Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Motivation, Social Support, Stress And Resilience On The Development Of Burnout Symptoms In Elite Athletes, Blythe Gooden

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this review was to provide an overall view of some of the identified determinants of burnout when it occurs in elite athletes. A total of 66 published articles were used to develop an understanding of burnout, its contributors and the combined effects of the contributors. An explanation of the psychological concept of burnout is discussed, followed by a discussion of the implications of burnout in athletes. Current literature in the area is reviewed followed by an overview of three of the identified determinants of athletic burnout: 1. Stress based on theoretic concepts developed by Lazarus and Folkman …

From Junior To Senior Sport: Do Athletes Differ In Their Transitional Experiences?, Glen Ewen

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this research was to investigate whether athletes at the beginning (BTG) of their transition from junior to senior sport, had different transitional experiences to those in the middle (MTG). One hundred and forty eight male and female elite athletes aged between 14 and 18 years, from a variety of sports in both city and country locations of Western Australia, were surveyed. Two test instruments were used; the newly developed Swedish, Transitional Monitoring Survey (TMS), and the Athletic Identity Measurement Scales (AIMS). Univariate descriptive statistics, One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and reliability measures were used to analyse …

The Importance Of Gross Motor Coordination In Adolescent Boys Self-Perceptions And Level Of Physical Activity, Nick Sloan

Theses : Honours

To date there has been limited research addressing the psychosocial consequences of poor coordination in Australian adolescent boys. The implications of failing to meet the expected physical standards of their peers, teachers and parents, can result in low self-esteem and subsequent withdrawal from participation (Lintunen, 1995). According to Harter's (1981) Theory of Competence Motivation, low motor competence is likely to lead to low self-perceptions in the athletic domain. Research with children (Rose, Larkin & Berger, 1997) has demonstrated that poor coordination is more pervasive, influencing many aspects of children's self-esteem. However limited research has addressed the pervasiveness of poor motor …

'Reading The Play' Situational Awareness And Performance Of Australian Football League Players, Craig Harms

Theses : Honours

Many high-performing Australian Football (AF) players appear to be better at 'reading the play' than other AF players. One cognitive capacity that appears to be similar in nature to 'reading the play', and that has been associated with the performance of elite pilots, is Situational Awareness (SA). The principal focus of this study was to examine the extent to which individual differences in an AF -specific measure of SA and the PC-based WOMBAT^TM test of SA were associated with individual differences in AF player performance, within the context of physiological and psychomotor capacities, using Multiple Regression Analysis. The results …

Managing Mountain Bike Impacts In The South West Of Western Australia : Combining Biophysical Impact Studies With Rider Preferences For Better Trail Design, Ute Goeft

Theses : Honours

This thesis examines the environmental impacts of mountain bikes on trails in the southwest of Western Australia and the preferences, perceptions, trail use and demographics of mountain bike riders in that region. This information is important for resource managers and trail developers to ensure that the trails that are provided and planned for mountain bike use in the region are environmentally appropriate and acceptable to users. The environmental impacts were examined through biophysical studies, which investigated soil loss, soil compaction and vegetation damage on and adjacent to mountain bike trails over a period of six months. A mountain bike racing …

Team Cohesion, Performance Outcome And Player Satisfaction In State League Netball, Angelique Jane Wilson

Theses : Honours

Team cohesion repeatedly has been emphasised as important in the development of performance success. This research examined the importance of team cohesion as a multidimensional construct through three inter-related studies with elite netball players. The first study examined differences between successful and unsuccessful teams on (a) overall team cohesion. (b) overall task cohesion including attraction to group-task (ATG-T) and group integration-task (GI-T) components, and (c) social cohesion including attraction to group-social (ATG-S ), and group integration-social (GI-S) components. The second study examined the multidimensional nature of cohesion in relation to player satisfaction. Finally, study investigated the relationship between pcrfom1ancc outcome …

Factors Influencing Continuation And Withdrawal From Coaching Youth Football In Metropolitan Western Australia, James T. K. Milne

Theses : Honours

It is inevitable that at some stage of his career. a coach will withdraw. This qualitative study explored the various reasons why coaches of youth football (between the ages of 13 and 17 years) choose to continue or withdraw their involvement with the sport. It was the first part of a two phase larger study into this topic involving: (a) in depth interviews with current and former youth football coaches: and (b) the uses of themes from the interview data to develop a questionnaire for distribution to a larger sample of youth football coaches at a later stage. Perceptions and …

A Comparison Of Participation Motives Of Competitive And Non-Competitive Youth Age Swimmers, Shane T. Harris

Theses : Honours

Understanding the participation motives of youth athletes is vital if their needs are to be met and their sport involvement enhanced. The purpose of this study was to examine the participation motives of a squad of competitive and non-competitive, youth-age, male and female swimmers. A qualitative interview technique was employed to identify the participation motives of 12 youth-age swimmers. The interview schedule was based on theories describing participation motivation, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Data was deductively analysed, with statements classified into the motivation categories described by Passer (1981). Consistent with previous studies on participation motives in youth sport, the …

A Comparison Of Disabled And Able-Bodied Athletes In Wheelchair Basketball, Kym Hoonhout

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to examine the reasons for participation and the benefits that the able-bodied and disabled subjects obtain from participation in the integrated sport of wheelchair basketball. A qualitative interview technique was employed to explore the athletes decision to participate and their reactions to the sport. Data was inductively analysed into categories which focused on the research questions. Consistent with other studies the subjects cited several reasons for participation with fun and enjoyment the most common response and challenge and the socialisation ranking next The disabled were more competitive with winning being an important reason for …

Non-Selection As A Factor Contributing To Retirement From Australian Sport, Maree B. Fish

Theses : Honours

Retirement from sport is inevitable and will occur at some stage in every athlete's career. Retirement may be voluntary or involuntary and signifies a lifestyle change that may be a major impact for many athletes. Involuntary retirement may occur in relation to chronological ageing, injury or non-selection. This study undertook an in-depth examination of one type of involuntary exit from sport, that of non-selection. The purpose of this study was to explore, in-depth, the reactions and experiences of Australian athletes who were subject to non-selection from their sport. Supporting this main investigation were three sub questions which focused on factors …

Bone Density And Muscle Development Problems In Female Lightweight Rowers Trying To Make-Weight, Carmel A. Shipway

Theses : Honours

The purpose of this study was to determine whether high intensity exercise, combined with restriction of diet, is counter-productive to the normal health and development of the competitor. The study investigated the effects of high intensity exercise on body composition (fat, muscle and bone); bone density; and physical performance (aerobic capacity, rowing performance, quadricep strength, power and fatiguability) in twelve lightweight female rowers (age range 17- 25yrs), training for the State and National lightweight championships. Six of the rowers completed the testing, which consisted of test1 (pre-training) and test2 (post-training) after a 12 weeks training regime.

Skinfold measurements were lower …

The Role And The Experiences Of The Sports Team Captain, Michelle Nelson

Theses : Honours

The role of the sports team captain is often underestimated in terms of the responsibility involved, the essential attributes and knowledge required. The qualities and expertise of the captain can potentially have a great effect on the performance of the team. To date there has been very little research conducted on the role and experiences of the sports team captain. The purpose of this study is to outline the role and the experiences of the sports team captain, with particular emphasis on the responsibilities, the influencing factors and the power of the captain. Ten former or current captains of state …