The present study investigated cultural ideologies, specifically colorblindness and multiculturalism, and their effect on team cohesion within a sport setting. Past research has focused on cultural ideologies in business but not sport settings, and studies on diversity in sport have not looked at teams through a cultural ideological lens. Therefore, the current study addressed those gaps in previous research on cultural ideologies and cohesion and performance in sport. Researchers measured cohesion across three conditions (colorblind, multicultural, and control) during a basketball shooting task. The first hypothesis was that a team with one of the two cultural ideologies (colorblindness or multiculturalism) would have better cohesion than a team with no cultural ideology. The second hypothesis was that team cohesion would act as a mediator between cultural ideology and team success. Performance variables (e.g., task completion time) were also compared across conditions to assess which team was more successful in completing the task. The results indicated partial support of the hypotheses, showing a relationship between each of the variables and performance, but no mediation by cohesion between cultural ideologies and performance. Specifically, having a cultural ideology and higher levels of cohesion were both significant predictors of higher/better performance. The results have positive implications for cultural ideologies and their effect on a team and its performance.
The focus of the two studies was to examine the impact of duration versus distance goals on self-selected exercise intensity. In study one, participants (N = 64) completed two exercise bouts on a lab treadmill, a ten-minute and a one-mile. Participants chose significantly faster speeds during the distance bout compared to the duration bout (h2 = .55). In a second study conducted in a student health and activities center, participants (N = 33) completed a two-mile bout and a 20-minute bout on an indoor track exactly one week apart. Again, participants selected significantly faster speeds during the distance bout (h2 = .40). Sex differences were found across both studies. The impact of goal types was more pronounced for males. Attentional focus emerged as a potential explanatory variable for differences in goal conditions. Applied implications for practitioners and researchers, limitations, and ideas for future research are discussed.
The current study addressed a lack of prospective, longitudinal research examining college wrestlers’ eating attitudes and behaviors and the impact of weight loss on their levels of anxiety and depression over the course of a competitive season. Male and female college wrestlers from a small college in the Midwest completed measures of their eating attitudes and behaviors and levels of anxiety and depression (EAT, BAI, BDI, respectively) during the beginning, middle, and end of their competitive wrestling season. The wrestlers’ eating attitudes and levels of anxiety and depression were worst at the beginning of the season, when weight loss was highest. Their attitudes, anxiety, and depression significantly improved throughout the course of the season as their reported weight loss decreased. They rarely engaged in unhealthy eating habits but did use exercise to control their weight. College wrestlers’ approaches to weight loss may not be as unhealthy as many people believe them to be. These findings provide a more accurate portrayal of college wrestlers’ eating attitudes and behaviors and the psychological impact of weight loss than previous cross-sectional research. Interventions focusing on safe and effective weight loss/maintenance approaches and strategic program planning during the off- and pre-seasons would help support the health and well-being of college wrestlers. Future research should continue to use prospective, longitudinal designs in order to better understand the eating attitudes and behaviors and the psychological impact of weight loss on college wrestlers.
Personality has often been associated with job performance and satisfaction, particularly with regard to resilience and coping with pressure. However, the links between personality type and sports officiating performance is sparsely researched. Sports officials, notably soccer referees, come under intense public and media scrutiny for their performance, and ‘burnout’ is at a high level. Therefore, understanding how personality may influence job performance in this high-pressure role could influence the support and training of referees. The aim of this study was to explore possible relationships between individual differences and performance level in English Association Football (soccer) referees. Using an independent groups design, 185 soccer referees currently performing at 3 levels (Professional, Intermediate, and Amateur) completed measures of mental toughness, locus of control, assertiveness, and social comparison. For every scale, Professional referees scored significantly higher than the other groups, while Intermediates did not differ from Amateurs. This suggests that referees at the highest level possess critical personality characteristics the others lack. The causal direction of this relationship is uncertain, but implications for training and support of officials with regard to increasing resilience and reducing burnout are noted.
