PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S Biddle

Publications and source records attributed to S Biddle.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Mental health nursing and the promotion of physical activity.

Evidence and recent policy initiatives support the promotion of physical activity and exercise within acute inpatient settings. Mental health nurses may perform an important role in encouraging physical activity and legitimizing its incorporation within care planning. This exploratory study aimed to investigate perceptions of the role of exercise and physical activity as a therapeutic strategy within inpatient settings. Given the exploratory nature of the study, a qualitative design using semistructured interviews was considered most appropriate. As part of a larger study regarding the promotion of physical activity within one United Kingdom (UK) Mental Health Trust, 12 mental health nurses were interviewed. All participants identified a need for increasing opportunities for physical activity on inpatient wards. Three interrelated themes emerged that related to how physical activity and exercise was conceptualized by the participants. First, exercise and physical activity was seen as a potentially beneficial distracting strategy rather than an adjunctive strategy in its own right. Secondly, exercise was considered as a lifestyle choice and an individual responsibility. Thirdly, a difficulty in articulating a possible relationship between the 'physical' and the 'mental' was predominant. The implications of these perceptions are discussed in relation to developing a greater profile for physical activity and exercise on acute wards.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Exercise and mental health: it's just not psychology!

Exercise has been suggested as an effective adjunctive treatment for a range of mental health conditions. In this study, we explored the perceptions of exercise held by course directors of doctoral training programmes in clinical psychology in England. Given the exploratory nature of the study, we used a qualitative design incorporating semi-structured interviews. Although most participants held favourable attitudes regarding exercise, this was related more to exercise being seen as a positive lifestyle activity that is worth encouraging, rather than exercise being recommended as an adjunctive treatment for mental health problems. Inductive analysis identified four themes that underpinned such a response: inconsistent positions on the evidential criteria used to evaluate the role of exercise, which masked themes regarding the perceived 'simplicity' of exercise interventions, a practical adherence to a mind-body dichotomy, and the incompatibility of exercise with traditional models of understanding and treating clinical conditions. The barriers we have highlighted will continue to hinder the consideration of exercise as a common therapeutic adjunct at present. Although further research is required to examine the relationship between exercise and mental health, consideration must also be given to how such research should be disseminated to mental health professionals.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1998

The relationship between competitive anxiety, achievement goals, and motivational climates.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of achievement goal orientations and perceived motivational climate to perceptions of the intensity and direction of competitive state anxiety in a sample of university athletes representing various team sports. Although some studies have demonstrated that task orientation and mastery climate are associated with adaptive emotional patterns and ego orientation and performance climate are linked to less adaptive emotions, others have not verified these findings. In the present study, structural equation modeling was used to test these links. The results showed that perceptions of a performance climate were associated with ego orientation, whereas perceptions of a mastery climate were linked to task orientation. Furthermore, no significant links were found between task orientation and direction of competitive anxiety, while it was shown that the impact of ego orientation on the intensity and direction of cognitive and somatic anxiety was exerted through self-confidence. No significant direct links were found between motivational climates and competitive anxiety, thus implying that motivational climates may have an indirect impact on affective responses through the different goal orientations. The findings of the present study are discussed along with suggestions for examining situational and individual difference variables that may explain the relationships between intensity and direction of competitive anxiety and achievement goals and motivational climates.

Achievement↗
PubMed1998

The relationship between achievement goal profile groups and perceptions of motivational climates in sport.

The purpose of the present study was to expand on previous research that has found compatibility between individuals' views on achievement and the type of achievement that was promoted in the sport environment they belonged to. However, this line of research has ignored the fact that the two main goal orientations are largely independent and that their impact in combination is often different from their effects examined separately. The present study, therefore, examined which combinations of goal orientations are compatible with perceptions of mastery and performance climates in a sample of 146 British university students. With regard to mastery climate, the analysis showed that the critical factor was the degree of task orientation since those with high scores in this factor (irrespective of the degree of their ego orientation) perceived the climate as more mastery-oriented than those with low scores in task orientation. This was substantiated by the large differences in effect sizes between the high- and low-task groups. As far as performance climate was concerned, the most negative perceptions of climate were held by those who were rated both low in task orientation and high in ego orientation. A general inference from these results is that high task orientation is motivationally adaptive, whereas high ego orientation is not motivationally detrimental as long as it is accompanied by a high task orientation. These findings are in contrast with previous suggestions that have called for the enhancement of task orientation with the concurrent suppression of ego orientation. Our results are, however, consonant with studies which have employed a goal profiles analysis in sport and in physical education, and with empirical evidence from real sport settings.

Achievement↗
PubMed1997

Achievement goals and perceived ability predict investment in learning a sport task.

BACKGROUND: Contemporary views on motivation suggest that expectancy-value and social-cognitive perspectives can shed light on the important issue of student motivation. AIMS: To test the predictive value of achievement goals on the investment in learning a sport task. Two studies investigated whether investment in learning is affected by achievement goals and perceived ability. SAMPLES: Study 1: 57 school pupils selected from an initial sample of 212. Study 2: 99 pupils selected from 400. Selection was based on motivation and perceived ability scores from questionnaires. Pupils were aged 13-15 years and attended schools in northern France. METHODS: In Study 1 pupils prepared themselves for a sport task with a five-minute period of training. Study 2 pupils prepared themselves with a five-minute period of training after prior failure. RESULTS: Study 1 showed that those who were ego-involved with a low perceived ability had a weaker investment in the training situation than those ego-involved with a high perceived ability, or those task-involved regardless of their perceived ability. Ego-involved pupils used an attributional bias to minimise the effect of effort on performance. Study 2 confirmed these results by underlining the motivational deficits of ego involvement for those with a low perceived ability. CONCLUSIONS: School pupils with high ego involvement in a sport task and low perceived ability show motivational deficits which manifest themselves in less time spent on practising a task. A social-cognitive and expectancy-value perspective appears to be valid for the study of motivational processes in school physical education.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Physical activity promotion through primary health care in England.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing research supporting the argument for a beneficial link between physical activity and health maintenance and, in the past five years, this has led to a growth in physical activity promotion schemes involving primary health care. AIM: To document and critically examine the extent and nature of physical activity promotion in general practice in England. METHOD: A postal survey to all family health services authorities and primary care facilitators was conducted to identify existing and planned activity promotion schemes involving primary health care. Telephone interviews with leaders from 50 selected schemes and further detailed case studies of 11 schemes provided descriptive information of the nature of physical activity promotion. RESULTS: The initial phase revealed 157 existing schemes and a further 35 planned schemes. Two basic models of physical activity promotion were identified that were distinguishable by the primary location of the management of the patient. Practice-managed interventions (32%) involve on-site counselling to change the behaviour of patients. Leisure centre-managed projects (68%), sometimes termed 'exercise by prescription' or 'general practitioner referral for exercise' schemes, involve the identification of suitable patients and their referral to 10- to 12-week-long leisure centre based exercise induction courses. The projects in the planning stage were all of the latter type, indicating this as the favoured model. Although such schemes were generally successful in attracting patients, in all cases they involved less than 1% of the patient base from which they were drawn. CONCLUSION: There is evidence of successful recruitment, increased short-term physical activity and fitness, and improvements in the well-being of patients. However, schemes are inadequately resourced for rigorous long-term evaluation; therefore, conclusions regarding the cost-effectiveness of the two models are not possible.

England↗
PubMed1996

Analysis of children's physical activity and its association with adult encouragement and social cognitive variables.

Little is known about possible determinants of children's participation in physical activity. In particular, the role of adults has not been clearly identified. This study investigated contemporary social cognitive variables, in combination with likely adult influence factors, in predicting intended and self-reported vigorous physical activity for young adolescents. A questionnaire was administered to 147 boys and girls ages 13-14. Questions assessed physical activity levels, including vigorous activity, intention to take part in sports or vigorous physical activity, social cognitive variables, and adult encouragement of physical activity. A structural equation modeling analysis showed a good fit for a model in which vigorous physical activity was predicted by direct paths from adult encouragement and intention, with adult encouragement also predicting vigorous activity indirectly through perceived competence. Intention itself was predicted by adult encouragement and a task achievement goal orientation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Development of scales to measure perceived physical education class climate: a cross-national project.

Motivational research in the classroom has adopted a social cognitive perspective but has mainly been restricted to the study of individual achievement cognitions. In addition to this, there is a need to study and assess the perception children have of the class climate. Using social cognitive theory as a base, this research reports the development of class climate scales in French and English for use in physical education classes. Psychometric development with the French scale was shown to be satisfactory, including adequate factorial structure assessed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and good internal and test-retest reliability. A parallel English scale demonstrated a less adequate fit to the proposed model when using CFA, but shortened scales assessing just mastery and performance dimensions of climate were shown to predict important motivational measures in a structural equation modelling analysis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Children's task and ego goal profiles in sport.

The purpose of this study was to examine the combined effects of task and ego goal orientations on children's sport motivation. Participants were 115 boys and 116 girls (mean age = 11.12 yrs). Unlike previous research, where the correlates of the two orientations have been examined separately, this study examined the motivational consequences of different task and ego combinations. Four groups were created based on mean splits on the task and ego scales of the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire. These were low task/low ego, low task/high ego, high task/low ego, and high task/high ego. The hi/hi group emerged as the most motivated and the lo/lo group least motivated in measures of sport enjoyment and perceived sport competence. The lo/lo group, made up primarily of girls, appear to be at high risk for non-participation in sport. Children dominated by a task orientation were more motivated than those dominated by an ego orientation. A similar pattern emerged whether children were in the lower or upper third of the perceived sport competence distribution. A high task orientation appears to provide the vital element for sport motivation. The addition of ego involvement to task involvement may enhance sport enjoyment and does not appear to be motivationally detrimental. Task and ego profile analysis seems to offer important insight into the achievement motivation of children of this age.

Achievement↗
PubMed1994

Perceived locus of causality, goal orientations, and perceived competence in school physical education classes.

Ryan & Connell (1989) have demonstrated that different types of behavioural regulation can be located on a continuum of perceived autonomy or perceived locus of causality. The present study applied their formulation in the context of school physical education (PE) and examined the relationships of perceived autonomy, perceived competence and goal orientations with intrinsic interest across two PE activities. School students aged 12-14 years (N = 85) completed an adapted version of the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (Ryan & Connell, 1989) and measures of perceived competence and intrinsic interest separately for two PE activities. They also completed the British version of the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (Duda, Fox, Biddle & Armstrong, 1992). Students appeared to be differentially motivated for the two activities due to different perceptions of autonomy. Structural equation modelling analysis showed that perceived autonomy and task orientation had direct effects on intrinsic interest for both the activities. Perceived competence, however, was positively associated with intrinsic interest only for one of the activities. The implications of the results for the practice of physical education are discussed.

Achievement↗
PubMed1994

Social-psychological predictors of self-reported actual and intended physical activity in a university workforce sample.

This study investigated the social-psychological predictors of self-reported actual and intended physical activity in a university workforce sample. Based on the 'Theory of Planned Behaviour', but with additional variables of benefits, barriers and self-efficacy, it was found that both intended and actual activity could be predicted but only when strenuous activity was considered. In addition, the predictors were different for men and women. Specifically, the best predictors of intention to exercise were attitude, perceived control, benefits and self-efficacy for women, but only attitude for men. Predicting self-reported strenuous activity for women were intention and self-efficacy, and for men intention and attitude. Theoretical and practical implications for attitude research and exercise promotion are discussed.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1993

Participation in community sports centres: motives and predictors of enjoyment.

Research into why people engage in sport and physical recreation has received relatively little attention in both recreation planning and sport psychology. Although there has been a steady flow of North American literature related to participation motivation in competitive youth sport settings, such evidence is of limited value in explaining adult involvement in sport and recreation in Britain. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine why people participate in sport and exercise in community sports centres and to identify whether these motives predict sport enjoyment. The study was based on a questionnaire-interview of approximately 5 min duration conducted in six community sports centres in Leicester. The sample comprised 336 respondents aged 16 years and over. The subjects were presented with 15 motives for sports participation and indicated their degree of agreement on a 5-point scale. The three most commonly endorsed motives were to maintain health, develop physical fitness and aid relaxation. A factor analysis with oblique rotation revealed four factors:assertive achievement, physical well-being, socio-psychological well-being, and sports mastery and performance. Discriminant analysis showed that males were more motivated to participate for sports mastery and performance and assertive achievement than females. A MANOVA showed that older subjects were more motivated by socio-psychological well-being than younger subjects. Sport enjoyment was best predicted by socio-psychological well-being, sports mastery and performance, and sports importance, although only 14.4% of the variance in enjoyment scores was accounted for. These results confirm other research on age differences in exercise and mental health, as well as gender differences on participation motives.

Achievement↗
PubMed1992

Children's physical activity: an exploratory study of psychological correlates.

Data are now accumulating that show that some children have apparently low levels of habitual physical activity, as measured by heart rate telemetry. However, relatively little is known about the likely correlates or determinants of such activity patterns. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore the extent to which activity levels were related to selected psychological factors. The heart rates of 11/12-year old boys and girls (N = 72) were monitored continuously for 12 hr on each of three school days. The same subjects completed psychological inventories assessing physical self-perceptions and motivation. Intrinsic motivation towards physical education and sport was significantly correlated with activity levels for boys. Motivational orientations also predicted activity, but differently for boys and girls. Evidence was found for a discrimination between 'active' and 'less active' girls on the basis of their physical self-perception and motivation scores.

Body Image↗