The impact of religious-psychological factors on self-perceived sport performance among religious athletes in Malaysia

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which religious-psychological factors contribute to self-perceived sport performance among religious athletes.

METHODS

The participants consisted of 612 athletes (310 males, 302 females) aged 12-70 years (mean age = 25.33; SD = 8.99) who were competing in sport competitions at the time, either individually or in a team, or both, and who had formally registered in local, regional, or national sport federations in Malaysia. They completed the Athletic Religious Faith Scale (ARFS) and a self-perceived sport performance questionnaire.

RESULTS

The results showed that religious-psychological factors explain around 21% of the variance in self-perceived sport performance among religious athletes. Only three religious-psychological factors (i.e., religious coping, athletic identity, and religious dietary practices) contributed to the stimulation of self-perceived sport performance; in particular, religious coping was the most predictable factor, whereas the other factors (i.e., dependence on faith, flow, religious mental healing, and religious psychological effects) had no meaningful relationship with self-perceived sport performance.

CONCLUSIONS

This finding suggests that sport psychologists, coaches, and other professionals should consider the importance of religious faith and help religious athletes practice positive religious coping (e.g., religious social support or religious meditation) to enhance athletes' well-being and athletic performance.

Overcoming adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal stability of psychosocial resource profiles of elite athletes and their association with perceived stress

Previous research has demonstrated that psychosocial resources are associated with elite athletes' perceived stress. However, these resources have mainly been studied separately. Using a person-oriented approach, this study aimed to identify meaningful profiles of athletes' psychosocial resources, their stability over time, and their relationship with perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. To identify such patterns, separate latent profile analyses (LPA) at two measurement points T1 (June 2020) and T2 (March 2021) and a subsequent latent transition analysis (LTA) were conducted with athletic identity, resilience, perceived social support, and self-esteem for a sample of 373 Swiss elite athletes. Perceived stress was analyzed at and between T1 and T2 with a mixed-design ANOVA. For LPA, theoretical considerations and statistical criteria led to a solution of four profiles: (1) Athletic Identifiers With Above-Average Resources (nT1 = 235; nT2 = 240), (2) Below-Average Athletic Identifiers With Below-Average Resources (nT1 = 84; nT2 = 90), (3) Variable Athletic Identifiers With Below-Average Internal and Clearly Below-Average External Resources (nT1 = 14; nT2 = 7), and (4) Athletic Identifiers With Below-Average Internal and Above-Average External Resources (nT1 = 40; nT2 = 36). For LTA, both structural and individual stability was demonstrated. A large and significant main effect of perceived stress was observed for resource profiles, while there was no significant main effect for measurement point nor interaction effect. Direct comparisons revealed that Athletic Identifiers With Above-Average Resources perceived significantly less stress than the other profiles at both time points. In conclusion, regardless of psychosocial resource profile, the perceived stress of elite athletes was stable during the COVID-19 pandemic, but exhibiting a pattern with high psychosocial resources seems to buffer against stress compared to a lack of specific resources. Therefore, sport federations and practitioners should provide tailored support programs to help athletes build all these resources.

"I'm more than my sport": Exploring the dynamic processes of identity change in athletic retirement

Retirement is one of the most impactful career transitions athletes face. Researchers recognise the role that athletic identity plays in this, but analysis of identity content and change processes is limited. Addressing this gap, we conducted a qualitative study exploring the experience of identity change in 21 competitive and successful elite athletes who had retired from sport. All participated in a one-session psychoeducational program that explored the challenges of transitioning out of sport before being interviewed about their understanding of identity in sport, and their experiences negotiating identity loss and change in retirement. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identified three themes: (i) the role of identity and self-categorizations in shaping sport performance, (ii) adjusting to identity loss (with subthemes indicating that this experience varied depending on the extent to which a person had multiple or exclusive identities), and (iii) attempts to remoor identity in the transition (with subthemes of searching for a new identity and actively repurposing identity). We interpret these themes through the lens of the Social Identity Model of Identity Change and show that this provides a framework for extending our understanding the complexities of identity change associated with retirement from elite sport.

The relationship between self-concept clarity, athletic identity, athlete engagement and the mediating roles of quality of life and smartphone use in Chinese youth athletes

Background

Youth athletes represent the future of competitive sports, so examining their commitment to sport is critical. This study investigated the impacts of self-concept clarity and athletic identity on athlete engagement among Chinese youth athletes, and the mediating roles of quality of life and smartphone use.

Methods

410 youth athletes from sports schools completed an online cross-sectional survey measuring self-concept clarity, athletic identity, quality of life, smartphone use, and athlete engagement. We used convenience sampling. Instruments included validated scales like the Self-Concept Clarity Scale.

Results

The direct effect of self-concept clarity and athlete engagement in youth athletes was not significant (β = 0.04, p = 0.344), but there was a direct effect of athletic identity and athlete engagement (β = 0.61, p < 0.05). Quality of life mediated the relationships between self-concept clarity(indirect effect = -0.054, 95 % CI = -0.114, -0.019), athletic identity(indirect effect = 0.202, 95 % CI = 0.114, 0.349) and athlete engagement.

Conclusions

This study helps address gaps in understanding athlete engagement in youth athletes. The mediation model provides insights to improve self-concept clarity, athletic identity and quality of life to motivate greater engagement in youth athletes.

Organic self-talk content categories and their relations to sport-specific contextual and personal factors

While strategic self-talk interventions are well documented, less is known regarding organically occurring self-talk. Previously, eight organic self-talk content categories were identified, however contextual and personal factors relating to these categories is unexplored. The aim of the study was to explore the relationships between stress, coping, athletic identity, demographic and sport-related factors and the eight organic self-talk categories of anxiety control, confidence, disengagement, instruction, psych-up, somatic fatigue, worry, and irrelevant. 216 NCAA student-athletes were recruited. Regression was used to determine the relationships between the contextual and personal variables and organic self-talk. Stress, coping and self-talk categories were compared in and out-of-season. Stress was associated with all self-talk frequencies except confidence. Coping was associated with psych-up, confidence and worry. Athletic identity was associated with psych-up, confidence, instruction and disengagement. Age was associated with anxiety control and instruction. Lastly, sport type and division level were associated with disengagement and instruction self-talk respectively.

The role of achievement goals and identity in academic performance and misconduct of college athletes: Considering sport-to-school spillover

This study examined the role of achievement goal orientations (academic mastery and performance, athletic task and ego) and identity (academic and athletic) in the academic performance and misconduct of Division I student-athletes (N = 1151). Results of the structural equation modeling showed that academic performance was predicted positively by academic performance goal and academic identity (both directly and indirectly through performance goal) and negatively by athletic identity. Academic misconduct was predicted negatively by both self-referenced goals (academic mastery and athletic task), but positively by athletic ego goal. A positive indirect relationship was found between academic identity and academic misconduct through academic mastery goal. Opposing indirect relationships were found between athletic identity and academic misconduct through task and ego goals, which canceled each other out. Taken together, findings highlight the importance of fostering strong academic identities and setting self-referenced goals in school and sport for the academic success of Division I student-athletes.

Dimensions of Athletic Identity and their Associations with Drinking Behaviors among a National Sample of University Athletes in the United States

Although prior studies have indicated athletic identity plays a role in alcohol use among college athletes, this research has largely drawn on a unidimensional conceptualization. Addressing this gap, the current study utilized a sample of 8,550 university athletes (M_age = 19.70 years, SD = 1.33, 50.8% men) from 203 U.S. post-secondary institutions to examine the associations between athletic identity dimensions (i.e., social identification, negative affectivity, and exclusivity) and alcohol use for athletes across gender, sport type, and division. The results indicated that negative affectivity and social identification were associated with higher levels of alcohol use, whereas exclusivity was associated with lower levels of alcohol use. Further, the association between dimensions of athletic identity and alcohol use varied across competitive level (i.e., Division I, II, and III). The findings implicate the need for (a) future research to approach athletic identity as a multidimensional concept when examining its association with alcohol use outcomes, and (b) post-secondary alcohol prevention professionals to integrate dimensions of athletic identity in alcohol prevention approaches.

Athletic identity and sport commitment in athletes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction who have returned to sports at their pre-injury level of competition

Background

This study aimed to determine the relationships between athletic identity and sport commitment and return to sports (RTS) status in athletes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

Methods

Thirty-nine participants post-ACLR (8–24 months) were included in this cross-sectional study. Measures included the athletic identity measurement scale and sport commitment scale. In addition, we measured kinesiophobia and psychological readiness using the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia and ACL-Return to sport after injury scale. The subjects were categorized into Yes-RTS or No-RTS based on two questions to determine whether they were returning to sport at the same level of competition as before the injury. A Chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, unpaired t-test, and Mann-Whitney’s U test were used to analyze the data.

Results

The Yes-RTS group had significantly higher scores on the athletic identity measurement scale (P = 0.023, effect size [ES] = − 0.36), sport commitment scale (P = 0.027, ES = − 0.35), and ACL-Return to sport after injury scale (P = 0.002, ES = − 0.50) and significantly lower Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia scores (P = 0.014, ES = − 0.39) compared to the No-RTS group.

Conclusion

Athletes who returned to sports at the same level of competition as before the injury had higher athletic identity and sport commitment and lower kinesiophobia compared to those who did not return to sports at the same level of competition. These self-beliefs regarding sport may play an important role in post-ACLR athletes’ RTS.

Former athletes' lifestyle and self-definition changes after retirement from sports

BACKGROUND

Every high-level athlete will eventually see his or her sport career come to an end. Most former athletes will experience changes in their self-definition and everyday behaviors as they accept a nonathletic way of life. The present study aimed to identify discrepancies between actual and former athletes regarding athletic identity, physical activity (PA), and nutrition habits.

METHODS

Actual athletes (AA; n = 122), former athletes (FA; n = 230), and nonathletes (NA; n = 74) were asked to complete an online questionnaire on athletic identity, duration and intensity levels of occupational and leisure time PA, and nutritional habits.

RESULTS

FA healthy nutrition score was the lowest of the 3 groups and significantly different from that of AA. Athletic identity and intense and moderate PA during leisure time consistently decreased (p < 0.01) across the 3 groups (AA > FA > NA). No significant difference between FA and NA was found regarding either nutritional habits or type of PA.

CONCLUSION

Sport retirement may affect FA quality of nutritional habits that tends to decline below the NA level, as well as the amount of time spent practicing physical activities during leisure time. Athletic status does not ensure PA practice during sport postcareer.

Athletic identity and psychiatric symptoms following retirement from varsity sports

BACKGROUND

Despite evidence identifying adjustment difficulties among retiring athletes, research investigating factors that contribute to post-retirement complications is limited. Athletic identity may be an important determinant of adverse adaptation to sport retirement.

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to address the influence of athletic identity on post-retirement depression and anxiety symptoms among varsity athletes.

METHOD

An anonymous, online survey regarding athletic identity and psychiatric symptoms was completed by 72 self-identified varsity athletes during their final season of competition and 3 months after retiring from sport.

RESULTS

After controlling for the effects of pre-retirement anxiety symptoms, endorsement of an athletic identity significantly predicted anxiety symptoms in the post-retirement period. A similar, but non-significant, pattern was observed for depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that athletes' degree of athletic identity may be a risk factor for the emergence of psychiatric distress in the months following their retirement from sport. Identity-focused screening or intervention during athletes' sport careers could potentially mitigate some of the psychological difficulties associated with sport retirement.

Changing identity through sport: The Paralympic sport club experience among adolescents with mobility impairments

BACKGROUND

Adolescents with mobility impairments have fewer opportunities to challenge identity as an athlete through sport participation.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS

This study examined athletic identity impact of adolescent athletes with mobility impairments who participate in Paralympic Sport Clubs.

METHODS

This cross-sectional web-survey design examined demographics (gender, academic level, hours of time spent in sports participation, and preferred amount of time in sport participation) and athletic identity through the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS). Forty-seven adolescents (male = 34, female = 13) between the ages of 13-18 with mobility impairments who were currently participating in a Paralympic Sport Club were recruited for the study.

RESULTS

Two factorial ANOVA examined the differences of AIMS scores by gender and academic level, and gender and hours of time spent in sports participation per week. Hours of time spent in sports participation by adolescent athletes with physical disabilities showed significant difference on athletes' identity. AIMS score increased along with augmented time spent in sport participation. However, gender and academic level made no significant difference on athletic identity. A one-way ANOVA test was applied to compare the effect of preferred amount of time in sport participation per week on scores for AIMS and showed significant group difference on AIMS. Participants who indicated more preferred amount of time in sport participation also scored higher on AIMS.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support the notion that hours of time spent and preferred amount of time in sports participation influences athletic identity. Sport participation, when available can influence athletic identity with this population.

The Relationship Between Athletic Identity and Academic Major Chosen by Student-Athletes

This study examines the correlation between athletic identity and academic major selection among intercollegiate student-athletes. A thorough review of literature focusing on academic clustering, athletic identity, and academic development leads to the development of two hypotheses - 1) student-athletes with stronger athletic identity will have a declared major of decreased academic rigor; and 2) student-athletes with stronger athletic identity will be more likely to be undecided on their major. Data were collected through a survey administered to Division I, II, and III student-athletes recording academic major and their Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS). After analyzing the student responses, Hypothesis I is supported, while Hypothesis II is met with some limitation that leads to a lack of statistical significance. Overall, this study sheds light on a connection between academic choice and athletic identity.

Athletic identity, compulsive exercise and eating psychopathology in long-distance runners

Having a high athletic identity is thought to increase vulnerability for compulsive exercise and Eating Disorder (ED) psychopathology. This study examined whether there is an association between athletic identity and levels of compulsive exercise and ED psychopathology in long-distance runners. A sample of 501 long-distance runners completed the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), Compulsive Exercise Test (CET) and Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ). There was a significant positive association between participants' AIMS and total CET scores (moderate effect size; r=0.34 for males and 0.33 for females). BMI did not influence the relationship between AIMS and CET scores in males. However, for females, AIMS scores were positively associated with levels of Weight Control Exercise when covarying for BMI (small to moderate effect size, r=0.22). No significant associations with EDEQ scores were found (negligible to small effect sizes; r=0.06 for males and r=0.14 for females). Following replication, coaches might need to be vigilant to the welfare of endurance runners that have a strong athletic identity, since this could be linked to them exercising compulsively. Future work should examine whether having a strong athletic identity predicts ED psychopathology when this identity is challenged (e.g., due to injury).

The multi-factorial origins of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) symptomology in post-career athletes: The athlete post-career adjustment (AP-CA) model

CTE has two prominent components: the pathophysiology that is detected in the brain postmortem and the symptomology that is present in the interval between retirement and end of life. CTE symptomology has been noted to include memory difficulties, aggression, depression, explosivity, and executive dysfunction at early stages progressing to problems with attention, mood swings, visuospatial difficulties, confusion, progressive dementia, and suicidality (e.g. McKee et al. (2012), Omalu et al. (2010a-c), McKee et al. (2009)). There are a number of assumptions embedded within the current CTE literature: The first is the assumption that CTE symptomology reported by athletes and their families is the product of the pathophysiology change detected post-mortem (e.g. McKee et al. (2009)). At present, there is little scientific evidence to suggest that all CTE symptomology is the product of CTE pathophysiology. It has been assumed that CTE pathophysiology causes CTE symptomology (Meehan et al. (2015), Iverson et al. (2016)) but this link has never been scientifically validated. The purpose of the present work is to provide a multi-factorial theoretical framework to account for the symptomology reported by some athletes who sustain neurotrauma during their careers that will lead to a more systematic approach to understanding post-career symptomology. There is significant overlap between the case reports of athletes with post-mortem diagnoses of CTE, and symptom profiles of those with a history of substance use, chronic pain, and athlete career transition stress. The athlete post-career adjustment (AP-CA) model is intended to explain some of the symptoms that athletes experience at the end of their careers or during retirement. The AP-CA model consists of four elements: neurotrauma, chronic pain, substance use, and career transition stress. Based on the existing literature, it is clear that any one of the four elements of the AP-CA model can account for a significant number of CTE symptoms. In addition, depression can be a chronic lifelong co-morbid condition that may be present prior to an athletic career, or may be developed secondary to any of the model elements as shown in Fig. 1. Notably, neurotrauma is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition, for the development of CTE symptomology.

Validation of the student athletes' motivation towards sports and academics questionnaire to Korean student-athletes

The current study had three aims: (1) to validate a Korean version of the Student Athletes’ Motivation toward Sports and Academics Questionnaire (SAMSAQ-Kr), (2) to examine South Korean university student-athletes’ motivation towards athletic and academic achievement, and (3) to identify the relationship between athletic identity and their athletic and academic achievement. A total of 126 South Korean university student-athletes (41.4% males and 58.6% females; mean age 20.5, SD = 2.74) completed the SAMSAQ-Kr. To investigate the validity evidence of the SAMSAQ-Kr a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch model were employed. To examine the relationship between Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) and SAMSAQ for Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated. Findings indicated that the SAMSAQ-Kr showed a different model from other versions and revealed positive correlations between AIMS scores and athletic motivations. The current study highlighted that importance of considering socio-cultural context in developing questionnaire and contributed to help understand South Korean university student-athletes’ motivation towards athletic and academic achievement.