Initial Validation of the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire in a Sample of Portuguese Athletes.

Our primary objectives in this study were to translate and provide psychometric support for the Coach Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q) Portuguese version, assess its invariance across sex, and explore its nomological validity in relation to enjoyment. Our sample participants were 470 athletes (226 females, 244 males) aged between 16 to 39 years from various individual and team sports. We found that the translated Portuguese version of the CART-Q exhibited satisfactory test-retest reliability and can serve as a reliable tool for evaluating the core constructs of the coach-athlete relationship - closeness, commitment, and complementarity. Moreover, this instrument showed evidence of nomological validity through significant positive correlations between its underlying factors and athletes' enjoyment with their sport. The proposed model for explaining item variance was also found to be invariant between male and female respondents. We recommend further use of this instrument in research and practical applications.

Psychosocial Training Program for Lifeguards: A Pilot Study.

Research has highlighted the need for training lifeguards in psychosocial skills. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effectiveness of a short 10-h training program encompassing dimensions associated with emotional management, focus of attention, interpersonal relationships, and lifeguard behavior, and its effects on their psychosocial skills. A total of 64 lifeguards with experience ranging from 1 to 25 years (M = 5.93, SD = 6.07), randomly divided into experimental and control groups, participated in this study. The d2 Test of Attention, the Social Intelligence Test of O'Sullivan and Guilford, and the MSCEIT Emotional Intelligence Test were used to assess psychosocial skills. A multivariate analysis of variance for repeated measures (2 × 3 (Group × Time) MANOVA) was performed to analyze the effects of the training program on psychosocial skills. The results revealed that the experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in focus of attention and emotional intelligence compared to the control group. However, it is worth noting that no statistically significant group interactions were observed for measures of social intelligence. Taken together, these results seem to highlight the importance of including psychosocial content in the general training of lifeguards.

Impact of Exercise Interventions on Sustained Brain Health Outcomes in Frail Older Individuals: A Comprehensive Review of Systematic Reviews.

Several systematic review studies highlight exercise's positive impact on brain health outcomes for frail individuals. This study adopts a Comprehensive Review of reviews (CRs) approach to amalgamate data from existing reviews, focusing on exercise's influence on brain health outcomes in older frail and pre-frail adults. The methodology involves a thorough search of Portuguese, Spanish, and English-indexed databases (i.e., Ebsco Health, Scielo, ERIC, LILACS, Medline, Web of Science, SportDiscus) from 1990 to 2022, with the AMSTAR-2 tool assessing evidence robustness. The search terms "physical exercise", "elderly frail", and "systematic review" were employed. Results: Out of 12 systematically reviewed studies, four presented high-quality (with metanalyses), while eight exhibit critically low quality. Positive trends emerge in specific cognitive and neuromotor aspects, yet challenges persist in psychosocial domains, complex cognitive tasks, and ADL outcomes. This study yields reasonable and promising evidence regarding exercise's influence on quality of life and depression in frail older individuals. However, the impact on biochemical markers remains inconclusive, emphasizing the need for standardized methodologies. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of acknowledging methodological nuances for clinicians and policymakers when translating these results into impactful interventions for aging populations. This emphasizes the necessity for a comprehensive and customized approach to exercise interventions aimed at fostering the sustainability of overall well-being in older individuals, aligning with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.

Relationship between Objective and Subjective Fatigue Monitoring Tests in Professional Soccer.

Studying fatigue is challenging because it is influenced by physiological, psychological, and sociological states. Fatigue can be assessed objectively or subjectively, but the literature has difficulty understanding how an analytical test relates to a response via a questionnaire. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships between objective fatigue variables (Squat Jump (SJ) and Countermovement Jump (CMJ)) measured on day-2 to the game and subjective fatigue (Rating Perceived Exertion (RPE) measured on day-3 to the game and Hooper Index (HI) measured on day-2). The sample comprised 32 professional football players from the First Portuguese League aged 25.86 ± 3.15 years. The Spearman correlations and regression analyses were used to study the relationships between the variables. The results showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) but small correlations (0.113−0.172) between several objective metrics and the subjective metrics evaluated. In addition, we found two weak models with statistical significance (p < 0.05) between the dependent objective variables (contact time, height, and elasticity index) and the HI (R2 = 3.7%) and RPE (R2 = 1.6%). Also, nine statistically significant (p < 0.05) but weak models were observed between the subjective dependent variables (HI and RPE) and contact time (R2 = 1.8−2.7%), flight time (R2 = 1.1−1.9%), height (R2 = 1.2−2.3%), power (R2 = 1.4%), pace (R2 = 1.2−2.1%), and elasticity index (R2 = 1.6%). In conclusion, objective and subjective fatigue-monitoring tests in professional soccer do not measure identical but rather complementary aspects of fatigue, and therefore, both need to be considered to gain a holistic perspective.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Emotional Intelligence Self-Perception Questionnaire / Adaptação e Validação Transcultural do Questionário de Autoperceção de Inteligência Emocional / Adaptación y Validación Transcultural del Cuestionario de Autopercepción de Inteligencia Emocional

Abstract The assessment of emotional intelligence is limited by the lack of psychometrically valid instruments. The present study aimed at cross-culturally adapting and validating the Emotional Intelligence Self-perception Questionnaire (EIQ-SP) in samples of Brazilian and Portuguese university students. Within this scope, in a sample of 1,074 students, reliability, construct-related validity, and criterion-related validity were analyzed. Additionally, metric invariance between the two samples and between genders was assessed. EIQ-SP showed appropriate psychometric qualities in its validation for use in Brazil, maintaining Mayer and Salovey's four-branch model. With a short application time, simple and objective language, its small number of questions makes it an attractive and valuable instrument to investigate Emotional Intelligence.

Resumo A avaliação da inteligência emocional apresenta-se limitada pela falta de instrumentos psicometricamente válidos. O presente estudo teve como objetivo adaptar e validar transculturalmente o Questionário de Autoperceção de Inteligência Emocional (QIE-AP) em amostras de estudantes universitários brasileiros e portugueses. Neste âmbito, em uma amostra de 1074 estudantes, foram analisadas a fiabilidade, a validade relacionada com o constructo e a validade relacionada com o critério. Adicionalmente, foi avaliada a invariância métrica entre as duas amostras e entre gêneros. O QIE-AP demonstrou qualidades psicométricas adequadas em sua validação para uso no Brasil, mantendo o modelo tetrafatorial de Mayer e Salovey. Com tempo de aplicação curto, linguagem simples e objetiva, seu número reduzido de questões o torna um instrumento atrativo e valioso na investigação da Inteligência Emocional.

Resumen La evaluación de la inteligencia emocional se ve limitada por la falta de instrumentos psicométricamente válidos. El presente estudio tiene el objetivo de adaptar culturalmente y validar el Cuestionario de Autopercepción de Inteligencia Emocional (CIE-AP) en muestras de estudiantes universitarios brasileños y portugueses. En este ámbito, en una muestra con 1074 estudiantes, se analizaron la fiabilidad, la validez relacionada con el constructo y la validez relacionada con el criterio. Adicionalmente, se evaluó la invariancia métrica entre las dos muestras y entre géneros. El Cuestionario de Inteligencia Emocional - Autopercepción (CIE-AP) demostró calidad psicométrica adecuada en su validación para uso en Brasil, manteniendo el modelo tetrafatorial de Mayer y Salovey. Con tiempo de aplicación corto, lenguaje simple y objetivo, su número reducido de cuestiones lo convierte en un instrumento atractivo y valioso en la investigación de la Inteligencia Emocional.

Older Women Who Practiced Physical Exercises before the COVID-19 Pandemic Present Metabolic Alterations and Worsened Functional Physical Capacity after One Year of Social Isolation.

BACKGROUND: Because the consequences of the lifestyle changes in older adults associated with the social isolation imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are not fully understood, here, we investigated the effects of one year of social isolation imposed by COVID-19 on the metabolic parameters and functional physical capacity of older women who regularly practiced physical exercises before the pandemic. METHODS: Systemic lipid and protein profiles, estimated creatinine clearance (ECC), and functional physical capacity (FPC) were assessed before (January-February 2020) and 12 months after social isolation in 30 older women (mean age 73.77 ± 6.22) who were engaged in a combined-exercise training program for at least 3 years before the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: In this group, we observed increased plasma levels of triglycerides and creatinine, an increase in the time necessary to perform gait speed and time-up-and-go tests, and reduced muscle strength assessed by the handgrip test and ECC post-COVID-19 pandemic relative to values recorded pre-pandemic. In addition, we observed significant correlations (both negative and positive) between anthropometric, some metabolic parameters, and physical tests. CONCLUSION: One year of interruption of physical exercise practice imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered some systemic metabolic parameters and worsened ECC and FPC in older women.

Mental health symptoms in electronic football players.

BACKGROUND: The escalated competitive pressure and professionalisation of esports players could predispose them to mental health symptoms. We aimed to develop a model to explore the association between distress and anxiety/depression symptoms and potential associations between adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies, sleeping disturbance, alcohol consumption and eating habits in electronic football players. METHODS: The present exploratory cross-sectional study includes the Distress Screener, General Health Questionnaire, Brief Cope, Sleep Disturbance Domain of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption and a set of questions regarding eating habits. A two-step robust maximum likelihood method of the Structural Equation Modelling approach was used. RESULTS: Both measurement model (χ2/df=1065.04 (637), p<0.001; Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI)=0.91, Comparative Fit Index (CFI)=0.92, standardised root mean residual (SRMR)=0.07 and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.05; 95% CI 0.043 to 0.053) and hypothesised structural model (χ2/df=1131.98 (648); p<0.001; TLI=0.90, CFI=0.91, SRMR=0.07 and RMSEA=0.05; 95% CI 0.054 to 0.06) showed an adequate fit to the data. Stress was positively related with depression and anxiety symptoms. Only anxiety symptoms were linked with coping strategies. Maladaptive coping strategies were related to sleep disturbance, alcohol consumption and poor eating habits, whereas adaptive coping strategies were associated with less sleep disturbance, reduced alcohol consumption and better eating habits. CONCLUSION: An integrative approach to help electronic football players when early signs of distress are present might help avoid other mental health symptoms that interfere with players' well-being and overall health. Additionally, adequate coping strategies to manage anxiety symptoms due to distress may help counteract potential negative consequences for lifestyle habits in electronic football players.

Teamwork: A Systematic Review of Implications From Psychosocial Constructs for Research and Practice in the Performance of Ultimate Frisbee Games.

Introduction: Ultimate Frisbee (UF) is a non-contact, challenging, and self-promoted team sport. Some factors such as the game environment and rules seem to influence athletes' behavior. Goals: Provide a robust systematic review (SR) of the psychological domains associated with UF. Methods: A SR according to Cochrane guidelines was completed. A reproducible search strategy was conducted by two independent reviewers in thirteen online databases: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, SCOPUS, B-On, SportDiscus, Scielo; APA PsycINFO, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences; Academic Search Complete; Medline (PubMed); ERIC; Google Scholar; Open Acess Thesis and Dissertations. The search occurred from 1st to 30th June 2020, and there were no limitations regarding the year of publication. Original papers that contained relevant data regarding psychological domains in the context of UF in English, Portuguese and Spanish were selected. The combination of the main terms "ultimate frisbee" and "sport psychology" was used in all databases. A total of 464 studies were identified and selected in the last phase of selection. After the Screening (n = 301) and Eligibility (n = 71) phases, a total of 30 potential papers were selected and classified. Finally, only four papers were qualified to be included in the final version of SR. Results: The psychological dimensions revealed in the present study were: leadership; basic psychological needs; behaviors; task cohesion and performance; intrateam communication; performance-avoidance goals; friendship goals; sportsmanship associated with goal-directed self-talk and self-regulated learning. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first SR about UF. In reviewing all the findings in the studies, there is evidence that UF can promote teamwork, task cohesion, leadership, and increase friendship-approach goals. Conclusion: The results revealed that group goals and promoting teamwork significantly predicted social cohesion and that teamwork and task cohesion was mediated by communication. UF is characterized by communication between all players, whether they are from the same team or the opposing team. In summary, the current study revealed real-time information about the game and its rules. This is important because UF is one of the few team sports worldwide that are self-referred by participants. Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=169294, identifier: CRD42020169294.

Refining the Short Version of the Leadership Scale for Sports: Factorial Validation and Measurement Invariance.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the factorial validity and measurement invariance of the short version of the Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS; Chelladurai & Saleh, 1980): coaches' perceptions of their own behavior, athletes' preferences and athletes' perceptions of their coaches' behavior. This validation will allow researchers to minimize time demands on participants. Three independent samples of athletes (n1 = 373; n2 = 817; n3 = 246) and two samples of coaches (n1 = 115; n2 = 351) were studied to examine the factorial validity and measurement invariance of the 25-item version of the LSS (LSS-25; Chiu et al., 2016). Findings indicated that a 15-item version (LSS-15) fits the data better than the LSS-25. The LSS-15 showed factorial validity and proved to have adequate reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis showed that its factor structure was invariant across two independent samples and across gender for athletes' perceived and preferred versions. Significant relationships between the LSS-15 subscales and athlete satisfaction also demonstrate criterion validity. These findings support a valid and reliable alternative to the original LSS long-form, especially in applied settings when time constraints require a brief measure of leadership or when study designs include multiple variables.

Validation and adaptation of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) in fitness group exercisers.

BACKGROUND: Recently, Mullen et al. (2011) presented an 8-item version of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) that provides a valid instrument for assessing enjoyment in physical activity. The present paper investigated the psychometric properties of a Portuguese adaptation of PACES. METHODS: After a process of back-to-back translation into Portuguese, 395 members of fitness centers who ranged in age from 18 to 66 years (31.11 ± 8.90, mean ± SD) completed the translated version of the PACES. On average, participants had 3.2 years of experience in fitness group classes and practiced for approximately 3.3 times per week. RESULTS: An initial exploratory factor analysis (n = 139) revealed a unidimensional structure with factor loadings ranging from 0.79 to 0.89. Results also showed acceptable internal consistency. A confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample (n = 256) provided additional support for the unidimensional structure of the questionnaire. In addition, moderate positive correlations between enjoyment and intrinsic and identified regulation, and moderate negative correlations between enjoyment and external and amotivation, demonstrate the convergent validity of the instrument. Finally, measurement invariance between 2 independent samples was also found. CONCLUSION: The 8-item Portuguese version of PACES is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring enjoyment of physical activity in Portuguese adult fitness exercisers, and it is therefore suitable to use as a measure of affect in exercise adherence interventions studies.

Coaches' Emotional Intelligence and Reactive Behaviors in Soccer Matches: Mediating Effects of Coach Efficacy Beliefs.

In the last 10 years, emotional intelligence (EI) has become a current issue of research in psychology, and there are indicators to consider that EI should be analyzed to help the coach to behave effectively during competitions. According to Boardley's (2018) revised model of coaching efficacy, coaches' EI is predictive of their efficacy beliefs, which, in turn, is predictive of coaching behavior. However, little is known about the mediating effects of coaching efficacy dimensions on the relationships between coach's EI and reactive behaviors in competitive settings. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine mediating effects of coaching efficacy dimensions on the relationship between EI and coaches' reactive behaviors during a game using a multimethod approach. Participants were 258 coaches of youth football players aged 9 to 17 years old. Observations in situ using Coaching Behavior Assessment System (CBAS) were carried on 258 football games during two seasons. At the end of each game, coaches completed the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) and the Coaching Efficacy Scale (CES). Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses revealed that motivation efficacy and character building mediated the relationship between regulation of emotion and positive and negative coaches' reactions during game. Specifically, motivation efficacy mediated the association between regulation of emotion and positive coaches' reactions, and the relationship between regulation of emotion and negative coaches' reactions were mediated by motivation efficacy and character building. In addition, coaching level moderated the relationships between EI, self-efficacy and coaches' reactive behaviors. Findings of the present study showed that coaching efficacy dimensions (i.e., motivation efficacy and character building) that have the capacity to influence their confidence in ability to affect the psychological mood and positive attitude of athletes, transfer the effects of EI (i.e., regulation of emotion) on coaches' verbal reactions during a youth soccer game. Specifically, a coach who feels competent to regulate their own emotions would perceive high beliefs of efficacy to motivate and to build character of their athletes, and this insight has an impact on their positive verbal reactions in response to athletes' performances.

Perceptions of Parenting Practices and Psychological Variables of Elite and Sub-Elite Youth Athletes.

Drawing from the model of parental involvement in sport, the overall purpose was to examine the associations of perceptions of parenting practices (encouragement, reinforcement, instruction, and role modeling) and athletes' psychological variables (self-efficacy, social self-efficacy, self-regulation, and intrinsic motivation) of elite and sub-elite youth athletes. Participants were elite (n = 210) and sub-elite (n = 635) athletes aged between 14 and 18 years (M age = 16.58, SD = 1.33). Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that young elite athletes' perceptions of sport-related parenting practices are associated with their psychological skills and performance level in sport. Specifically, in comparison with their sub-elite peers, perceptions of parental encouragement had a significantly different strong effect on intrinsic motivation. Moreover, perceptions of parental modeling revealed different effects on performance level, as well as on intrinsic motivation, and self-regulation. These perceptions of parenting practices may promote a positive learning environment, resulting in an increased likelihood of achieving a high level of sport performance in comparison with their sub-elite peers.

The Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3) Portuguese-Version: Evidence of Reliability, Validity and Invariance Across Gender.

This study has as prime objective to analyze the psychometric properties of the Behavioral Regulation Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3) in a sample of Portuguese exercisers and invariance across gender. Two independent samples (448 calibration; 374 validation), aged between 16 and 78 years (M = 40.29; SD = 16.24), of both gender, (495 female; 327 male) were enrolled in this study. The results show that the original model (six factors; 24 items) did not fit to the data in a satisfactory way (χ2 = 977.49; df = 237; B-S p < 0.001; SRMR = 0.07; NNFI = 0.80; CFI = 0.83; RMSEA = 0.08; 90% CI = 0.08-0.09). After removing six items (one for each factor), the model (six factors; 18 items) adjustment improved in a satisfactory way in both samples: calibration (χ2 = 331.86; df = 120; B-S p < 0.001; SRMR = 0.06; NNFI = 0.91; CFI = 0.93; RMSEA = 0.06; 90% CI 0.06-0.07) and validation (χ2 = 254.08; df = 120; B-S p < 0.001; SRMR = 0.04; NNFI = 0.93; CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.06; 90% CI = 0.05-0.06). Results also showed model invariance across gender (ΔCFI ≤ 0.01). The Portuguese version of BREQ-3 (six factors; 18 items) is a valid and reliable measurement instrument to measure behavior regulation underlying self-determination theory in the exercise domain. However, the evidence also indicated that additional studies are needed to address the fragilities of the original model (six factors; 24 items).

Mediating Effects of Parents' Coping Strategies on the Relationship Between Parents' Emotional Intelligence and Sideline Verbal Behaviors in Youth Soccer.

The overall purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of parents' coping strategies on the relationship between parents' emotional intelligence and sideline verbal behaviors during their children's soccer games. Participants were 232 parents (120 mothers and 110 fathers) of youth soccer players age 9-13 years. Observations in situ were carried out at 30 soccer games during a soccer tournament. At the end of the game, parents were approached and asked to complete the Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Brief COPE scale. Structural-equation-modeling analyses revealed that adaptive and maladaptive coping mediated the relationship between regulation of emotion and parents' praise/encouragement, and negative and derogatory comments during the game. In addition, game result moderated the relationships between emotional intelligence, coping strategies, and parent behaviors. Emotional regulation and adaptive coping may promote desirable parent sideline behaviors and reduce undesirable behaviors.

The resonant system: Linking brain-body-environment in sport performance☆.

The ecological dynamics approach offers new insights to understand how athlete nervous systems are embedded within the body-environment system in sport. Cognitive neuroscience focuses on the neural bases of athlete behaviors in terms of perceptual, cognitive, and motor functions defined within specific brain structures. Here, we discuss some limitations of this traditional perspective, addressing how athletes functionally adapt perception and action to the dynamics of complex performance environments by continuously perceiving information to regulate goal-directed actions. We examine how recent neurophysiological evidence of functioning in diverse cortical and subcortical regions appears more compatible with an ecological dynamics perspective, than traditional views in cognitive neuroscience. We propose how athlete behaviors in sports may be related to the tuning of resonant mechanisms indicating that perception is a dynamic process involving the whole body of the athlete. We emphasize the important role of metastable dynamics in the brain-body-environment system facilitating continuous interactions with a landscape of affordances (opportunities for action) in a performance environment. We discuss implications of these ideas for performance preparation and practice design in sport.

La toma de decisión, ¿es una conducta observable?: Discusión sobre diferentes perspectivas teóricas utilizadas en el estudio del rendimiento deportivo / Tomada de decisão, será um comportamento observável?: Discussão sobre diferentes perspectivas teóricas usadas no estudo do desempenho desportivo / Decision-making, is it an observable behaviour?: Discussion of contrasting theoretical perspectives in use in the study of sport performance

En este artículo se presenta la evaluación crítica de algunas limitaciones de la investigación tradicional sobre toma de decisión, y se centra principalmente en los estados mentales internos, dándose menor consideración a las acciones de los individuos. Se aportan argumentos basados en hallazgos empíricos que implican que las medidas psicológicas de tomas de decisión no requieren construirse como un rol inferido en cada participante por mecanismos internalizados. En su lugar, consideramos algunas debilidades de la valoración de las tomas de decisión como proceso, que se localizan internamente en la mente de cada participante. Se discuten los marcos de referencia basados en el comportamiento, que consideran las actividades contextualizadas de los atletas a lo largo del proceso de sus acciones deportivas, como expresión de los procesos psicológicos. Se muestra cómo los análisis de variables observables pueden subrayar las complejas e interconectadas relaciones entre procesos psicológicos y percepción, acción y cognición en los comportamientos orientados a la consecución de metas. La comprensión de los procesos de cognición, percepción y acción puede mejorar mediante la identificación de propiedades clave directamente medibles que capturen las relaciones persona-entorno (AU)

Neste artigo, avaliamos criticamente algumas limitações da investigação tradicional sobre tomada de decisão que foca essencialmente em estados mentais internos, prestando pouca atenção às acções do indivíduo. Apresentamos argumentos baseados na investigaçãoo que implicam que as medições psicológicas da tomada de decisão não precisam ser construídas como tendo apenas um papel inferencial para os mecanismos internos de cada participante. Em vez disso, consideramos alguns pontos fracos da medição da tomada de decisão como um processo localizado internamente em cada participante. Discutimos abordagens baseadas no comportamento, as quais vêm a atividade contínua contextualizada dos atletas durante as tarefas desportivas como expressão dos processos psicológicos. Mostramos como as análises das variáveis observacionais podem revelar a relação complexa e interligada entre os processos psicológicos relativos à percepção, ação e cognição durante o comportamento dirigido para objetivos. Esta forma de compreender os processos da percepção, ação e cognição será ainda mais visível se se procurar identificar propriedades diretamente observáveis que captem a relação indivíduo-ambient (AU)

In this paper we critically evaluate some limitations of traditional research on decision-making that focus mainly on internal mental states, and provide little consideration of individuals’ actions. We present arguments based on empirical findings that imply that psychological measures of decision-making do not need to be construed as inferring a role for internalized mechanisms in each participant. Instead, we consider some weaknesses of assessing decision-making as an internally-located process in each participant. We discuss frameworks based on behavior, which view the ongoing contextualized activity of athletes during sport tasks, as expressions of psychological processes. We show how analyses of observable variables can highlight the complex, intertwined relationship between psychological processes of perception, action and cognition during goal-directed behaviours. Understanding processes of cognition, perception and action in this way may be enhanced by identifying key directly measurable properties that capture the individual-environment relationship (AU)

The importance of emotional intelligence and meaning in life in psycho-oncology.

OBJECTIVE: Cancer was considered the disease of the 20th century, and the management, treatment, and adaptation of patients to general wellbeing were worldwide concerns. Emotional intelligence has frequently been associated with wellbeing and considered one important factor to optimal human functioning. The purpose of the present study was to test the differences regarding the relationship between emotional intelligence, purpose in life, and satisfaction with life between cancer and healthy people. METHODS: This model was tested using structural path analysis in two independent samples. First, in a general Portuguese population without chronic disease, 214 participants (nmale = 41, nfemale = 173; Mage = 53). Second, in 202 patients with cancer (nmale = 40, nfemale = 162; Mage = 58.65). A two-step methodology was used to test the research hypothesis. RESULTS: First, a confirmatory factor analysis supported the measurement model. All factors also show reliability, convergent, and discriminate validity. Second, the path coefficients for each model indicate that the proposed relationships differ significantly according to the groups. The perception capacities of emotional intelligence were more related to satisfaction with life and purpose in life in oncologic patients than in the general population without chronic disease, specifically emotional understanding and regulation. Likewise, the relationship between purpose in life and satisfaction with life in oncologic patients was significantly higher than for the general population. CONCLUSION: The current findings thus suggest that emotional intelligence and purpose in life are potential components to promoting satisfaction in life in healthy people and more so in oncologic patients.

Desenvolvimento e avaliação das características psicométricas do Questionário de Auto-Percepção de Inteligência Emocional (QIE-AP) / Development and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Self-Perception of Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EIQ-SP)

Este estudo pretendeu desenvolver e avaliar as características psicométricas de um novo instrumento para avaliar a autopercepção de capacidades de inteligência emocional (IE) baseado no modelo de IE de Mayer e Salovey (1997): o Questionário de Auto-Percepção de Inteligência Emocional (QIE-AP). Foram desenvolvidos dois estudos transversais. A amostra inclui 401 participantes (n1=191; n2=210) com idades entre 16 e 75 anos. Os dados foram analisados considerando uma análise fatorial exploratória (AFE), análise fatorial confirmatória (AFC), análise multigrupos, confiabilidade, e análises de correlação. Os resultados da análise fatorial exploratória suportam a retenção de quatro fatores do modelo teórico original: percepção, avaliação e expressão emocional, facilitação emocional do pensamento, compreensão e análise emocional, e regulação emocional. A análise fatorial confirmatória demonstrou um bom ajustamento dos dados à estrutura original de quatro fatores, e os fatores revelaram confiabilidade, validade convergente e discriminante. Adicionalmente, as duas análises multigrupos demonstraram que o modelo final é totalmente invariante entre as duas amostras independentes e parcialmente invariantes entre gêneros. O estudo suporta a validade e confiabilidade inicial do QIE-AP, tornando-o num instrumento útil na área da IE. (AU)

The purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a new measure of self-perception of emotional intelligence (EI) grounded on the Mayer and Salovey framework (1997): the Emotional Intelligence Self-Perception Questionnaire (EIQ-SP). Two cross-sectional studies with self-reported questionnaires were conducted. The total sample included 401 participants (n1 = 191; n2 = 210) between 16 to 75 years old. Data were analyzed through exploratory factor analyses (EFA), confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), multi-group CFAs as well as reliability and correlational analyses. The results of an exploratory factor analysis supported the retention of 4 factors in the original measurement model: perceiving and expressing emotion, assimilating emotion in thought, understanding emotions, and reflectively regulating emotions. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the tenability of the 4-factor measurement model. All factors also show reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. Additionally, two multiple-group CFAs showed that the final model was totally invariant between the two independent samples and partially invariant across gender samples. This study provided support for the initial reliability and validity of the EIQ-S and showed it as a useful instrument for research on emotional intelligence. (AU)

Envolvimento parental no desporto: Bases conceptuais e metodológicas / Parental involvement in sport: the conceptual and methodological cornerstones

En este artículo se analiza la teoría y la investigación de la implicación de los padres en el deporte. Durante más de 30 años, el estudio de la influencia de los padres se centró principalmente en las consecuencias de los comportamientos y actitudes de los padres acerca de determinados procesos psicológicos y cognitivos de los niños en el deporte, como la ansiedad, las orientaciones de metas de logro, o las auto-percepciones de competencia y control. Más recientemente, sin embargo, hay tendencias de enfoques multidimensionales y socio ecológicas en el estudio de la implicación de los padres. el modelo de implicación de los padres en el deporte presenta las variables clave para entender las razones por que los padres se implican, qué características presentan las formas de implicación, y cómo es que la implicación influye en el contexto de logro del niño en la práctica deportiva. al final se presentan algunas recomendaciones para la investigación y la práctica de la implicación de los padres, teniendo en cuenta la relación entre los padres, los entrenadores y los responsables directivos (AU)

This article reviews psychological theory and research critical to understanding parental involvement in sport. For over 30 years, studies of parental influences in sport focused primarily on the consequences of parents’ behaviours and attitudes to certain psychological and cognitive processes experienced by children in sport, such as anxiety, approaches to achieving goals or self-perceptions of competence and control. However, recently, there has been a tendency toward multidimensional ecological approaches to the study of parental involvement in sport. The presented model of parental involvement in sport contains the key variables for explaining why parents become involved in their children’s sport, the characteristics of their involvement, and how their involvement affects young athletes’ achievements in sport. Finally, some recommendations for research and practice are presented, taking into account relationships among parents, coaches and sports institutions (AU)