using a test-retest method. Collegiate, undergraduate (N = 201) students completed two administrations of the SPAS-7, with a 14-day separation between the administrations. The scale was administered either at the beginning or end of the physical activity class. The intraclass correlation coefficient (one-way analysis of variance) for two administrations of the SPAS-7 was R = .94 (95% confidence interval [CI]= .93 to .96). For a single administration, the intraclass correlation coefficient was R = .89 (95% CI = .86 to .92). The results revealed the SPAS-7 to be a stable tool for measuring social physique anxiety among college students.

An Examination of Euro-American and African-American Differences in Social Physique Anxiety among College Women:

Many studies have examined sex differences in social physique anxiety; however, few researchers have examined possible perceptual differences in such anxiety based on ethnicity. The present purpose was to examine social physique anxiety among college-age women of Euro-American and African-American descent. Participants (N = 91) from physical activity classes at a university located in the southeastern United States completed the Social Physique Anxiety Scale. The participants were 67 Euro-Americans and 24 African Americans. An independent t test yielded a significant difference (p = .01) between groups on Eklunds scale, which supports the hypothesis.