Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Performing Under Pressure: Exploring The Psychological State Underlying Clutch Performance In Sport, Christian F. Swann, Lee Crust, Patricia C. Jackman, Stewart A. Vella, Mark S. Allen, Richard J. Keegan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Clutch performance is improved performance under pressure. However little research has examined the psychological state experienced by athletes in these situations. Therefore, this study qualitatively examined the subjective experience underlying clutch performance across a range of sports (e.g., team, individual) and standards (Olympic to recreational athletes). Sixteen athletes (Mage = 27.08 years; SD = 6.48) took part in in-depth, semi-structured interviews primarily after an exceptional performance (M = 4.38 days later; SD = 3.14). Data were analysed inductively and thematically. Clutch states involved 12 characteristics, including heightened and deliberate concentration, intense effort, and heightened awareness, which distinguished the experience of …

Psychological States Underlying Excellent Performance In Professional Golfers: "Letting It Happen" Vs. "Making It Happen", Christian F. Swann, Richard J. Keegan, Lee Crust, David Piggott

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: In this study we aimed to better understand the occurrence and experience of flow in elite golf. As flow is more likely to occur during peak performances, and for elite athletes, our objectives were to: (i) identify golfers who achieved exceptional performances (e.g., winning a professional tournament), and (ii) explore if and how they experienced flow within that performance. Design: Mixed-method multiple case study. Method: Participants were 10 professional golfers (M age = 30; SD = 9.9). Performance data and participant observations informed semi-structured interviews which took place as soon as possible after an excellent performance (M = 4 …

Improving Physical Task Performance With Counterfactual And Prefactual Thinking, Cecilia Hammell, Amy Yc Chan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Counterfactual thinking (reflecting on ªwhat might have beenº) has been shown to enhance future performance by translating information about past mistakes into plans for future action. Prefactual thinking (imagining ªwhat might be if. . .º) may serve a greater preparative function than counterfactual thinking as it is future-orientated and focuses on more controllable features, thus providing a practical script to prime future behaviour. However, whether or not this difference in hypothetical thought content may translate into a difference in actual task performance has been largely unexamined. In Experiment 1 (n = 42), participants performed trials of a computer-simulated physical task, …

Cognitive And Oculomotor Performance In Subjects With Low And High Schizotypy: Implications For Translational Drug Development Studies, Ivan Koychev, D Joyce, Emma Barkus, Ulrich Ettinger, Anne Schmechtig, Colin Dourish, Gerard Dawson, Kevin Craig, John Francis Deakin

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The development of drugs to improve cognition in patients with schizophrenia is a major unmet clinical need. A number of promising compounds failed in recent clinical trials, a pattern linked to poor translation between preclinical and clinical stages of drug development. Seeking proof of efficacy in early Phase 1 studies in surrogate patient populations (for example, high schizotypy individuals where subtle cognitive impairment is present) has been suggested as a strategy to reduce attrition in the later stages of drug development. However, there is little agreement regarding the pattern of distribution of schizotypal features in the general population, creating uncertainty …

Slow Eyelid Closure As A Measure Of Driver Drowsiness And Its Relationship To Performance, Melinda L. Jackson, Susan Raj, Rodney J. Croft, Amie C. Hayley, Luke Downey, G Kennedy, Mark E. Howard

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Slow eyelid closure is recognized as an indicator of sleepiness in sleep-deprived individuals, although automated ocular devices are not well validated. This study aimed to determine whether changes in eyelid closure are evident following acute sleep deprivation as assessed by an automated device and how ocular parameters relate to performance after sleep deprivation. Methods: Twelve healthy professional drivers (45.58 ± 10.93 years) completed 2 randomized sessions: After a normal night of sleep and after 24 h of total sleep deprivation. Slow eye closure (PERCLOS) was measured while drivers performed a simulated driving task. Results: Following sleep deprivation, drivers displayed …

Pulse Modulated Radiofrequency Exposure Influences Cognitive Performance, Adam Verrender, Sarah P. Loughran, Anna Dalecki, Raymond J. Mckenzie, Rodney J. Croft

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Purpose: To investigate whether exposure to pulse modulated radiofrequency (PM RF) influences human cognitive performance, and whether it does so in a dose-dependent manner. Materials and methods: Thirty-six healthy adults participated in a randomized, double-blind, counterbalanced provocation study. Cognitive performance was assessed using a visual discrimination task and a modified Sternberg working memory task, which were calibrated to individual performance levels in a preliminary testing session. An sXh920 planar exposure system was used to generate a 920 MHz GSM-like signal, providing three conditions (peak-spatial SAR averaged over 10 g) of 0 W/kg (sham), 1 W/kg (low RF) and …

Defining Elite Athletes: Issues In The Study Of Expert Performance In Sport Psychology, Christian F. Swann, Aidan Moran, David Piggott

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: There has been considerable inconsistency and confusion in the definition of elite/expert athletes in sport psychology research, which has implications for studies conducted in this area and for the field as a whole. This study aimed to: (i) critically evaluate the ways in which recent research in sport psychology has defined elite/expert athletes; (ii) explore the rationale for using such athletes; and (iii) evaluate the conclusions that research in this field draws about the nature of expertise. Design: Conventional systematic review principles were employed to conduct a rigorous search and synthesise findings. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of SPORTDiscus, …

Performance And Erp Components In The Equiprobable Go/No-Go Task: Inhibition In Children, Robert J. Barry, Frances M. De Blasio

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The equiprobable go/no-go task lacks the dominant go imperative found in the usual go/no-go task, and hence we previously regarded it as involving little inhibition. However, children have relative difficulty with this task, and demonstrate large frontal no-go N2s. We investigated whether this child N2 plays an inhibitory role, using performance measures to illuminate the link between N2 and inhibition. Forty children aged 8 to 13 were presented with four stimulus blocks each containing 75 go and 75 no-go tone stimuli in random order. A temporal PCA with unrestricted varimax rotation quantified the mean go and no-go ERP component amplitudes. …

Learning To Teach Grammatics: A Multimodal Ensemble Performance, Pauline T. Jones

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The paper will briefly discuss the recent Australian curriculum reform with respect to the explicit teaching about language and some of the challenges inherent in the processes of implementing a grammatics. It then describes recent work with teachers as they engage with the functionally oriented English curriculum, in particular one teacher's work as she redesigns her pedagogy to accommodate the new curriculum in the early years of school. The paper argues the importance of teacher's pedagogic knowledge in the successful implementation of a grammatics curriculum but suggests that we do not fully understand the nature of such knowledge, how it …

Self-Determination Theory And Teacher Instruction: A Positive Partnership For Student Performance And Involvement, Dana Perlman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of distinct motivationally-based instructional approaches on student's game performance and involvement. 78 secondary physical education students were taught a unit of volleyball using one in either an autonomy-supportive, controlling or balanced instructional style. Using a pretest and posttest design, students were measured on their game performance and involvement during 20-minute game of volleyball. Data analysis indicated that students engaged in the autonomy-supportive context illustrated significantly higher levels of performance and involvement when compared with the other groups.

Steady State Visually Evoked Potential (Ssvep) Phase Change As An Index Of Spatial Working Memory Task Performance: The Influence Of Nootropic Supplementation, David A. Camfield, Andrew Scholey, Richard B. Silberstein, Andrew Pipingas, Con Stough

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 17th World Congress of Psychophysiology (IOP2014) of the International Organization of Psychophysiology (IOP) Hiroshima, Japan, September 23rd to 27th, 2014

Erp Components And Performance In The Equiprobable Go/Nogo Task: Inhibition In Children, Robert Barry, Frances M. De Blasio

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 17th World Congress of Psychophysiology (IOP2014) of the International Organization of Psychophysiology (IOP) Hiroshima, Japan, September 23rd to 27th, 2014

Help-Negation Among Telephone Crisis Support Workers: Impact On Personal Wellbeing And Worker Performance, Taneile Kitchingman, Coralie J. Wilson, Peter Caputi, Alan Woodward

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Paper presented at the National Suicide Prevention Conference, 24-26 July 2013, Melbourne, Australia.

Telephone counsellors (TCs) provide front line mental health support to callers in crisis. TCs often support callers with suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety, and the caller's experience of the call will influence whether they will seek help from a helpline in the future. Despite their important role, little information on TCs' mental health and help-seeking behaviours exists - a structured literature search returned 2 papers. This paper presents the results of a study that answered three research questions: 1. Do telephone counsellors experience symptoms of suicidal ideation, …

Acute Effects Of Different Multivitamin Mineral Preparations With And Without Guaraná On Mood, Cognitive Performance And Functional Brain Activation, Andrew Scholey, Isabelle Bauer, Chris Neale, Karen Savage, David Camfield, David White, Silvia Maggini, Andrew Pipingas, Con Stough, Matthew Hughes

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Previous work has identified the positive effects of the acute administration of a multivitamin-guaraná preparation during an effortful executive/working memory task. Here, we aimed to differentiate the effects of multivitamins with and without guaraná and to examine the neural substrates of such effects using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Following a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, balanced crossover design, 20 participants (mean age 29 ± 5.54 years) consumed multivitamin preparations with or without guaraná (Berocca® Performance and Boost, respectively) and a placebo. Thirty minutes post-treatment, they underwent neurocognitive assessment, consisting of a 10 min Cognitive Demand Battery, with mood ratings taken immediately …

Estimation Of Dietary Flavonoid Intake And Cognitive Performance In Older Adults With Alzheimer's Type Dementia, Katherine Caldwell, Karen E. Charlton, Steven J. Roodenrys

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at The Nutrition Society of Australia and Nutrition Society of New Zealand 2013 Joint Annual Scientific Meeting, 4-6 December 2013, Brisbane, Australia

Comparison Between Traditional And Reverse Periodization: Swimming Performance And Specific Strength Values, J J. Arroyo-Toledo, Vicente J. Clemente, Jose M. Gonzalez-Rave, Domingo J. Ramos Campo, Andrew Sortwell

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

International Journal of Swimming Kinetics 2(1): 87-96, 2013. Periodization of athletic training is conceptualized as a pedagogical process, which involves varying volume, intensity and frequency of training in attempt to optimize sporting performance. The primary purpose of this research was to compare changes in 100m swim performance (t100c), specific swim power output (SSP) and maximum drag charge (MDC), after 14 weeks of training traditional periodization (control) and reverse periodization (treatment). There were 26 volunteer swimmers (16.02±0.6 yrs. 1.72±9.3 cm 64.1±9.3 kg) divided in two groups traditional periodization (TP) and reverse periodization (RP). Results at the 14th week showed significant improvements …

Teaching About Diverse Families Through Case Studies And Authentic Performance Assessment, Amy Conley Wright

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Authentic performance assessment connects active learning pedagogy with assessment of student learning. For family sciences, authentic performance assessment presents an opportunity to evaluate knowledge and skills related to working with families within the classroom context. This form of assessment can be combined with popular teaching strategies, like using family case studies, to provide application and context for course content. This article reviews the literature on authentic performance assessment and its application in the family science literature, and provides an example of an authentic performance assessment in a course on understanding and working with diverse families. The discussion provides suggestions for …

Event-Rate Effects In The Flanker Task: Erps And Task Performance In Children With And Without Ad/Hd, Stuart J. Johnstone, Daniel Galletta

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Demanding tasks require a greater amount of effort, in which case individuals are required to alter their energetic-state to a level appropriate to perform the task. According to the Cognitive-Energetic Model (CEM), children with AD/HD are unable to effectively modulate their energetic state, leading to task underperformance. Using an Eriksen flanker task with varying event-rates, the current study compared the ability of typically-developing children and children with AD/HD to modulate their energetic state. In line with the CEM, it was predicted that children with AD/HD would underperform in the fast and slow event-rates. Results indicated that the groups did not …

Measurement Of Mental Attention: Assessing A Cognitive Component Underlying Performance On Standardized Intelligence Tests, Steven J. Howard, Janice Johnson, Juan Pascual-Leone

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Despite the widespread use of standardized IQ tests to measure human intelligence, problems with such measures have led some to suggest that better indices may derive from measurement of cognitive processes underlying performance on IQ tests (e.g., working memory capacity). However, measures from both approaches may exhibit performance biases in favour of majority groups, due to the influence of prior learning and experience. Mental attentional (M-) capacity is proposed to be a causal factor underlying developmental growth in working memory. Measures of M-capacity index important cognitive variance underlying performance on standardized intelligence tests. These measures appear to be reasonably culture-fair …

Counterfactual Thinking And Anticipated Emotions Enhance Performance In Computer Skills Training, Amy Y.C Chan, Peter Caputi, Rohan Jayasuriya, J L. Browne

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The present study examined the relationship between novice learners' counterfactual thinking (i.e. generating what if and if only thoughts) about their initial training experience with a computer application and subsequent improvement in task performance. The role of anticipated emotions towards goal attainment in task performance was also assessed. Undergraduate students (N = 42) with minimal experience in using computer spreadsheets underwent basic training in using Microsoft Excel. All participants were assessed on their anticipated positive and negative emotions regarding goal attainment at the outset. After completing their first task, participants allocated to a counterfactual condition received instructions to generate counterfactual …

Evaluating Mediated Perception Of Narrative Health Messages: The Perception Of Narrative Performance Scale, Jeong Kyu Lee, Michael L. Hecht, Michelle Miller-Day, Elvira Elek

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Narrative media health messages have proven effective in preventing adolescents' substance use but as yet few measures exist to assess perceptions of them. Without such a measure it is difficult to evaluate the role these messages play in health promotion or to differentiate them from other message forms. In response to this need, a study was conducted to evaluate the Perception of Narrative Performance Scale that assesses perceptions of narrative health messages. A sample of 1185 fifth graders in public schools at Phoenix, Arizona completed a questionnaire rating of two videos presenting narrative substance use prevention messages. Confirmatory factor analyses …

Influence Of Muscle Fitness Test Performance On Metabolic Risk Factors Among Adolescent Girls, Jorge Mota, Susana Vale, Clarice Martins, Anelise Gaya, Carla Moreira, Rute Santos, Jose Ribeiro

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the association between muscular fitness (MF), assessed by 2 components of Fitnessgram test battery, the Curl-Up and Push-Ups tests and the metabolic risk score among adolescent girls. Methods A total of 229 girls (aged 12-15 years old) comprised the sample of this study. Anthropometric data (height, body mass, waist circumference) were collected. Body mass index (BMI) was also calculated. Muscular strength was assessed taking into account the tests that comprised the FITNESSGRAM test battery, i.e. the curl-up and the push-up. Participants were then categorized in one of 3 categories according the …

Pre-School Experience And Key Stage 2 Performance In English And Mathematics, Edward Melhuish, Louise Quinn, Kathy Sylva, Pam Sammons, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This report considers children's educational attainment in English and mathematics at the end of primary school (age 11). Children's educational attainment in English and mathematics was derived from their national Key Stage 2 assessments. The analyses have considered the child's level of Key Stage 2 attainment in terms of the effects of child, family, home environment and preschool experience variables as well as the child's ability at the start of primary school.

Performance, Anxiety: The Video Games Arcade And Urban Space, Jason Wilson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In a recent gaming anthology, Henry Jenkins cannot help contrasting his son's cramped, urban, media-saturated existence with his own idyllic, semi-rural childhood. After describing his own Huck Finn meanderings over "the spaces of my boyhood" including the imaginary kingdoms of Jungleoca and Freedonia, Jenkins relates his version of his son's experiences:

My son, Henry, now 16 has never had a backyard He has grown up in various apartment complexes, surrounded by asphalt parking lots with, perhaps, a small grass buffer from the street… Once or twice, when I became exasperated by my son's constant presence around the house I would …

Performance Indicators: Just How Do You Weight Them?, John Hattie, Jim S. Tognolini

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The development and use of performance indicators in higher education has become a major topic for research and discussion throughout the world. Research efforts and resources are being channeled into improving their use. These efforts include extending the range (including developing indicators of quality) and objectivity of indicators; improving the procedures for measuring weighting and combining performance indicators; and refining procedures for linking funding and resource allocation to performance indicators. This paper uses a questionnaire and a sample of responses to demonstrate a methodology for making explicit the weightings experts ascribe to individual performance indicators used in the process of …