Examination of the validity of the Social Support Survey using confirmatory factor analysis

Development and Validation of Parental Support Scale of Children’s Sports Training in China: Socio-Ecological Approach

Objectives

To promote Chinese children participation in sports training and acquisition of sports skills, we combined a social ecological research framework with parental support to develop the Parental Support for Children’s Sports Training Scale (PSCSTS).

Methods

The scale was initially developed based on literature review, group interviews, and expert evaluations. A complete reliability and validity test was conducted on 1,594 parents of primary and secondary schools in Shanghai.

Results

The PSCSTS has 37 questions, and exploratory factor analysis has formed 10 factors: policy support, parents’ financial support, community support, media support, sports development, school activity participation, parents’ exercise habits, training quality support, development of school sports activities, learning skills. The higher-order models constructed by validated factor analysis fit well (χ²/df = 2.130, RMSEA = 0.038, SRMR = 0.042, GFI = 0.911, CFI = 0.928). The Parents of children of different sexes have measurement invariance in the PSCSTS.

Conclusion

The PSCSTS developed in this study based on a social-ecological framework has high reliability and validity, and can be used as a comprehensive measure of parental support for their children’s sports training.

Revisiting the tryptophan-serotonin deficiency and the inflammatory hypotheses of major depression in a biopsychosocial approach

Background

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify important biopsychosocial correlates of major depression. Biological mechanisms, including the inflammatory and the tryptophan-serotonin deficiency hypotheses of major depression, were investigated alongside health-related quality of life, life satisfaction, and social support.

Methods

The concentrations of plasma tryptophan, plasma kynurenine, plasma kynurenic acid, serum quinolinic acid, and the tryptophan breakdown to kynurenine were determined alongside health-related quality of life (Medical Outcome Study Form, SF-36), life satisfaction (Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, FLZ), and social support (Social Support Survey, SSS) in 71 depressive patients at the time of their in-patient admittance and 48 healthy controls.

Results

Corresponding with the inflammatory hypothesis of major depression, our study results suggest a tryptophan breakdown to kynurenine in patients with major depression, and depressive patients had a lower concentration of neuroprotective kynurenic acid in comparison to the healthy controls (Mann-Whitney-U: 1315.0; p = 0.046). Contradicting the inflammatory theory, the concentrations of kynurenine (t: -0.945; df = 116; p = 0.347) and quinolinic acid (Mann-Whitney-U: 1376.5; p = 0.076) in depressive patients were not significantly different between depressed and healthy controls. Our findings tend to support the tryptophan-serotonin deficiency hypothesis of major depression, as the deficiency of the serotonin precursor tryptophan in depressive patients (t: -3.931; df = 116; p < 0.001) suggests dysfunction of serotonin neurotransmission. A two-step hierarchical linear regression model showed that low tryptophan concentrations, low social support (SSS), occupational requirements (FLZ), personality traits (FLZ), impaired physical role (SF-36), and impaired vitality (SF-36) predict higher Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) scores.

Discussion

Our study results argue for the validity of a biopsychosocial model of major depression with multiple pathophysiological mechanisms involved.

Perceived social support from strength and conditioning coaches among injured student athletes

Injuries suffered by student athletes not only affect their physical ability to perform in sport but also have psychological effects as well. The purpose of this study was to examine student athletes' perceptions, expectations, and satisfaction of the social support provided by their strength and conditioning coach (SC) during the later reconditioning stage of their rehabilitation and their views on the overall level of importance of each type of social support. One hundred and sixty-five participants aged 20.21 ± 1.32 years from 6 Division I Universities in the Midwest region of the USA completed the modified Social Support Survey. The results of a chi-square test assessing the responses for 6 types of social support provided by SCs based on athletes' age, gender, and sport revealed a significant difference (χ2[13,105] = 26.46, p = 0.015) for listening support differing by sport. A significant difference (χ2[13,105] = 267.74, p = 0.010) was also revealed for reported emotional challenge by sport. Results showed that the SC had a significant psychosocial impact on student-athletes' overall psychological well-being during reconditioning. This study provides evidence of the vital psychosocial role that SCs can play during an injured student-athlete's reconditioning program.

The effects of perceived and received support on self-confidence

A sample of 222 university athletes (mean age 19.8 years, s = 2.0), ranging in standard from university second team to international competitor, completed a measure of perceived support 2 weeks before an important competition or match. On the day before the competition or match, the athletes completed measures of stressors, stress, received support, and self-confidence. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses revealed the following key findings: (i) main effects for both perceived (DeltaR2 = 0.11) and received support (DeltaR2 = 0.14) upon self-confidence; (ii) stress-buffering effects for both perceived (DeltaR2 = 0.02) and received (DeltaR2 = 0.07) support upon self-confidence; (iii) when both aspects of support were considered simultaneously, stress-buffering effects were primarily attributable to the influence of received support. These results demonstrate the beneficial impact of social support on self-confidence, both directly and by reducing the negative effect of stress on self-confidence. Our findings emphasize the need to recognize the distinction between perceived and received support, both in terms of theory and the design of social support interventions with athletes.

Measuring psychological, social, and environmental influences on leisure-time physical activity among adults

Many of the self-administered scales for measuring physical activity (PA) influences were originally developed for vigorous-intensity exercise, focus on only one domain of influence, and have not been evaluated for both reliability and validity using population-based samples.

OBJECTIVE

This study describes the factorial validity and internal reliability of scales for measuring individual-level psychological, social, and environmental influences on leisure-time PA among adults in the general population.

METHOD

Constructs were identified from a literature review and formative research with a socio-economically diverse sample. Items were generated using previously developed scales and interview data. New items were pre-tested using reliability and principal components analyses, with data collected from a mail survey sent to a randomly selected population-based sample. Qualitative feedback was obtained from a convenience sample and expert panel. A second mail survey provided data for principal components and reliability analyses.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight scales were factorially derived and 24 had acceptable or marginally acceptable levels of internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.65 to 0.91.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The 24 scales are suitable for researchers and practitioners interested in measuring individual-level influences on PA that are consistent with Social Cognitive Theory. More research is required to assess predictive validity, sensitivity to change and test/re-test reliability.

Stressors, social support, and effects upon performance in golf

In this study, we extended the work of Rees and Hardy (2004) by examining the main and stress-buffering effects of social support upon sports performance in a different context, using a different outcome measure, and a specific time-frame. A high-level performance sample of 117 male golfers (mean age 24.8, s = 8.3) completed measures of social support and stressors before competitions. Performance outcome was recorded. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses revealed significant (P < 0.05) main effects for stressors upon performance in 8 of the 11 models tested (R2 = 0.08 - 0.21). Over and above the variance accounted for by stressors, there were significant (P < 0.05) main effects for social support upon performance in all models tested (DeltaR2 = 0.10 - 0.24). In all models, stressors were associated with worse performance, whereas social support was associated with better performance. There were no significant interactions (stress-buffering effects). Main effects for social support upon performance suggest that social support may have aided performance directly, regardless of the level of stress.

Jewish day-schooled adolescents' perceptions of parental and environmental support of physical activity

Few studies of religiosity and physical activity (PA) correlates have been conducted; thus, a cross-sectional survey of 367 more and less religious Jewish adolescents' (M age = 12.8 years, SD = 0.9) perceptions of parental and environmental support of PA was conducted at religious day schools in two large American cities. Maternal Support, Environmental Support, and Paternal Non-Support factors were verified through confirmatory factor analysis. Factor scores were analyzed through a 2 x 2 (gender x religiosity level) multivariate analysis of variance. A significant main effect for religiosity was obtained (F = 6.93, p < .001); however, a main effect for gender and an interaction effect were not. Post hoc discriminant analysis revealed Paternal Non-Support and Environmental Support factors as differentiating more and less religious adolescents.

What goes around comes around: re-emerging themes in sport and exercise psychology

Sport and exercise psychology research appearing in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (RQES) over the past 75 years can be characterized by re-emerging themes-hot topics in the 1930s remain hot topics now. Re-emerging themes include sportsmanship/moral development, social development/significant others, self-perceptions, attitudes/motivation, modeling/observational learning, emotion/arousal/anxiety, competition/achievement orientations, and gender roles. Although research paradigms and methodologies have changed, these topics have endured. We also identified dominant emergent themes appearing in RQES over the last 25 years: measurement development and validation; physical activity adoption and adherence; and multidisciplinary approaches to psychological issues. Given the many specialty journals and trends toward integrating models and methods from multiple disciplines, we suggest that RQES adopt a multidisciplinary focus for research in the field of kinesiology.

Work-related goal perceptions and affective well-being

The aim was to clarify how perceptions of work-related goals influence affective well-being and goal commitment. Participants (N = 201) completed a Goal Perceptions Questionnaire and affect scales. A model was refined using structural equation modelling. Value and success expectation substantially mediated the effects of other goal perceptions on affects and commitment. Both value and success expectation increased commitment, but whereas value increased positive affects, success expectation reduced negative affects. The determinants of value (e.g. personal origin) were different from those of success expectation (e.g. personal control). Through astute goal setting, it is possible to promote well-being without compromising commitment.