Low, moderate, and high handicap golfers, while wearing glasses with a blinder on the side, attempted 9 putts differing in length from 5 to 21 ft under timed (less than 3.5s from grounding of club to initiation of back swing) and untimed conditions in a counterbalanced design. Confidence ratings were taken prior to and following each putt. The results revealed a significant condition by handicap group interaction (p=.021). The lower handicap group had a more consistent and lower initiation interval duration than did the moderate and high handicap players. Post interviews determined that 33 of the 35 golfers felt more comfortable in the untimed condition. However, golfers' confidence levels were not significantly different in the untimed condition as compared to the timed condition.

The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) To analyze the similarities and differences between parent responses to the birth and rearing of a child with Down syndrome and; 2) To document the characteristics of grieving described in Engel's 3-stage model of grieving. A questionnaire was used to assess responses from randomly chosen parent members of the Dallas Down Syndrome Guild. Qualitative data analysis was conducted, using the methodology of triangulation.

The purpose of this study was to compare the torque generating capabilities and fatigue responses of female power athletes, female endurance athletes, and age-matched female non-athletic controls.

The relationships between gender, gender role attitudes, and participants' anticipation of future life roles (career, marriage, family, and homecare) were examined. Participants consisted of 297 single college students between the ages of 17-29 years (M = 20). Females reported significantly (p< .01) more egalitarian gender role attitudes than males. Significant results were found for the relationship between gender and anticipated life roles (p< .01) as well as between gender role attitudes and anticipated life roles (career role value, r = .14 and marital role value, r = - .18). The study findings suggest a possible gender conflict for females with more egalitarian gender role attitudes and behavior intentions and their male counterparts.

The purposes of this study were to examine the associations between (a) self-objectification, (b) body shame, (c) appearance anxiety, and (d) exercise dependence. Participants (N = 155) completed a demographic questionnaire and a survey packet including the Body Surveillance subscale and Body Shame subscale of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, Appearance Anxiety Scale, Eating Attitudes Test 26, and the Exercise Dependence Scale. Correlations were conducted revealing associations between self-objectification, body shame, appearance anxiety, and eating attitudes. Associations were also found between body shame and exercise dependence. Partial correlations were conducting revealing body shame and appearance anxiety mediated the relationship between self-objectification and eating attitudes. Body shame also mediated the relationship between self-objectification and exercise dependence.

This study examined factors that motivate parents to involve their children in organized gymnastics programs. A questionnaire based on McCullagh et al.'s (1993) study of recreational soccer players was used along with open-ended questions. The questionnaire was administered to parents of children who were involved in a private gymnastics club. Descriptive statistics of 156 surveys showed that fitness, skill development, and fun were most frequently cited reasons for parents in their decision to enroll and keep their child in gymnastics programs. Competition was the least important factor. ANOVA showed that competition and team membership factors were more important to the parents of competitive gymnasts than parents of recreational gymnasts. Coaches and youth sport program organizers could use these findings to develop and market youth activity programs.

This study examined relationships among ethnic identity, gay identity, sexual sensation seeking, and HIV risk-taking behaviors among 302 men of color recruited from gay bars, bathhouses, community agencies, and the 1998 United States Conference on AIDS. The sample included 24% African American, 28% Latino, 25% Asian/ Pacific Islander, 19% Caucasian, 1% American Indian, and 3% other ethnicity. Logistic regression analysis identified sexual sensation seeking, having an undefined gay identity, being in a sexually exclusive relationship, not being HIV seronegative, and length of stay in the country (for those born overseas) as significant predictors of unprotected anal intercourse (insertive and penetrative) among men of color who have sex with men.

This study evaluated the relationship of varying body mass index and average annual health care costs and absenteeism in a group of 524 municipal employees. The 269 employees with health care claims and the 487 employees with attendance records were categorized into five different BMI categories based on self-reported weight and height. Findings from the study suggest that as BMI increases, average annual health care costs and average annual absenteeism increase. However, BMI was only significantly related to absenteeism. The study also found significant relationships between education and health care costs and absenteeism. No significant differences for health care costs or absenteeism were found based on race, age, gender, wellness center membership, or smoking status.

This thesis focused on the development of a curriculum guide for a cancer awareness program for older men. The background of the problem -- a lack of programs for older men -- and the methods used in developing the guide are detailed in Chapter One. The second chapter consists of current information on disease prevention, aging and cancer with the emphasis on age-related changes and learning needs of older adult men. Chapter Three is the completed instructor's curriculum guide, and the final chapter includes recommendations on implementing the program as part of a community wellness program. The guide could also be used in senior centers, hospital educational programs, or adapted for use in staff inservices.

The study examined the effects of positive verbal reinforcement on intrinsic motivation by determining differential effects over four multidimensions of Ryan's Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI). Subjects (N=60) were 30 male and 30 female college students. The subjects were blocked by gender and randomly assigned to a positive verbal reinforcement group or a control group. The subjects received 10 trials on the stabilometer. The results of the study indicated that there were significant group differences for composite intrinsic motivation and for perceived competence; however, there were no significant gender differences found. Furthermore, no group differences were reported for the underlying factors of interest/enjoyment, effort, or pressure/tension.

The purpose of this study was to compare muscle strength and psychomotor performance measures in healthy (n = 18) and frail (n = 21) groups of elderly women utilizing movements requiring various amounts of strength and ballistic action. Subjects were community-dwelling females ranging in age from 66-92 years. Evaluations of functional assessment of motor skills and grip strength occurred. Psychomotor performance was measured through production of aiming movements on a Digitizing Tablet. RT, MT, and movement kinematics (e.g., peak velocity, deceleration, movement adjustments) were evaluated. Differences between groups were apparent in quantity and quality of movement. Healthy subjects were stronger and faster than frail subjects, producing smoother movements with fewer adjustments. Strength appears to differentially affect healthy and frail samples and merits further exploration.

This study analyzed the effects of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), ethnicity, marital status, education level, maternal status and financial security on the perceived life satisfaction of women over fifty. Information was collected from 125 subjects at an independent school district. The instrument was adapted from a life satisfaction scale originally developed by B. Neugarten. Eight demographic items included ERT use, age, menopause status, marital status, educational level, ethnicity and perception of financial security. Statistical analysis consisting of one way analysis of variance, Student Newman-Keuls ad hoc procedure and multiple regression indicated an independent correlation between financial security and education level to life satisfaction scores. Neither ERT nor menopause status was correlated with perceived life satisfaction score of respondents.

A random sample of 365 students attending a university in northern Texas returned a mailed questionnaire measuring the students' knowledge of Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), their perceived susceptibility to AIDS, and their sexual practices during the last year. The students had high knowledge levels about AIDS in general. However, 70% did not worry about getting AIDS. Collectively, there was a display of concern until it became a personal issue. The students (59%) saw themselves as less likely than most people to get AIDS. Although 70% of this sexually active group did not use condoms, they still did not perceive themselves as susceptible to AIDS.

Although the “self” has generally been conceptualized as relatively stable in sport-specific research, events such as deselection, injury, and career termination have been found to negatively affect athletes’ levels of identification with the athlete role. Additionally, there has been limited research regarding competitive failure and its ability to negatively affect athletes’ levels of identification with the athlete role. The purpose of the present investigation was to provide additional evidence regarding the influence poor competitive seasons have on the malleability of athletes’ self-identity. Athletes were followed throughout the course of their season to determine whether athletes who encountered a poor competitive season reported lowered levels of athletic identity. Specifically, male and female NCAA Division I track and field athletes completed pre-indoor, post-indoor, and post-outdoor assessments of athletic identity. Contrary to previous research, the current study’s results indicated no identifiable relationship between male and female athletes’ season performance satisfaction and their level of post-indoor and post-outdoor athletic identity. Thus, the greatest predictor of athletes’ post-season level of athletic identity was their pre-season level of athletic identity, regardless of season performance. Given these results, future research should assess self-esteem as well as other potential coping strategies athletes might use in order to gain …

Introduction/purpose: Recovery from muscle damage involves a type of programmed cell death known as apoptosis. Damage Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) are released after muscle damage and may cause premature apoptosis in monocytes infiltrating the damaged site. This may alter the time course of events towards recovery. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate if downhill running causes a change in the susceptibility of monocytes to apoptosis. Methods: Participants (5 male, 6 female) completed a downhill running protocol consisting of 6-5 minute bouts at a speed of 6-9mph on a -15% grade treadmill. Venous blood samples were collected immediately pre-exercise (PRE), in addition to 4 -h, 24 -h and 48 -h post-exercise. Creatine kinase (CK) was measured to give an indication of muscle damage. Monocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry for expression of multicaspase and annexin v reagent was used to detect changes in the plasma membrane. A MILLIPLEX MAP human early apoptosis magnetic bead 7-plex kit (EMD Millipore, Billerica, MA) was used to assess the relative concentration of phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt), Bcl-2 associated death promoter (BAD), B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), active caspase-8, active caspase-9, c jun N terminal kinase (JNK) and tumor protein p53 by Luminex …

This study investigated the relationship between belief in coaching abilities (coaching efficacy beliefs, CEB), transformational leadership behaviors (TLB), and motivational climate development of current strength and conditioning coaches working with high school level athletes. The measures used were the coaching efficacy scale for high school teams (CES II-HST, Myers et al.,2000), the differentiated transformational leadership inventory (DTLI, Callow et al., 2009), and the patterns of adaptive learning scales (PALS, Midgley et al., 2000). It was hypothesized that CEB and TLB would influence motivational climate development, while coaches' background characteristics would correlate with CEB, TLB, and motivational climate development. The 60 coaches who participated reported an average of thirteen (SD=8) years of experience and 51 were Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists. Coaches reported high efficacy, frequent use of TLB, and development of a moderately high task- and somewhat ego-involving motivational climate. Correlations between demographic variables and CEB, TLB, and motivational climate development revealed three significant relationships: years of experience with CEB, and professional development activities and athlete to coach ratio with ego-involving climate development. CEB and TLB had a strong positive correlation. Two regression analyses were conducted to determine if the outcomes of the CEB and TLB measures predicted motivational climate …

Music is used to distract, energize, and entertain during exercise by producing positive psychological and physiological responses. Specifically, listening to music during exercise enhances performance, increases motivation, improves affect, and optimizes arousal. Researchers have identified several elements of music that may moderate this relationship, including lyrics. However, few studies to date have examined the influence of motivational lyrics on psychological and physiological states during exercise. Thus, the primary purpose was to investigate the effects of lyrics in music on motivation, affect, arousal, and perceived exertion during moderate intensity cycling. Thirty (Mage = 21.0 ± 2.9 years old) college-aged individuals performed three, 8-min acute bouts of moderate-intensity exercise on a cycle ergometer during music with lyrics (ML), music without lyrics (MNL), and no music control (MC) conditions. Measures of motivation, affect, arousal, and perceived exertion were taken before and after a 6-min warm-up, every 2-min during the exercise bout, and following a 2-min cool-down. For ML and MNL conditions, participants reported higher motivation, affect, and arousal during exercise relative to the MC condition. As expected, RPE increased throughout the exercise period, with no condition differences observed. Additionally, there were no differences in responses between the ML and MNL conditions. Collectively, these …

This study examines the relationship between exercise adherence and several factors: self-motivation; attitudinal commitment; predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing (PER) factors; and barriers related to exercise. The sample (N=431) consists of employees at Texas Instruments, Incorporated in Dallas, Texas. The sample was placed into six comparison groups: high adherers, low adherers, nonparticipants who exercise, nonparticipants who do not exercise, dropouts who exercise and dropouts who do not exercise. Using a one-way ANOVA, the results show significance (p<.01) among the groups for: self-motivation and barriers. Attitudinal commitment and PER factors did not show significance. The results can be applied to worksite health programs to increase exercise adherence among employee populations.

Purposes for engaging in physical activities were examined from the perspective of university students enrolled in physical activity classes and kinesiology faculty. Data was collected from 473 students and 20 faculty members. Both groups completed the Personal Purposes and Meanings in Movement Inventory (PPMMI). Independent t-tests were conducted for each of the twenty-two purpose statements to determine differences between faculty and students in the rating of purposes. Students attending individual sport activity classes rated self-knowledge, transcendence, object projection/reception, awareness, competition, neuromuscular efficiency, movement appreciation, and muscular strength significantly lower (p<.01) than the faculty. Students attending team sport activities rated self-knowledge, transcendence, participation, object projection/reception, teamwork, awareness, competition, leadership, and expression significantly (pc.01) lower than the faculty. Students attending fitness activity classes rated self-knowledge, competition, leadership, transcendence, participation, teamwork, circulo-respiratory efficiency, and personal integration significantly (p<.01) lower than faculty.

This study evaluated the effects of participation in aerobic exercise on pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancy outcomes included type of delivery, length of labor, gestational age, neonatal birth weight, and maternal weight gain. The 137 nulliparas were categorized as active (N=44) or sedentary (N=93) based on self-reported aerobic exercise. Findings from this study suggest that pregnant women who were active during pregnancy were more likely to have vaginal deliveries than sedentary women. No significant differences between active and sedentary women were found in neonatal birth weight, maternal weight gain, length of labor, or gestational age.

Six male long-distance runners participated in this study to evaluate the responses to exercise at 90% and 100% vV02max. Subjects participated in five maximal exercise tests: one incremental, three tests at 90% vV02max, and one test at 100% vV02max. The results of this study demonstrate that V02max can be elicited in a constant-velocity test at 90% vV02max.

The purpose was to examine the effect of chronic alcohol abuse on the androgen receptor content (AR) in skeletal muscle, and to determine if this effect was influenced by resistance training. Thirty-four male rats (456 ± 1 g; mean ± SE) were divided into 4 groups: Sham exercise-Ethanol, Sham exercise-Normal diet, Exercise-Ethanol, and Exercise-Normal diet. Both Exercise groups underwent a 6-week "squat" resistance training protocol and both Ethanol groups received an alcohol-rich diet throughout the 6-week period. Western blot analysis showed no effect of alcohol or resistance training on the AR of the extensor digitorum longus. For the rectus femoris, alcohol caused a decline in the AR (p=0.01). This reduction was not attenuated by resistance training. The AR of the soleus was not affected by chronic alcohol abuse alone; however, the resistance training induced increase in the AR was prevented by chronic alcohol abuse (p=0.03).

The purpose was to examine actual force (AF) productions of males for accuracy during leg extensions when given a random desired force (DF) ranging from 10-90% of maximal force (MF). Thirty males ranging from 18 to 30 years of age (M = 21.99 + 3.04), who had no previous experience with the test equipment, went through 9 randomly ordered submaximal efforts followed by a maximal effort. Correlations between AF and DF were high (r > .79) and test-retest was consistent between AF (r = .87) and MF (r = .90). Participants consistently undershot DF on both test and retest from 20-90% and overshot DF only at 10%. Power functions revealed exponents of less than 1, indicating that AF grows slower then DF for both test .70 (.95 CI = .63 - .77) and retest .66 (.95 CI = .60 - .73). The results replicate a prior study by Jackson, Martin, Koziris, Ludtke, and Dishman (2001) that used incremental rather than random increases in DF.

The purpose of this study was to investigate two different plyometric training techniques for increasing vertical jumping ability. Twenty-four female high school volleyball players were matched for height and weight and distributed equally among three groups. Each subject performed a vertical jump test, Margaria power test, Wingate bicycle test, and an isokinetic leg strength test prior to and following six weeks of training. Plyometric training significantly (p<.05) improved vertical jumping ability and some indices of leg strength and power. Weighted plyometrics did not enhance performance more than plyometrics alone. These data support the view that plyometric training with or without added weights enhances vertical jumping and leg power.