SPORT PSYCHOLOGY STUDIES
Year:2020 | Volume:9 | Issue:32|Papers Count:15

The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of psychological skills by adopting some new dimensions and quantities in football. To this aim, 20 matches were recorded from the Iranian Premier League and AFC Champions League, while only those sequences of team behavior leading to a goal, and those in which the attacker team had at least 5 seconds of continuous ball possession were selected for analysis. Based on the results, the behavioral pattern of the attacking and defending teams had a coordinated and predictable trend. In addition, the quantity and dimensions of these patterns were analyzed based on the content of psychological skills. The results indicated that these patterns involved all of the dimensions related to what, when, where, and how in themselves. These dimensions were which widely used in psychological skills and played a significant role in recognizing the importance and sensitivity of psychological skills.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of overweight stereotypical threat on motor learning and balance confidence of the elderly women. Twenty-four elderly women (Mage=62. 38 ± 2. 68 years) were randomly selected and randomly assigned to two groups of stereotypical threats (emphasis on individual characteristics such as overweight on performance) and control. The task consisted of maintaining the balance on the stabilometer during 30-second trials, 1 trial in the pre-test, 10 trials in the acquisition phase and 5 trials in the retention test. The balance confidence questionnaire was completed in two stages of pre-test and retention. The findings of the study indicated lower motor learning and balance confidence in the overweight stereotypic group compared to the control group, therefore, it is suggested that in similar situations, coaches, with emphasis on the ineffectiveness of individual characteristics Such as overweight on motor performance, reduce stereotype threats and so prevent performance and learning disruptions.

The purpose of this study was to Presenting the Model of Psychological Components Affecting the Participation of Veterans and Disabled in Sport Activities. The present research in terms of purpose is applied and In terms of data collection method is Descriptive-survey. In the first part (qualitative) for conducting field interviews, the statistical community of the study consisted of academics Professors aware of the issue of disabled sports, some of the managers of the sports field of the disabled (Veterans and Disabled Sports Federation), as well as disabled and veteran athletes, Objectives were selected for qualitative interviews on the topic of research (12 interviews with 12 people and continued to theoretical saturation). In the second part (quantitatively), after collecting the data from the qualitative research, a questionnaire on social-cultural components affecting the participation of the disabled in physical activity was performed and this questionnaire (18 items in the form of 3 components) among the athlete's Veterans and Disabled (386 people) were distributed. The validity and reliability of both measuring instruments (interview and questionnaire) were confirmed. The elongation and skidding indices are used to investigate the distribution of data (normal or abnormal) and to investigate and answer the research questions, compilation of the model and structural model of SPSS software version 24, Smart PLS Version 2. 0 and Pro Max QDA Pro version were used. The results of this study showed that 18 conceptual codes and 3 main categories are the psychological components that affect the participation of disabled people in sport activities.

The hazards caused by natural disasters, including the earthquake and its aftershocks, had always exposed human life to risk and lead to the increasing mental stress, which is one of the most destructive forces affecting the human life. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of aerobic training on anxiety, depression, and aggression in high school girls in Sarpol-e Zahab city after the earthquake. For this purpose, 30 high school girls from Sarpol-e Zahab, were participating in this study, voluntarily. The participants were randomly divided into two equal groups of 15, including aerobic training and control group. The measurement questionnaires of the study included the Beck anxiety questionnaire (BAI), Beck depression questionnaire, and AGQ aggression questionnaire. Data were analyzed by a two-way repeated measures ANOVA. In addition, the paired t-test was used to analyze pretest vs. posttest data. The results showed that eight weeks of aerobic exercise significantly decreased the levels of anxiety, depression, and aggression (p<0. 001). However, no significant improvement was observed in the control group. In conclusion, it can be claimed that eight weeks of aerobic training can reduce the levels of anxiety, depression and aggression in girl students after an intense earthquake experience.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an integrated physical exercise program on the inhibitory control in adolescent girls. Thirty-two high school female students who met all inclusion criteria of the study were selected and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in the fourteen integrated physical training sessions, composed of a combination of aerobic, balance, and fine-motor exercises, while the control group received the routine physical education programs. Changes in the subjects' inhibition before and after training were measured by the Stroop test and a factorial repeated measures ANOVA. Our results showed that the trend of changes in interference scores was significantly decreased in the integrated training group. Accordingly, the results of the present study support the effectiveness of combining aerobic, balance and fine-motor exercises to improve the adolescents’ inhibitory control.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of psychological inflexibility in the relationship between intensity of anger and its expression in competitive athletes. The present study was a correlational design based on structural relationships (PLS structural equation modeling). The present study was a correlational design study based on structural relationships (PLS structural equation modeling). The statistical population of this study consisted of all competitive athletes (all athletes who participated in any level of competitive sport, either individual or collective) in Ardebil in 2019. From a total of participants, 312 were selected through cluster sampling and included in the study. To collect data, the Clinical Anger Scale, Internal and external anger subscales of Multidimensional Anger Inventory and Comprehensive assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (CompACT) Scale were used. The results showed that psychological inflexibility mediated between intensity of anger and externalizing expression or aggressive (behavioral avoidance) and between intensity of anger and rumination / suppression of anger (cognitive avoidance). Based on the findings, it can be said psychological inflexibility is an important factor to consider in the relationship between anger and aggression. In fact, athletes who have low flexibility responses is very likely that the anger experienced will be expressed.

The purpose of this study was to explain the structural relationships between sport self-efficacy and competitive anxiety of athletes regarding the mediating role of task-oriented and emotion-oriented coping strategies. Questionnaires of sport self-efficacy, coping strategies, and competitive anxiety were distributed among 200 volunteer athletes from different individual and team sports. In order to determine the relationships between variables, structural equation modeling and path analysis with PLS2 software were used. The findings showed that in addition to the significant relationship between self-efficacy and competitive anxiety in direct path, self-efficacy, indirectly and due to affecting on chosen coping strategies by athlete, causes moderating competitive anxiety. More accurate examination of the model suggests that the indirect pathway of sport self-efficacy to task-oriented strategies and to competitive anxiety with higher path coefficients and greater T-value is the stronger pathway to explain the mediating role of coping strategies in relation between sport self-efficacy and competitive anxiety.

This study was aimed to compare the effect of practice with high, low, and increasing interference on accuracy and mental representation of basketball free throw. For this purpose, 30 novice participants were randomly divided into random, blocked, and increasing groups. The participants practiced the basketball free throw from different distances (3/96, 4/57, and 5. 18 meter) for three consecutive days-three blocks each day and each block included 30 trials-according to the given grouping and practice order. Three days after the last training session retention and transfer tests were performed. Results showed that the increasing group had higher accuracy than the other two groups. The results during the transfer test were similar to the retention test. The results for the mental representation measure showed that the increasing group had a more structured mental representation that two other groups and this mental representation were more similar to the mental representation of the skilled participants. These results were interpreted according to the efficient processing of the information and also according to the challenge point framework.

By spreading of Quaid-19 virus in Iran, most sports clubs were closed and league and championship matches were cancelled. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological experiences of Iranian elite athletes in quarantine due to the prevalence of coronavirus. Methodologically, this research is in the range of qualitative studies and a kind of phenomenological research. The population of the present study included Iranian elite male and female athletes (participation in premier leagues and membership in national teams) in various sports who had experience of living in home quarantine in the last 60 days. Participants in the study were selected in a purposeful sampling way and the sampling continued until to reach saturation. In general, 20 elite athletes were interviewed. A seven-step Colaizzi method was used to analyze qualitative data. Based on the analysis of the findings of the present study, nine main themes were achieved including problem-oriented coping strategies, task-oriented goal orientation, cognitive flexibility, compromised strategy of emotion cognitive regulation, negative self-assessment, negative mood, lack of enough motivation, cognitive anxiety, and feeling of homesickness. The results of the present study showed that home quarantine had different positive and negative psychological effects on Iranian elite athletes due to the prevalence of Quaid-19 disease. Awareness and mutual understanding of the psychological experiences of these athletes during the home quarantine period can provide the way for the necessary decisions during the corona and post-corona period by the country's sports managers and officials.

This study aimed at predicting the level of physical activity affecting the anxiety level of the medical staff at the Corona’ s peak. In this descriptive correlational work, the statistical population consisted of the medical staff of Khatam Al-Anbia Hospital in Miyaneh city, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, out of which 130 people were selected as the available statistical sample. To observe the hygienic principles, the research questionnaires were presented to the subjects electronically. After collecting the data, Pearson correlation statistical and linear regression methods were used to determine the level correlation. The results showed a significantly positive correlation between the staff’ s physical activity and anxiety and their ability to predict people's anxiety. Therefore, it can be concluded that regular physical activity and exercise could reduce level of anxiety in people and promote their mental and physical health through physiological, hormonal, and cognitive mechanisms.

The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between integrated self-knowledge and resilience with the anxiety of being infected by COVID-19 and the mediating role of intolerance of ambiguity, worry, and physical activity. The research method was descriptive correlational type and the statistical population of the study included all residents of Karaj city in the spring of 2020, among which 360 people were selected by target and available method. The research tool included the Self-Knowledge Scale; Resilience Scale; Penn State Worry Questionnaire; Ambiguity Tolerance Scale-II; Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile and Corona Disease Anxiety Scale. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. In the present study, the direct relationship between worry and intolerance of ambiguity and with the anxiety of being infected by COVID-19 was positive and significant and the direct relationship between physical activity and with the anxiety of being infected by COVID-19 was negative and significant. The indirect relationship between integrated self-knowledge and resilience with the anxiety of being infected by COVID-19 was significant by physical activity, worry, and intolerance of ambiguity mediation. Public education to promote self-knowledge and learn resilient approaches, as well as a healthy lifestyle that incorporates physical activity, is recommended in the face of diseases and worries, and ambiguities due to its prevalence.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of physical activity and teaching progressive muscle relaxation on the level of anxiety and perceived stress in patients with Covid-19. The research method was quasi-experimental. Using the available sampling method, 48 patients with Covid-19 were selected from the patients referred to the 16-hour coronavid-19 coronation diagnosis center in the fourth district of Mashhad and screened based on Beck physical activity questionnaire in 4 groups. (2 experiments and 2 control groups) were included. The training groups practiced progressive muscle relaxation for 6 weeks. All participants completed the DASS-21 Stress-Anxiety-Depression Inventory during the pre-test and post-test stages. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance with mixed design. The results showed that the effect of relaxation method on reducing stress in patients with Covid-19 was significant (p <0. 05). The results also showed that the effect of progressive muscle relaxation exercise in the affected and active groups was greater than the affected and inactive groups (p <0. 05). The results showed that the effect of relaxation training method on anxiety in patients with Covid-19 groups was not significant (p <0. 05). Conclusion: Progressive muscle relaxation can be effective as a non-pharmacological method in reducing perceived stress caused by Covid-19 disease.

The aim of the present study was to compare the psychological and physical symptoms of coronavirus anxiety (COVID-19 related anxiety) in people with high and low levels of commitment to physical activity. The research was a descriptive study with a causal-comparative design. The statistical population included 14-35-year-old adolescents and young people of Arak city in 2020. Employing the convenience sampling and using their scores in Commitment to Physical Activity Scale, two groups (n=30 in each groups) with high and low levels of commitment to physical activity were formed, and then, the scores of Corona Disease Anxiety Scale were compared (with subscales of psychological and physical symptoms of anxiety). The results of MANOVA showed a significant difference in the linear composition of dependent variables of the two groups. The results of ANOVA also showed a significant difference between the groups so far as the psychological symptoms were concerned, not the physical symptoms of coronavirus anxiety. Based on the results of the pairwise comparisons, the latter type of anxiety was higher in the group with low levels of commitment to physical activity. Finally, it was concluded that the exercise of and commitment to physical activity can be effective in reducing anxiety, particularly its psychological symptoms.

The aim of this study was to investigate the state of emotional fatigue and social panic caused by the outbreak of Covid-19 virus in professional athletes (case study: athletics). The research method was descriptive and the statistical population included all Iranian male and female professional athletes in the adult age group. The research instruments included two questionnaires of emotional fatigue Chen et al. (2019) and Connor et al. (2000) social fear. The validity of this questionnaire was examined and confirmed by examining the opinions of experts and the reliability of this questionnaire according to the calculation of Cronbach's alpha. The results showed that the rate of emotional fatigue caused by the prevalence of Covid-19 virus was high among the research samples (overall score = 3. 41). The results also showed that the level of social panic caused by Covid-19 virus in the research samples is in a state of severe social panic (overall score = 53. 2). The results also showed that there was a significant difference between the state of emotional fatigue and social panic caused by the prevalence of Covid-19 virus regarding demographic characteristics.

This study aimed to compare COVID-19 anxiety, coping styles, and health anxiety in athletic and non-athletic students. The statistical population of the study consisted of all student-athletes and non-athletes in the year 2020. Of these, 220 (110 student-athletes and 110 non-athlete students) participated in the study through an online call. Data were collected using the COVID-19 Anxiety Inventory Wheaton et all., Endler and Parker Coping Styles Scale, and Salkovskis et all Health Anxiety Questionnaire. The results of multivariate analysis of variance showed that COVID-19 anxiety, emotion-oriented, and avoidant coping styles, and health anxiety were less in athletic students than non-athlete students and more problem-oriented coping styles. Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that exercising during the 2019 Coronavirus epidemic can significantly reduce the anxiety caused by this unknown virus and the severity of possible problems caused by the COVID-19 also prevent.