Effect of boxers' social support on mental fatigue: Chain mediating effects of coach leadership behaviors and psychological resilience

How coach leadership behavior influences athletes' performance: the chain-mediated role of the coach-athlete relationship and psychological fatigue

Objective

Athletes' psychological quality and competitive level are deeply influenced by coaches' leadership behavior. It is of far-reaching significance to systematically investigate the relationship between them for carrying out scientific training and improving athletes' competitive level. This study aims to investigate the relationships among coach leadership behavior, the coach-athlete relationship, psychological fatigue, and athletes' performance, providing insights into enhancing athletes' sports performance.

Methods

Using simple random sampling, 556 athletes (44.60% female) were recruited from professional training teams in the Xinjiang and Shanxi provinces of China as the study sample. The sample includes 47 s-class national athletes, 276 first-class national athletes, 171 master-class athletes, and 62 international-level athletes. Data were collected through offline surveys using the Coach Leadership Behavior Scale, the Tennis Performance Scale, the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire, and the Athlete Psychological Fatigue Questionnaire.

Results

Democratic leadership behavior, autocratic leadership behavior, training and instruction behavior, social support behavior, and positive feedback behavior are positively correlated with the "coach-athlete" relationship and athlete performance, and negatively correlated with psychological fatigue. The "coach-athlete" relationship and psychological fatigue can serve as both simple mediators and chain mediators between democratic leadership behavior, autocratic leadership behavior, training and instruction behavior, social support behavior, positive feedback behavior, and athlete performance.

Conclusion

This study systematically explored the complex relationships among coach leadership behavior, the coach-athlete relationship, psychological fatigue, and athletes' sports performance. The findings suggest that positive coach leadership behavior may contribute to the development of athletes' performance. Furthermore, the study underscores the significance of the coach-athlete relationship and psychological fatigue as key mechanisms through which coach leadership behavior influences athletes' sports performance.

Effect of 24-form simplified Tai Chi on executive inhibitory control of college students: a randomized controlled trial of EEG

BACKGROUND

College students, undergoing crucial cognitive development, face challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic that impact their executive functions. While existing research indicates positive effects of Tai Chi (TC) on college students' cognitive abilities, there is a scarcity of studies investigating its impact on executive functions and frontal brain activity.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare the effects of 24-form simplified TC training on college students' executive functions and frontal brain electrical activity. The hypothesis posited that the TC group would exhibit superior performance compared to the control group during COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

Seventy college students were randomly assigned to either TC group or control group, engaging in 36 sessions (3 sessions per week, 45 min each) over 12 weeks. Executive inhibitory control was assessed using the Stroop Color and Word Test, and resting brain electrical activity in the frontal area was recorded through Electroencephalography.

RESULT

ACC was influenced by group, group-time interaction, and Stroop task-time interaction. RT was affected by time, task condition, task condition-time interaction, and task condition-group interaction. Notably, the TC group showed improved ACC (from 96.54 ± 3.27% to 98.90 ± 1.32%) and decreased RT (from 0.73 ± 0.12 to 0.66 ± 0.07 s), particularly in the inconsistent task. Regarding EEG band power, significant Group and Time interaction effects were found in F3-θ, F3-α, F3-β, F4-θ, and F4-α. Moreover, within the TC group, significant increases in F3-θ band power (from 4.66 ± 3.55 to 7.71 ± 8.44) and F4-θ band power (from 4.41 ± 2.82 to 8.61 ± 9.51) (10-3·μV·Hz) were noted pre-and post-tests. In the control group, significant decreases were observed in F3-α band power (from 5.18 ± 4.61 to 2.79 ± 2.11) and F4-α band power (from 5.57 ± 6.58 to 2.48 ± 1.95) (10-3·μV·Hz).

CONCLUSION

The pandemic-induced panic may impact frontal lobe brain activity in college students. TC training not only improves executive inhibitory control but may also enhance localized brain activity, suggesting its potential as a holistic intervention for cognitive and neurological well-being during stressful periods.

Navigating job satisfaction in family firms during crisis

Occupational health is one of the aspects significantly affected during crisis periods. It is essential to learn about the factors that improve organizational capacity in coping with such shocks. This study investigates how the working environment of a family business influences job satisfaction during crises. Conducting a survey with 516 employees at the peak of the pandemic, the research utilizes structural equation analysis, revealing that family business environments can mitigate burnout, enhance affective commitment, and consequently, boost job satisfaction. The study highlights the need to manage burnout and utilize resources, such as employee commitment, for family firms to sustain job satisfaction amidst disruptions. It deepens the comprehension of family businesses' crisis response, emphasizing the significance of human resource commitment and management. The investigation illuminates the dynamic interplay between the work environment, employee well-being, and organizational resilience, providing valuable insights for both theoretical understanding and practical application.