An In-depth Study of Former Elite Figure Skaters: III. Sources of Stress

1991 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara K. Scanlan ◽  
Gary L. Stein ◽  
Kenneth Ravizza

This study examined the sources of stress in elite figure skaters. Twenty-six former national-championship competitors were interviewed to identify their stressors during the most competitive phase of their athletic careers. The interviews consisted of open-ended and follow-up questions that provided an in-depth understanding of the athletes' sources of stress. Inductive content-analysis procedures established stress categories derived from the athletes' perspective. Five major sources of stress emerged from the data—negative aspects of competition, negative significant-other relationships, demands or costs of skating, personal straggles, and traumatic experiences. The results demonstrate that (a) elite athletes experience stress from both competition and noncompetition sources, (b) individual differences exist among elite athletes' sources of stress, and (c) elite and youth sport athletes have similar competition-related stressors.

1989 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara K. Scanlan ◽  
Gary L. Stein ◽  
Kenneth Ravizza

This study investigated the sources of sport enjoyment for elite figure skaters. These elite athletes were 26 former national championship competitors who currently coach figure skating. The skaters were interviewed and answered an open-ended question asking them for their sources of enjoyment during the most competitive phase of their skating careers. Each source of enjoyment mentioned was probed to obtain an in-depth understanding of the source. The data, 418 quotes, were drawn from verbatim transcriptions of the interviews and were inductively content analyzed. Content analysis organizes the quotes into increasingly more complex themes and categories representing sources of enjoyment. Four major sources of enjoyment emerged from the data—social and life opportunities, perceived competence, social recognition of competence, and the act of skating. The findings (a) demonstrated that elite figure skaters derive enjoyment from numerous and diverse sources reflecting the achievement, social, and movement aspects of sport, (b) provided greater depth of understanding for new and previously indicated sources of enjoyment, and (c) uncovered new psychological constructs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-116
Author(s):  
Abira Reizer ◽  
Meni Koslowsky ◽  
Rivki Antilevich-Steg

In recent years, several investigations of the medical clowning profession have appeared in the literature. However, few studies have focused on factors associated with turnover among medical clowns early in their careers. The current study examined whether individual differences in humor disposition predicted turnover behavior. Participants were 111 medical clowns in a three-phase longitudinal study. Humor disposition was measured in the first week of their training, clowns' job satisfaction two months later, and turnover six months after that. Results showed that humor appreciation decreased actual turnover through the mediating role of job satisfaction, whereas individual differences in humor creation directly decreased turnover. In addition, previous traumatic experiences moderated the associations between humor appreciation and turnover. Overall, our research findings support the notion that humor disposition can help predict which clowns remain in the hospital.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Claire Smart ◽  
Kylie Murphy ◽  
Kristen Andrews ◽  
Donalee Gregory

INTRODUCTION: Kinesio tape (KT) is an emerging tool in paediatric physiotherapy. A small body of research suggests KT is efficacious with some children, but clinical guidelines are not yet available. The aim of this study was to gather physiotherapists’ practices and experiences using KT with children. The focus was on why, where, how, and how long physiotherapists use KT with children, and the outcomes they observe, to guide future experimental research. METHOD: Nine Australian physiotherapists, each with at least two years of experience using KT with children, were recruited. All nine physiotherapists completed a largely open-ended online survey, and three of these physiotherapists participated in a brief follow-up telephone interview. Basic content analysis was conducted. RESULTS: The physiotherapists’ practices and experience with KT largely related to four themes: (1) taping for muscle activation; (2) gait and posture outcomes; (3) child tolerance limiting effectiveness; and (4) inconsistent application methods and treatment durations. CONCLUSION: Physiotherapists in this study used KT to serve a variety of purposes, it was mainly considered beneficial for improving gait and posture. However, there was little agreement regarding how to apply it, for how long, and the exact nature of its benefits. Empirical research is also lacking on these questions. The effectiveness of KT as an adjunct therapy for improving children’s posture and gait warrants further investigation. Research comparing specific taping application methods and durations will be valuable in guiding physiotherapists’ practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2646
Author(s):  
Saeid Abbasian

The following study is the first Swedish study on Halal tourism in Sweden. The purpose of this exploratory research is to get insight into the perception of Halal tourism in Sweden among representatives of tourism stakeholders. The overall methodology approach in this research is qualitative, consisting of 25 qualitative questionnaires, 21 short letters, four follow-up interviews, and a web observation, and content analysis was employed. The results indicate that there is a low knowledge of Halal tourism in Sweden including Swedish tourism industry. The concept is very challenging, and profits are low. It might result in problem scenarios such as detrimental effects on non-Halal tourism, cultural difficulties and increased risk of xenophobia, anti-Islamism, and tension in the society. There is low interest for Sweden among Muslim tourists as the interest and priority for Halal tourism is rather low from Swedish tourism industry. Despite Halal tourism’s importance internationally, these representatives are rather cautious and doubtful about promotion of Sweden towards this niche. Still, a majority seems to be positive to a lighter version of Muslim-friendly tourism with secular/moderate Muslims as a target group.


1983 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 213-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Snyder Lydic ◽  
Margaret A. Short ◽  
David L. Nelson

The Peabody Developmental Scales (PDS) and the Movement Assessment of Infants (MAI) were examined for their abilities to detect subtle changes in motor development of infants with Down's syndrome Both assessments were administered to 10 infants before and after a 6-week period A t-test suggested that the MAI was sensitive to developmental changes in the subjects tested from initial test to follow-up. Similar testing using the PDS did not reveal significant differences in the scores, suggesting that the MAI was the more sensitive of the two instruments. When partial correlations were calculated for possible artifactual effects due to age, the MAI still demonstrated greater stability. Results indicate that, for infants with Down's syndrome, the MAI may be preferable to the PDS for detecting changes in motor ability over short periods. However, these results should be considered tentative until a more in-depth study is conducted using a larger number of subjects from a variety of clinical populations.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110629
Author(s):  
Efrat Lusky-Weisrose ◽  
Marlene Kowalski ◽  
Dafna Tener ◽  
Carmit Katz

The current study is based on an in-depth thematic analysis of 20 interviews with German and Israeli adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) by religious authority figures (RAF). This paper aims to explore survivors’ experiences within the Jewish ultra-Orthodox and Christian communities, as well as to draw comparisons between the abusive structures and disclosure in these two contexts. The results point to the complexity of CSA by RAF, which is embedded in the survivors’ perceptions of themselves as emotionally and cognitively captured by the perpetrators who are a symbol of a parent or God and faith. The participants expressed great concern regarding disclosing the abuse against the backdrop of familial, cultural, and community inhibitors, such as fear of social stigmatization, inability to recognize the abuse, and the taboo of sexuality discourse. The survivors’ traumatic experiences were intensified in light of negative social responses to disclosure and encounters with insensitive officials. A comparison of the cultures revealed differences regarding the nature of community life and educational institutions, which may have shaped the disclosure and recognition of the abuse. The study highlights the importance of comparative follow-up studies related to this phenomenon in order to examine its universal and unique cultural contexts.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3_suppl3) ◽  
pp. 2325967117S0010
Author(s):  
Kotaro Shibata ◽  
Marc R. Safran

Objectives: 1) To compare ability to return to prior competitive sports activity after arthroscopic hip surgery by gender, with an emphasis on the rate of return to the same level of competition. 2) To compare gender differences in type of sports activities, diagnosis and treatment in athletes requiring hip arthroscopy. Methods: Prospectively obtained data on all high-level elite athletes (professional, NCAA collegiate and/or Olympic) treated between 2007 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical and surgical records of 547 hips in 484 consecutive patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy by the senior author for non-arthritic hip pain during the study period were included. Elite athletes who had a Hip Sports Activity Score (HSAS) of over 6 were identified. Patients completed a pre-operative questionnaire that included medical and sports activity history and level of competition, hip-specific outcome scores (Modified Harris Hip Score [MHHS] and International Hip Outcome Tool-33 [iHOT-33]) at baseline and most recent follow-up. Surgical findings and time to return to competitive sports activity were documented. Results: A total of 98 elite athletes with a mean follow up period of 18.8 months (±12.7) were identified. There were 49 females and 49 males. 27 athletes had bilateral hip arthroscopy, 5 of which had 1 operation elsewhere. All patients were available for follow up. Of the 80 patients desiring to return to their original competitive activity, 38 were female (42 hips) (Female Athlete group [FA]) and 42 were male (54 hips) (Male Athlete group [MA]) their mean ages were 21.5(±3.9) and 20.5(±1.9), duration of pain prior to surgery was 12.1 (±10.3) months and 15.1 (±1.9) months, respectively. 84.2% of FA and 83.3% of MA were able to return to the same level of competition at a mean of 8.3 (±3) and 8.8 (±2.9) months, respectively. Statistically significant improvements between pre- and post-operative mean MHHS and iHOT-33 scores were seen in both groups (p <.0001; p <.0001). FA had significantly higher proportions of hips that were diagnosed with Pincer type FAI (p =.0004), and Instability (p <.0001). Conversely, the MA had significantly higher proportions of hips that were diagnosed with Combined type FAI (p <.0001), had more extensive acetabular cartilage rim damage (p =.0002), and in particularly had more hips that required microfracture treatment (p =.001). When comparing cam lesions (includes Cam and Combined type FAI) the alpha angle was statistically greater in MA (mean 74°±6.7) compared to FA (mean 65.4°±6.8) (p <.0001). The category of sports the FA participated in were more flexibility (11%) and endurance (24%) type sports. MA participated more in cutting (33%), contact (14%) and asymmetric (31%) type sports. Patients who were able to return to same level of competitive activity had a significantly shorter duration of pre-operation symptoms compared to those who could not (p < 0.05). Microfracture treatment did not affect the ability to return to sports. Conclusion: A similar high percentage of both female and male elite athletes were able to return to competitive sports activity after arthroscopic treatment of FAI and/or hip instability. Distinct differences in diagnosis, treatment and participating type of sports activities were seen when comparing female and male athletes. Duration of symptoms negatively correlated with outcomes. Extensive cartilage damage and Microfracture did not affect outcome / return to sports.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 51-56
Author(s):  
E. I. Razumets

The article presents a study of traumatic experiences by high-class athletes (members of the Russian national teams). Data on the subjective sensations of athletes who have suffered from injury of the musculoskeletal system are obtained, patterns in the perception of the consequences of an injury event are revealed. Also we present data on the attitude of athletes to injury in the aspect of professional activity. The analyzed information is an important component in the development of personalized programs for the prevention of reinjury in elite sports.Objective: to assess the psychoemotional experiences of sports trauma by elite athletes in the process of rehabilitation treatment after the musculoskeletal system injury.Materials and methods: a specially developed medical and psychological interview was conducted with athletes-members of the sports national Russian Federation teams, who are inpatient treatment in the sports traumatology department, in order to obtain primary subjective information from the athlete about his presentation of his own experiences of a traumatic episode. Further, the information obtained from the interviews was analyzed and grouped for further evaluation.Results: we state the significant influence exerted by the previous traumatic experience on the future life and professional activity of an athlete. Moreover, the influence can be both negative (fear, anxiety, kinesiophobia, uncertainty in sports-specific movements) and positive (acquired skills of coping with traumatic experiences, gaining new knowledge about one’s physical and psychological capabilities).Conclusions: thus, despite the diversity of individual reactions of athletes to injury, different life situations, sports and traumatic events, it is possible to identify general patterns in the perception of elite athletes of the injury itself, as well as the entire process of recovery and return to sports. This information is very important both for minimizing the negative impact of a sports injury on the psychological recovery of an athlete by switching his attention to identifying the “positive” consequences of the injury, and for the prevention of repeated injuries in elite sports.


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