Melissa C. Day

The causes of and psychological responses to lost move syndrome in national level trampolinists

Lost Move Syndrome (LMS) can be described as a psychological condition in which athletes find themselves unable to perform a skill that was previously automatic. This study examined the psychological causes of and responses to LMS using semi-structured interviews with 15 elite trampolinists. Responses were analyzed using inductive content analysis, which led to a total of 54 raw data themes forming 6 general dimensions. Results showed that despite positive experiences before the recognizable start of the syndrome LMS could be traced back to initial skill acquisition and a gradual increase in pressure from various sources. This then lead to negative emotional reactions including self-presentation concerns and perceptions of poor coping strategies. A change in cognitions surrounding the initial motor program of the move also left the sufferer with altered perceptions and visual memory of the skill. Participants expressed that coping strategies were unsuccessful due to the current lack of knowledge surrounding the syndrome. Applied suggestions are offered for sport psychology consultants working with athletes suffering from LMS.

“I'm Really Embarrassed That You're Going to Read This …”: Reflections on Using Diaries in Qualitative Research

This article is a critical reflection on the methodological issues encountered when using handwritten diaries as a method of data collection. It provides a reflection on a longitudinal study that used diary data from competitive trampolinists over a three-month period. This article focuses on the advantages and difficulties encountered by the researchers when using this methodology. It is also centered on the participants experience of the research and the potential benefits that may be encountered. Issues discussed include setting the duration of the diary and maintaining the motivation of participants, the type of data collected, and the language used by participants. Also discussed is the potential for diary writing to elicit sensitive information, especially that of an otherwise undisclosed nature. Conclusions are drawn in relation to the use of diaries as a method of data collection and the potential advantages that they may offer.

Researching growth following adversity in sport and exercise: methodological implications and future recommendations

Abstract A novel concept that is gaining momentum in the field of sport and exercise psychology is growth following adversity. Specifically, researchers are interested in how participation in sport and exercise may act as a catalyst for self-development following a traumatic or stressful event. This interest and the resultant qualitative studies have led to a significant body of research, which has been subjected to systematic review and synthesis. Yet, while these reviews have consolidated our understanding of the research outcomes, minimal attention has been paid to the methodological processes. The aim of this study, therefore, is original, in that it aims to critically review qualitative research conducted on growth in the context of sport and exercise from a methodological perspective, and provide recommendations for researchers who intend to investigate this phenomenon. Aligned with the aims of this study, a narrative review was conducted due to its fluid and flexible nature. Four methodological considerations are critically reviewed, each posing questions to the reader: Is it Necessary to Establish Growth? The Difficulties with Expecting Growth, The Inseparability of Adversity and Growth, and How to Story Adversity and Growth. It is recommended that future researchers use prolonged engagement and diverse qualitative methodologies, and consider novel questions such as the embodied experiences of growth and the potential for vicarious growth. Ultimately, we hope this narrative review leads future researchers to be more reflective in their methodological choices, thus enhancing the integrity and quality of qualitative research examining growth following adversity.

Qualitative fieldwork in medical contexts: confessions of a neophyte researcher

Abstract Immersive fieldwork can facilitate an understanding of the richness, complexity and multifaceted relationships within medical environments, and is increasingly being used to explore sensitive topics within health care. However, few published studies have made use of immersive methods within hospitals or clinics, and there is a lack of guidance for those seeking to conduct immersive research within medical spaces. In this confessional tale, the first author, a neophyte qualitative researcher with no medical training, reflects upon her experiences during the first five months integrating into an amputee rehabilitation clinic prior to a period of immersive fieldwork. Drawing on 195 h of observation and the author’s reflexive journal (totalling more than 20,000 words), alongside discussions with the supervisory team, four main challenges are discussed: finding a role, navigating waiting spaces, encountering the unfamiliar, and ethics in the boardroom and in the field. Specific recommendations for novice researchers entering medical environments include: preparing to encounter those who do not share their beliefs, identifying a safe environment in which they can share their emotions, and engaging in reflective practice to explore the impact their (in)experience and willingness to embrace opportunities for learning may have within their own research context.

A Longitudinal Examination of Leisure Time Physical Activity Following Amputation in England

Objectives: There is a significant body of research on leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among people with physical disabilities. Yet, while this data set has been informative in identifying the social‐relational factors that affect LTPA across disability groups, there is now a demand for context‐ and population‐specific studies to provide a more nuanced understanding to better inform decision‐makers and service‐providers. This original study is the first to examine the barriers, facilitators, and benefits of LTPA among people with an amputation in England. Methods: Multi‐method, longitudinal research design (from April 2014 to May 2016). Participants were recruited using maximum‐variation and criterion‐based purposeful sampling. Data collection included two focus groups (>4hrs), fieldwork observations (>225hrs), and 44 formal interviews (>50hrs). Practical strategies used to support or evidence the studys quality in terms of its credibility, rigour, generalizability, and significance included author self‐reflexivity, member reflections from participants, and external reflections with key stakeholders before seeking publication. This large qualitative dataset was rigorously analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Ten themes were identified: personal wellbeing, social wellbeing, physical wellbeing, inspiration, self‐presentation, experience of LTPA, knowledge of LTPA, environment, organisational functioning, and miscellaneous. Conclusions: This article makes a novel and significant contribution to research by revealing the dynamic and relational nature of barriers, facilitators, and benefits. Practical implications for LTPA policies and practices are considered through a social ecological lens (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and policy). HighlightsAn original and rigorous examination of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among people with an amputation in England.Factors implacting LTPA in England are dynamic, fluid, and relational.Findings provide a rigorous foundation for a ‘bottom up’ approach for LTPA promotion (NHS England, 2014).Practical implications are considered at an intrapersonal, interpersonal, insitutional, community, and policy level.

The impact of witnessing athletic injury: A qualitative examination of vicarious trauma in artistic gymnastics

Abstract We explored how athletes respond and cope after witnessing athletic injury in others participating in the same sport. Participants were eight competitive female artistic gymnasts aged 21–25 years. In the previous 3 years, participants had witnessed a serious athletic injury of another gymnast that had required hospital treatment. Participants took part in semi-structured interviews in which they were asked to discuss their experiences of witnessing injury, including descriptions of the injurys occurrence. Data were analysed using hierarchical content analysis. Following acute reactions to witnessing injury, participants reported experiencing intrusive cognitions and engaged in avoidance coping strategies. Participants reported gradually engaging in more approach coping strategies which served to lower their perceptions of vulnerability to injury. Despite the complex nature of trauma, suggestions may be made to assist applied sport psychologists working with athletes who have witnessed athletic injury.

Living with limb loss: everyday experiences of “good” and “bad” days in people with lower limb amputation

Abstract Purpose: To provide an understanding of the everyday experiences of individuals with a limb amputation. Methods: Twenty-two participants (14 female, 8 male) with a mean-age of 42 years (SD = 10 years) were recruited to take part in two focus groups. The participants reported a range of lower-limb amputations (i.e., congenital, acquired, transfemoral, trantibial, unilateral, and bilateral) and on an average were 5 years post-surgery (SD = 7 years). Each focus group comprised of 11 participants and was moderated by either the first or second author. The moderator asked participants to discuss their everyday experiences of life with an amputation using Charmaz’s good day/bad day approach. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were identified: pain, organization and planning, the embodied experience after amputation, and interactions with others. Conclusions: These themes provide a key resource for understanding daily fluctuations in physical, social, and psychological functioning. Implications for Rehabilitation Lower limb amputation can result in daily fluctuations in physical, social, and psychological functioning. These fluctuations can be illustrated through experiences of pain, planning and organization, embodied experiences, and interactions with others. At a policy level, evaluations of daily living after an amputation should be based on a longitudinal assessment.

Sport coaches’ experiences of athlete injury: the development and regulation of guilt

Abstract This study sought to examine coaches’ experiences of guilt in the specific context of athlete injury. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were utilised to generate data. Our analysis suggested that not only was guilt a commonly felt emotion, but was also one that that the participants attempted to regulate. The coaches’ stories were primarily, although not exclusively, interrogated using the psychological theorising concerning trauma-related guilt. We conclude the paper by making connections to, and from, the coaches’ experiences of guilt with existing critiques of the prevailing deontological approach used to define what it means to be a ‘good’ sport coach. Here, we suggest that dominant perspectives in coach education may be instrumental in entrenching coaches’ experience of guilt.