Defending the Self: Martial Arts and Women’s Self-Esteem

1997 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon R. Guthrie
Keyword(s):  
Martial Arts ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Self ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Dysfunctional Families ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Valuable Adjunct ◽  
Martial Arts Training

Self-esteem changes among adult women who had been practicing seido karate for at least six months and had acquired the perceived ability to physically self-defend were examined in this study. The research site was a feminist martial arts dojo for women in a midwestern state. Thirty women, aged 26-62, participated in strucured interviews. All of the women perceived improvements in self-esteem after participating in martial arts training for at least six months. These self-esteem changes were perceived to be related to improvement in physical self-perception. Recovery from psychosexual abuse, eating disorders, substance abuse, and growing up in dysfunctional families was another commonly perceived consequence of martial arts training, and most of the participants who had experienced such problems believed their martial arts practice was a valuable adjunct to traditional therapeutic approaches. Significantly, however, they viewed certain aspects of the feminist environment, particularly its gynocentricity, as essential to the self change process. A relationship between the martial arts experience, particularly gaining the ability to defend oneself physically, and other attitudes and behaviors related to self-perception is suggested.

scholarly journals Characteristics of self-perception and meaningfulness of life of professionally determined students

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 08034
Author(s):  
Liubov Ryumshina
Keyword(s):  
Professional Identity ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Self ◽  
Positive Perception ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Self Actualization ◽  
Self Acceptance ◽  
The Individual

Professional identity is the embodiment of life’s meanings and values of the individual. Its fulfillment rests in its basis on the person’s perception of oneself and attitude toward oneself. Even choosing a certain profession and studying it, the students still have a choice of further professional identity. In consideration of the foregoing,the purpose of the work is to study the characteristics of self-perception and meaningful orientations of professionally determined students. Methodological tools of the study were Maslow’s self-actualization scales, a test of meaningful orientations, a questionnaire aimed at identifying professionally determined and not determined students. 96 students took part in the study. The results showed that professionally determined students have a tendency to a fairly high general meaningfulness of life. They feel that they can manage their own lives and have a sufficient level of responsibility. The self-esteem of the professionally determined students is related to the positive perception of their life in each of its periods. In general, professionally determined students have many characteristics similar to professionally not determined students, but they also have specific features. They are manifested in the interconnection between meaningful orientations, self-esteem and self-acceptance of professionally determined and not determined students.

An Adult Version of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory: Test-Retest Reliability and Social Desirability

1978 ◽  
Vol 43 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1189-1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muriel B. Ryden
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Social Desirability ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Self ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Social Desirability Scale ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

A version of the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory, modified for use with adults, was found to have a test-retest reliability of about .80 for 32 adult women over periods of 6 to 58 wk. Correlation of the scores with the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale for a group of 51 college students was .47. Use of the lie scale on the self-esteem scale to identify subjects whose self-reports are markedly influenced by a social desirability factor can reduce this correlation to .32.

scholarly journals Attitude to Coming-of-Age in Adolescents of Saint-Petersburg and Smolensk in Context of their Resiliency

2018 ◽  
pp. 77-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Bezgodova ◽  
A. V. Miklyaeva ◽  
V. V. Tereshchenko
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Coming Of Age ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
The Self ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Ideal Self ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Saint Petersburg ◽  
And Control

The article features an empirical study of the attitude of adolescents to coming-of-age with various resiliency in St. Petersburgand Smolensk. The research employed a modified version of the Dembo-Rubinshtein selfevaluation methodology. The actual and ideal self-esteem of the teenagers was measured in terms of «adulthood», «willingness to be an adult» and «desire to grow up»; their resilience was assessed with the help of a screening version of the Resiliency. The characteristics of the regulatory, moral and reflexive spheres were assessed according to the Self-Assessment Scale of Personal Maturity. The research demonstrated that adolescents from Smolenskassessed their desire to grow up significantly higher than those from St. Petersburg, while their level of actual and ideal self esteem of adulthood remained the same. The adolescents from St. Petersburgshowed lower rates of conative, reflexive and moral maturity, as well as resiliency, primarily in terms of involvement and control. Depending on the strategy of growing up, resiliency is a resource (for an internally coordinated strategy of coming-of-age) or a personal condition for exercising control over one's own life (for an internally conflicting strategy of coming-of-age). The data obtained are used in the psychological and pedagogical accompaniment of adolescents growing up in different sociocultural conditions. There is a tendency to further research on the influence of socio-cultural factors on the implementation of a particular coming-of age strategy and teenagers’ attitude.

scholarly journals Efecto de la danza en la mejora de la autoestima y el autoconcepto en niños, niñas y adolescentes: Una revisión (Effect of dance on improving self-esteem and self-concept in children and adolescents: A review)

Retos ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 385-392
Author(s):  
Norma Vergara Vilchez ◽  
Alba Fuentes Sandoval ◽  
Hector Gonzales Chacana ◽  
Cynthia Cadagan Fuentes ◽  
Solange Morales Yañez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transition Period ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Self ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
School Life ◽  
Multifactor Analysis

  La adolescencia es un período de transición, comprendido entre la niñez y la etapa adulta, en la cual se presentan cambios físicos, emocionales y biopsicosociales que generan inestabilidad e incertidumbre. En ocasiones esto puede desembocar en el desarrollo de una baja autoestima producto de un autoconcepto o autopercepción sesgada por los contextos de vida. Esto puede traer consecuencias negativas para la vida escolar ya sea por una mala convivencia con sus pares, desarrollar poca confianza para exponer ideas o sentimientos negativos hacia su propia persona, entre otros. La danza y sus efectos en la autopercepción de adolescentes será abordada en este artículo sobre la base de una investigación de revisión bibliográfica realizada en diversas bases de datos que tuvo por objetivo identificar aquellos artículos que pudiesen ayudarnos a determinar en particular el efecto de la danza en la autopercepción y la autoestima en programas de intervención, es decir, sobre la base de las experiencias, más allá de la teoría. Posterior a la búsqueda bibliográfica, sólo 5 artículos se refieren en específico al objetivo planteado, lo que refuerza la idea del rol de este tipo de prácticas en la etapa escolar y una serie de consideraciones a mencionar en este artículo. También surgen cuestionamientos acerca de las escasas investigaciones de este tipo en esta área y de la importancia de incluir multifactores de análisis en el desarrollo de la autoestima y autoconcepto. Abstract. Adolescence is a transition period, between childhood and adulthood, in which physical, emotional, and biopsychosocial changes occur that generate instability and uncertainty. Sometimes this can lead to the development of low self-esteem as a result of a self-concept or self-perception biased by life contexts. This can have negative consequences for school life, either due to poor coexistence with peers, developing little confidence to expose negative ideas or feelings towards their own person among others. Dance and its effects on the self-perception of adolescents will be addressed in this article based on a bibliographic review investigation carried out in various databases that aimed to identify those articles that could help us determine in particular the effect of dance on Self-perception and self-esteem in intervention programs, that is, on the basis of experiences beyond theory. Of the result, 5 articles refer specifically to the proposed objective, which reinforces the idea of ​​the role of this type of practice in the school stage and a series of considerations to be mentioned in this article. Questions also arise about the scarcity of research of this type in this area and the importance of including multifactor analysis in the development of self-esteem and self-concept.

Self-Esteem and Locus of Control of Women Who Report Sexual Abuse during Childhood

1993 ◽  
Vol 72 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1294-1294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary E. Silliman
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Childhood Sexual Abuse ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
External Locus ◽  
Control Scale

To study the self-esteem and locus of control of adult women who reported childhood sexual abuse experiences, 66 undergraduate students in psychology completed the Tennessee Self-concept Scale, Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, and a research questionnaire. Contrary to expectation, mean scores of 33 women who reported abuse were not significantly different from those of 33 control women who reported no such experience.

scholarly journals The Effect of Martial Arts Training on Cognitive and Psychological Functions in At-Risk Youths

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Harwood-Gross ◽  
Bar Lambez ◽  
Ruth Feldman ◽  
Orna Zagoory-Sharon ◽  
Yuri Rassovsky
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Martial Arts ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Group Intervention ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Psychological Aggression ◽  
Speed Of Processing ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Psychological Functions ◽  
Martial Arts Training

The current study assessed whether an extended program of martial arts training was a viable intervention for at-risk youths in improving cognitive and psychological functions. Adolescent boys attending specialized education facilities for at-risk youths took part in regular sport lessons or martial arts practice twice a week for 6 months. Hormonal reactivity was assessed during initial training, and measures of psychological (aggression, self-esteem) and cognitive (inhibition, flexibility, speed of processing, and attention) functions were assessed before and immediately following the intervention. Participants in the martial arts training demonstrated significant improvement in the domains of inhibition and shifting and speed of processing. Additionally, initial hormonal reactivity (oxytocin and cortisol) to the intervention predicted significant post-intervention change on several measures of cognitive and psychological functioning. Specifically, oxytocin reactivity predicted improvement in processing speed, as well as reduction of aggression, whereas cortisol reactivity predicted increases in self-esteem. This pioneering, ecologically valid study demonstrates the initial efficacy of this enjoyable, readily available, group intervention for at-risk boys and suggests potential mechanisms that may mediate the process of change.

scholarly journals Questionnaires Assessing Adolescents’ Self-Concept, Self-Perception, Physical Activity and Lifestyle: A Systematic Review

Children ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Natacha Palenzuela-Luis ◽  
Gonzalo Duarte-Clíments ◽  
Juan Gómez-Salgado ◽  
José Ángel Rodríguez-Gómez ◽  
María Begoña Sánchez-Gómez
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Exercise ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Activity Questionnaire

Introduction: Adolescence is considered a fundamental time to promote change. During this time, young people consolidate their social and individual identity. By influencing positive changes, chronic diseases can be avoided, delayed or modified in the future. The use of valid and reliable questionnaires is an optimal resource for gathering information and thus useful for this study. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to: (1). identify the questionnaires that assess self-esteem/self-concept, self-perception, physical exercise and lifestyle of adolescents; (2). analyse the psychometric measures of the questionnaires used to assess the self-esteem/self-concept, self-perception, physical exercise and lifestyle of adolescents; and (3). determine which questionnaires are the most reliable and valid for assessing the self-esteem/self-concept, self-perception, physical exercise and lifestyle of adolescents. Method: A bibliographic search was carried out in the following databases: Virtual Health Library, Cochrane, Medline, Cuiden, Scielo, Dialnet, PubMed and Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare following the PICO method. The recommendations of the PRISMA statement were followed. Results: A total of 71 scientific articles were collected. Within the self-perception/self-concept questionnaires, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale stands out for being an optimal and widely used resource in adolescents. Regarding the questionnaires that evaluate self-perception, the General Health Questionnaire is the most used; it is used in numerous national health surveys in different countries. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents ranks first with respect to the rest of the tools. It is a widely used resource internationally and provides enough information on the physical activity carried out by the subject in a given week. Although there are several questionnaires that measure lifestyle, the Health Behavior in School-aged Children instrument was selected. This instrument is at the European level and involves the collaboration of 48 countries and allows us to compare the lifestyle habits of adolescents from different countries. Discussion: The questionnaire that stands out in the assessment of self-esteem/self-concept is the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The General Health Questionnaire has been selected as the best tool for assessing self-perception. To measure physical exercise, the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents is identified as the ideal instrument because it is widely used and can be completed quickly. Regarding lifestyle, the Health Behavior in School aged Children is shown to be an effective instrument in assessing lifestyle.

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