The Effect of Moral Disengagement on Bullying: Testing the Moderating Role of Personal and Social Factors.

Bullying is a subset of aggressive behavior that has severe consequences in children's psychosocial development. Bullying behaviors can be influenced by personal and social factors, such as gender, age, school type, and sport participation, as well as psychological constructs, such as moral disengagement. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of moral disengagement on bullying behaviors and the moderating role of personal and social factors. In this study, 2,252 students (M = 13.57, SD = 1.17; 1,125 girls, and 1,127 boys) attending the sixth grade of primary school and secondary education have participated. Participants completed the revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and Bandura's Moral Disengagement Questionnaire along with general questions about their demographic characteristics. The results of the analyses demonstrated moderation effects of gender on the moral disengagement-physical bullying relationship and of age on the moral disengagement-verbal bullying relationship. No significant moderating effect emerged for school type and sport participation. The findings of the present study provide valuable information about the role of personal and social factors on bullying behavior.

Are nutritional supplements a gateway to doping use in competitive team sports? The roles of achievement goals and motivational regulations.

OBJECTIVES: The study investigated the moderating role of achievement goals and motivation regulations on the association between self-reported nutritional supplement (NS) use, doping likelihood, and self-reported doping behaviour among competitive athletes. METHOD: Four hundred and ninety seven competitive team sport athletes (64% males; M age=23.54 years, SD=5.75) completed anonymous questionnaires measuring self-reported use of prohibited substances and licit NS; beliefs about the "gateway" function of NS; achievement goals; and motivational regulations. RESULTS: Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that self-reported doping was associated (Adjusted R2=33%) with NS use, a stronger belief that NS use acts as a gateway to doping, amotivation, controlled motivation, mastery approach, and performance avoidance goals. Higher likelihood to use doping substances in the future was associated (Adjusted R2=41.7%) with current NS use, stronger belief that NS act as a gateway to doping, autonomous motivation, and performance avoidance goals. A series of moderated regression analyses showed that NS use significantly interacted with mastery approach, mastery avoidance, performance avoidance goals, autonomous motivation controlled motivation, and with amotivation in predicting self-reported doping. Finally, NS use significantly interacted with mastery approach goals, performance avoidance goals, and controlled motivation in predicting future doping likelihood. CONCLUSIONS: Achievement goals and motivational regulations are differentially associated with both doping likelihood and self-reported doping, and may account for the observed association between self-reported NS use and doping substances; thus, providing an alternative explanation to the "gateway hypothesis" that emphasizes the role of motivation.

Footedness related differences in femoral bone mineral density in elderly women with osteoporosis.

Purpose: The presumed link between lateralized habitual motor activity and bilateral skeletal asymmetry, as result of bone functional adaptation, is the basis for inferences about bone mineral distribution; consequently, bone loss and osteoporosis. As there is no research connecting directly footedness with osteoporosis, the present study was designed to investigate their relation, in elderly women with osteoporosis.Methods: A sample of 420 white, Caucasian race women, older than 65 years, with previous diagnosis of osteoporosis, was recruited for the study. Finally, 164 women met the inclusion criteria and participated. The femoral neck and total hip bone mineral density (BMD) differences between right and left hips of 105 right-footed and 59 non-right-footed women, and the between footedness groups differences of the above right-left BMD differences, were measured with Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA).Results: In right-footers, total hip right-left BMD differences were statistically significant, favoring left femur [t(104) = -2.79, p < .01, two tailed]. In non-right-footers, femoral neck right-left BMD differences were statistically significant, favoring right femur [t(58) =2.025, p < .05, two tailed]. Femoral neck and total hip right-left BMD differences of right- versus non-right-footed women were statistically insignificant.Conclusion: The dominance of the right lower limb had an asymmetric effect on left total hip BMD, while non-right-footedness favored right femoral neck BMD. The findings highlighted the influence of load bearing effects of the body weight and muscle contractions on femoral BMD. We noted a possible association between footedness and BMD, as a result of bone functional adaptation.

Moral Disengagement and Risk Prototypes in the Context of Adolescent Cyberbullying: Findings From Two Countries.

Cyberbullying is associated with a wide range of mental health difficulties and behavioral problems in adolescents and research is needed to better understand psychological correlates of this behavior. The present study used a novel model that incorporated Social Cognitive Theory and the prototype/willingness model to identify the correlates of behavioral willingness to engage in cyberbullying in two countries. Adolescent students were randomly selected from secondary schools in Italy (n = 1710) and Greece (n = 355), and completed anonymous measures of moral disengagement, descriptive norms, risk prototype evaluations and behavioral willingness to engage in cyberbullying. Hierarchical linear regression analyses showed that willingness to engage in cyberbullying was associated with moral disengagement, prototype evaluations and descriptive social norms in Italy, and with gender, moral disengagement and descriptive social norms in Greece. Regression-based multiple mediation modeling further showed that the association between moral disengagement and cyberbullying willingness was mediated by prototype evaluations in Italy and by descriptive norms in Greece. The implications of our findings are discussed in the context of self-regulating cyberbullying perpetration in adolescents and informing school-based policies and interventions to prevent cyberbullying behavior.

Is positive thinking in anticipation of a performance situation better than distraction? An experimental study in preadolescents.

The current study compares the effects of experimentally induced positive anticipatory thinking and distraction in preadolescents aged 12-13. Eighty-seven participants were instructed to either engage in positive anticipatory thoughts or perform a distraction task while preparing to perform a sporting activity in front of their peers. Results revealed that trait social anxiety was associated with more negative estimates of sport performance and catastrophic thoughts relating to the impending sport activity. Additionally, compared to children who distracted, children in the positive anticipation condition showed significantly increased anxiety levels, more catastrophic thoughts and more negative predictions of sport performance and appearance, although these effects did not appear to interact with trait social anxiety. Finally, no significant manipulation effect on participants' observable behavior was found. The findings further highlight the utility of distracting from an impending, anxiety-provoking situation to keep anxious feelings to a low level.

Tackling psychosocial risk factors for adolescent cyberbullying: Evidence from a school-based intervention.

Cyberbullying is an emerging form of bullying that takes place through contemporary information and communication technologies. Building on past research on the psychosocial risk factors for cyberbullying in this age group, the present study assessed a theory-driven, school-based preventive intervention that targeted moral disengagement, empathy and social cognitive predictors of cyberbullying. Adolescents (N = 355) aged between 16 and 18 years were randomly assigned into the intervention and the control group. Both groups completed anonymous structured questionnaires about demographics, empathy, moral disengagement and cyberbullying-related social cognitive variables (attitudes, actor prototypes, social norms, and behavioral expectations) before the intervention, post-intervention and 6 months after the intervention. The intervention included awareness-raising and interactive discussions about cyberbullying with intervention group students. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that, after controlling for baseline measurements, there were significant differences at post-intervention measures in moral disengagement scores, and in favorability of actor prototypes. Further analysis on the specific mechanisms of moral disengagement showed that significant differences were observed in distortion of consequences and attribution of blame. The implications of the intervention are discussed, and guidelines for future school-based interventions against cyberbullying are provided.

Application of the Transtheoretical Model to Physical Activity in Deaf Individuals.

The current study used the transtheoretical model (TTM) as a guiding theoretical framework to assess differences in processes of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy among deaf individuals with different levels of physical activity. Overall, 146 participants (M age = 26.4 yr, SD = 4.28) completed anonymous questionnaires assessing the dimensions of the TTM, stages of change, processes of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy. Analysis of variance showed that both experiential and behavioral processes of change were higher in the preparation, action, and maintenance stages than in the other stages. Accordingly, the benefits of physical activity participation were stronger in the preparation stage, whereas the costs were more evident in the precontemplation stage. Finally, self-efficacy at the preparation stage was higher than in the other stages. The findings revealed how different stages of physical activity participation can be explained through the TTM, and the implications for physical activity intervention are discussed.

Toward an integrative model of doping use: an empirical study with adolescent athletes.

The present study assessed adolescent athletes' intentions toward doping by using an integrative theoretical model. Overall, 650 adolescent athletes from team and individual sports completed an anonymous structured questionnaire including demographic information, social desirability, achievement goals, motivational regulations, sportspersonship orientations, social cognitive variables, and anticipated regret. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the integrative model predicted 57.2% of the variance in doping intentions. Social cognitive variables and anticipated regret directly predicted doping intentions. Anticipated regret added 3% incremental variance on top of other predictors. Multiple mediation analyses showed that the effects of achievement goals on intentions were mediated by self-efficacy beliefs, whereas the effects of sportspersonship were mediated by attitudes and anticipated regret. The present study confirmed the dual structure of an integrative model of doping intentions and further highlighted the role of anticipated regret in the study of adolescent doping use.

Children's catching performance when the demands on the postural system is altered.

In many dynamic interceptive actions performers need to integrate activity of manual and postural subsystems for successful performance. Groups of different skill level (poor and good catchers), (mean age = 9.1 and 9.4 respectively) were required to perform one-handed catches under different postural constraints: standing; standing in contact with a postural support aid by their side (PSAS) or to the left of their trunk (PSAF); Tandem; and sitting (control). Results revealed that, for poor catchers, the number of successful catches increased and grasp errors decreased significantly when sitting and with both postural aids in comparison with standing alone and Tandem conditions. Kinematic analyses showed that the postural aid devices reduced head sway in the anterior-posterior direction, while the PSAF reduced lateral head sway. The poor catchers' performance benefited from an enlarged support surface, and reduction of lateral sway. Good catchers performed successfully under all task constraints, signifying the existence of a functional relationship between postural and grasping subsystems during performance. The results are discussed in the frame of Bernstein's (1967) and Newell's (1986) theory.

Beliefs about the causes of success in sports and susceptibility for doping use in adolescent athletes.

The present study set out to assess the impact of attributional beliefs about success on the susceptibility for doping use in adolescent athletes. The sample consisted of 309 adolescent athletes participating in both team and individual sports. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires including Beliefs about the Causes of Success in Sport Questionnaire (BACSSQ), current and past doping use, and measures of attitudes, norms, situational temptation and social desirability. Variance reduction rate analysis revealed that social desirability did not act as a confounder in the relationship between doping susceptibility and its predictors. With regard to beliefs about the causes of success dimensions, only deception emerged as a significant predictor of doping use susceptibility over and above the effects of well-established social-cognitive predictors of doping intentions and use. These findings imply that beliefs about the causes of success in youth sports may comprise another dimension of risk factors for doping susceptibility and use.

Gender and age differences in self-reported aggression of high school students.

The purpose of the study was to (a) investigate gender and age differences in physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility, and (b) examine the discriminatory power of the Greek version of the Aggression Questionnaire (GAQ) with high school students. The sample of the study consisted of 658 high school students (321 boys and 337 girls), with an age range from 13 to 17 years (M = 15.3, SD = 1.5). The students completed the Aggression Questionnaire adapted to Greek. Regarding gender, the overall correct identification rate in the discriminant analysis showed that 73.3% of the cases were correctly classified. In addition, the results indicated that physical aggression declined with age and that, compared to boys, girls of higher grades apply more indirect forms of aggression, such as anger and hostility. The findings of the study provide important information regarding the expression of aggressive behavior during adolescence.

Extending the trans-contextual model in physical education and leisure-time contexts: examining the role of basic psychological need satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: The trans-contextual model (TCM) is an integrated model of motivation that aims to explain the processes by which agentic support for autonomous motivation in physical education promotes autonomous motivation and physical activity in a leisure-time context. It is proposed that perceived support for autonomous motivation in physical education is related to autonomous motivation in physical education and leisure-time contexts. Furthermore, relations between autonomous motivation and the immediate antecedents of intentions to engage in physical activity behaviour and actual behaviour are hypothesized. AIMS: The purpose of the present study was to incorporate the constructs of basic psychological need satisfaction in the TCM to provide a more comprehensive explanation of motivation and demonstrate the robustness of the findings of previous tests of the model that have not incorporated these constructs. SAMPLE: Students (N=274) from Greek secondary schools. METHOD: Participants completed self-report measures of perceived autonomy support, autonomous motivation, and basic psychological need satisfaction in physical education. Follow-up measures of these variables were taken in a leisure-time context along with measures of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control (PBC), and intentions from the theory of planned behaviour 1 week later. Self-reported physical activity behaviour was measured 4 weeks later. RESULTS: Results supported TCM hypotheses. Basic psychological need satisfaction variables uniquely predicted autonomous motivation in physical education and leisure time as well as the antecedents of intention, namely, attitudes, and PBC. The basic psychological need satisfaction variables also mediated the effects of perceived autonomy support on autonomous motivation in physical education. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the TCM and provide further information of the mechanisms in the model and integrated theories of motivation in physical education and leisure time.

Construct validity of the physical Education State Anxiety Scale: a multitrait-multimethod approach.

The present study investigated the construct validity of the Physical Education State Anxiety Scale with the employment of multitrait-multimethod analysis with regard to responses of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2. 233 high school students (Mage = 13.6 yr., SD=.9) completed the Physical Education State Anxiety Scale and an adapted physical education version of Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2. Examination of fit indices and anxiety dimensions' correlations indicated satisfactory convergent validity (significant difference in chi2 and CFI emerged). Convergent validities were higher than correlations among other variables suggesting fairly good discriminant validity; however, the fit indices of the confirmatory factor analyses showed relatively low discriminant validity (nonsignificant delta chi2 and a small CFI difference emerged). Present findings provide evidence on the construct validity of the adapted version and suggest it can be used with high school students to assess state anxiety in physical education.

Examining the relationship between recreational sport participation and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and amotivation.

This study aimed at investigating the effect of motivational dimensions proposed by Pelletier, et al. in 1995, both on sport participation levels and on intention for continuing participation among adult recreational sport participants. Two hundred and fifty-seven adult individuals, who reported participation in some type of sport and physical activity, completed the Sport Motivation Scale and a scale measuring intention. The study provided evidence to suggest that increased motivation leads to increased participation. Amotivation significantly decreased from the least to the most frequent participant groups, while both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation followed the reverse pattern. The results also indicated that increased intrinsic motivation to gain knowledge and accomplishment and extrinsic motivation (introjected regulation) are positively correlated with individuals' intentions to continue participation, while amotivation is negatively related. These results provide limited support for the self-determination theory. Implications for sport participation promotion are discussed.

Girls' soccer performance and motivation: games vs technique approach.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Technique and Games approaches on girls' soccer performance and motivation. The Technique approach focuses on technique instruction using drills, whereas the Games approach places emphasis on tactic instruction with modified games. 37 girls, 12 to 13 years old, were taught 15 soccer lessons by the Technique approach and 35 girls by the Games approach. At the beginning and at the end of the research soccer matches were videotaped and evaluated by Oslin, Mitchell, and Griffin's Game Performance Assessment Instrument. Girls' motivation was assessed on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. The Games group had significantly better scores after training on tactical behaviour and intrinsic motivation than the Technique group. There were no significant differences in skill execution between groups trained under the two approaches. Considering the importance of intrinsic motivation for a lifelong, physically active lifestyle, researchers could focus study on the approaches and girls' motivation.

Psychometric evaluation of the Greek version of the Aggression Questionnaire.

The study assesses the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Aggression Questionnaire by Buss and Perry in a sample of 760 Greek high school students. This questionnaire has been widely used to study Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, and Hostility. A confirmatory factor analysis of responses showed adequate fit for the original 4-factor model (total variance explained: 68.2%). The analysis also showed satisfactory internal consistency and temporal stability over 6 to 8 weeks. Also, the construct validity, extreme groups' validity, and predictive validity indices were adequate. Greek female students adopted more indirect forms of aggression (Hostility) than males, who applied more direct forms such as Physical Aggression. Findings supported the use of the Greek version of the questionnaire for assessment in high school students.

Self-determination in sport commitment.

The study tested utility of self-determination and sport commitment theories to understanding young athletes' sport commitment. 343 young athletes (M= 13.5 yr., SD= +/- 1.1) from soccer, basketball, volleyball, handball, and water polo teams volunteered to participate. All completed the Sport Motivation Scale and the Sport Commitment Questionnaire. Pearson correlations showed a strong relationship between commitment and intrinsic motivation scores. In contrast, extrinsic motivation scores were not significantly correlated to commitment, whereas amotivation scores showed a negative correlation to commitment. Path analysis resulted in strong positive association of intrinsic motivation and commitment. Amotivation had small negative relation to commitment. According to the model tested, social constraints and involvement opportunities were not significant contributors to sport commitment. An alternative model supported the mediating role of enjoyment to psychological commitment. The results showed that high self-determination is supportive of sport commitment, whereas low self-determination reduces sport commitment.

The Sport Motivation Scale for Children: preliminary analysis in physical education classes.

This study was done to test the psychometric properties of the modified version of the Sport Motivation Scale adapted for children in physical education. Participants were elementary school students (N = 452, M(age) = 13.9 +/- 1.04) who responded to the Sport Motivation Scale for Children. The scale assesses three types of motivation at the contextual level, namely, Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, and Amotivation. Results supported the construct validity (CFI = .95), and internal consistency of the scale (Cronbach alpha > .65). Correlations indicated Sport Motivation Scale for Children simplex pattern exhibiting higher correlations among adjacent subscales than subscales farther apart. The concurrent validity, examined through correlations with scores on the Physical Self-description Questionnaire was satisfactory. Sex differences were examined to assess the discriminant validity. Boys were more intrinsically motivated than girls. Overall, the scale seems a useful one for assessment of motivation in physical education.

Psychometric evaluation of the Greek Physical Self-Description Questionniare.

To estimate the psychometric properties of the Physical Self-description Questionnaire for deaf high school students, a Greek version was administered to 125 deaf soccer layers and 108 nonexercisers. Confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate factorial structure for the original 11-factor model. Internal consistency and temporal stability were satisfactory for this sample. Also, the construct, discriminant, and predictive validity indices were adequate. These findings supported the use of the Greek version of the Physical Self-description Questionnaire for the assessment of the self-concept of deaf high school students.

Socialization and behavioral problems of elementary school pupils with developmental coordination disorder.

The present study examined the role of the developmental coordination disorder in 154 children's socialization and the expression of deviant behaviors in the context of Greek primary education. For assessment of their motor coordination, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children of Henderson and Sugden was used. The peer nomination method (sociogram) was used for the estimation of children's social status, and the expression of deviant behaviors was assessed via Conners' Teacher Questionnaire. Analyses showed that developmental coordination disorder was associated with poor socialization and the expression of deviant behaviors. These findings support the development of educational programs to include children with poor motor coordination.