Psychophysiological stress in elite golfers during practice and competition.

This study examined self-reported state anxiety (cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confidence) measured by the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2; Martens, Vealey, Bump, & Smith, 1990) and physiological responses (salivary cortisol concentration and heart rate) in elite golfers prior to, during and on completion of a tournament and practice round. The relationships between psychophysiological variables were investigated by comparing physiological and psychological responses during competition and practice to each other, and to performance. Performance was determined for each player as the difference between 18 hole score and handicap. Fifteen male Professional Golfing Association (PGA) trainees (aged 21-25 years) competed in a PGA sanctioned tournament and a practice round on the same, or similar golf course. Players completed the CSAI-2 and collected saliva for cortisol analysis on four occasions: prior to tee off, and after completing holes 6, 12 and 18. Cortisol concentration was corrected for circadian variations in cortisol secretion, using baseline cortisol measures. Within-subject analysis revealed elite golfers experienced elevated cortisol, heart rate, cognitive and somatic anxiety, and lower self-confidence during competition compared to practice. For both game conditions, the highest cortisol response was measured prior to the commencement of play, whilst state anxiety measures did not change significantly during the golf rounds. Univariate and multivariate analyses failed to reveal significant correlations between the psychophysiological variables and golf performance. In conclusion, competition and practice were clearly discriminated by the psychophysiological variables, but none of these predicted performance.

Physiological tolerance to uncompensable heat stress: effects of exercise intensity, protective clothing, and climate.

This study determined the influence of exercise intensity, protective clothing level, and climate on physiological tolerance to uncompensable heat stress. It also compared the relationship between core temperature and the incidence of exhaustion from heat strain for persons wearing protective clothing to previously published data of unclothed persons during uncompensable heat stress. Seven heat-acclimated men attempted 180-min treadmill walks at metabolic rates of approximately 425 and 600 W while wearing full (clo = 1.5) or partial (clo = 1.3) protective clothing in both a desert (43 degrees C dry bulb, 20% relative humidity, wind 2.2 m/s) and tropical (35 degrees C dry bulb, 50% relative humidity, wind 2.2 m/s) climate. During these trials, the evaporative cooling required to maintain thermal balance exceeded the maximal evaporative capacity of the environment and core temperature continued to rise until exhaustion from heat strain occurred. Our findings concerning exhaustion from heat strain are 1) full encapsulation in protective clothing reduces physiological tolerance as core temperature at exhaustion was lower (P < 0.05) in fully than in partially clothed persons, 2) partial encapsulation results in physiological tolerance similar to that reported for unclothed persons, 3) raising metabolic rate from 400 to 600 W does not alter physiological tolerance when subjects are fully clothed, and 4) physiological tolerance is similar when subjects are wearing protective clothing in desert and tropical climates having the same wet bulb globe thermometer. These findings can improve occupational safety guidelines for human heat exposure, as they provide further evidence that the incidence of exhaustion from heat strain can be predicted from core temperature.

Community response to hazard information.

The impact of flood hazard information on public acceptance of a selected flood mitigation strategy was assessed by an analysis of the content of newspaper reports of community reaction and letters to the editor. The impact of personal delivery of a flood hazard map on individual perception of risk and attitude to such information was assessed using personal interviews. The results indicated that media coverage of the flood hazard information reduced public criticism of the works. This result must be partially attributable to the dramatic style of media coverage and the fact that the media only emphasized the positive value of the works. The interview demonstrated that personal delivery of the information raised perception of risk, improved comprehension of flood risk, had no impact on acceptability of risk but discouraged some respondents from seeking such information in the future. Factors to explain the last negative change were identified to be the format of the map sheet and low salience of flood hazard. On the basis of all results, methods to improve community response to hazard information are provided.

Newspaper reporting of bush-fire disaster in south-eastern Australia-Ash Wednesday 1983.

Newspaper reports about a bushfire disaster in SE Australia were analysed in order to present some understanding of the images those reports conveyed to the victims and non-victims in one affected State. The results demonstrated that the newspapers gave limited prominence to reports containing warning or response information before or after the disaster. The newspapers reported most prominently case study descriptions of personal hardship or heroism which portrayed the victims as completely helpless during and after the event. The newspapers also devoted considerable prominence to reports describing the losses attributable to the bushfire, the factual details of which were accurate: this emphasis in content probably increased community perception of the danger of bushfire threat but, as little warning or response information was given, it is unlikely that the reports helped improve community preparedness for a future bushfire.