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Smartphones have many characteristics that make them attractive to adolescents. Recent work, however, has established a link between smartphone-related problems and self-esteem (self-worth) and social anxiety (fear of social relations). To date, little is known about the characteristics underpinning these relationships in combination. Driven by theory, the present study examined the association between self-esteem, social anxiety, and nomophobia (fear of being without access to a smartphone) and problem smartphone use (PSU) in a sample of early adolescents (N = 254). Self-esteem (Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale), social anxiety (Social Avoidance and Distress Scale) and their combined contribution (self-esteem x social anxiety) served as predictor variables of nomophobia (Nomophobia Questionnaire) and PSU (Mobile Phone Problem Usage Scale -- Adolescent version) in separate moderated regression analyses. We found that lower self-esteem was associated with higher nomophobia and PSU, and that higher self-esteem may be a protective factor in those lower in social anxiety, such that they are not prone to excessive smartphone use. Our findings offer preliminary markers for psychologists addressing the challenges related to excessive smartphone use in this age group.

Smartphones can increase productivity and ease accessing information, however the possible negative implications for high smartphone use or problematic smartphone use (PSU) are not fully understood. The current study examined anxiety-linked memory and attention deficits to determine whether PSU moderates these relationships. Cross-sectional data from 506 young adults aged 18–29 years (68% female) were analysed in separate regression models to investigate whether PSU (Mobile Phone Problem Use scale) moderated the relationship between state and trait anxiety (State-Cognitive and Trait-Cognitive subscales of State Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety) and everyday memory and attentional failures (the False Triggering, Forgetfulness and Distractibility subscales of the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire). Our results showed that PSU moderated the combined influence of state and trait anxiety for distractibility, such that those who reported higher PSU and higher trait anxiety reported greater errors of distractibility during higher, but not lower state anxiety. However, our predictions for false triggering and forgetfulness were not supported; the only significant finding was a trend for higher trait anxiety to be related to increased failures of false triggering and forgetfulness. Real-world implications of findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibitory control may be vital in elite sport. The authors examined the link between athletic expertise, inhibitory control, and sport performance in a two-part quasi experiment. Inhibitory control was indexed using the Stop-Signal Task, athlete expertise was categorized on literary recommendations, and sport performance was assessed using athlete and coach ratings. Study 1 examined cross-sectional and longitudinal patterns of inhibitory control across athletic expertise. Study 2 investigated whether the inhibitory control-sport performance relationship was moderated by expertise. Study 1 showed that expertise was linked to greater inhibitory control cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Study 2 revealed that expertise was related to superior performance on the Stop-Signal Task and athlete and coach performance ratings, and this relationship was moderated by athletic expertise. Inhibitory control relates to sport performance, increases with greater athlete expertise, and develops longitudinally. Long-term participation in sport may bring about changes in inhibitory control, which may lead to improved sport performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflection-impulsivity is a dimension of cognitive or decision-making style. We conducted two quasi-experimental studies to examine reflection-impulsivity in athletes using an information sampling task. In Study 1 (n = 108; Mage= 22.7 ± SDage = 1.42; 50% female), we used a cross-sectional design to compare performance across athletic expertise (super-elite, elite, amateur, novice or non-athlete) and sport type (external-paced or self-paced). In Study 2 (Time 1 n = 106; Mage= 21.32 ± SDage = 5.77; 53% female and Time 2 n = 64; Mage= 21.19 ± SDage = 5.12; 44% female), we examined changes in reflection-impulsivity across a 16-week playing season. Study 1 showed more accurate and more efficient performance as athletic expertise increased. Study 2 revealed better effectiveness and efficiency following sport participation, a 16-week playing season, most notably in elite-level performers. No sport-type differences were noted. Taken together, the studies demonstrate an association between reflection-impulsivity and athletic expertise, while also providing evidence that competitive sports participation leads to efficient decisions based on reflection, without sacrificing accuracy, which is often a consequence of impulsive decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dark Triad traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) are prevalent in athletes. However, currently, we do not know whether the Dark Triad confers any competitive advantages in sport. To address this issue, the present study had two aims. First, to examine whether the Dark Triad predicted task performance in a basketball free throw task. Second, to examine whether competitive orientations explained (i.e. mediated) this relationship. A sample of 189 athletes (mean age = 19.11 years) completed measures of the Dark Triad, competitive orientations, and task performance (basketball free throw task). Regression analyses indicated that the Dark Triad predicted better task performance. In addition, mediation analyses indicated that the Dark Triad-performance relationship was explained by both hypercompetitive and self-developmental competitive orientations. The present study provides the first evidence that the Dark Triad may lead to better task performance in sport, and that this effect may be driven by athletes' competitive orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive function (EF) is known to be influenced by mood, but whether this relationship holds for populations of athletes and whether athletic expertise moderates it is uncertain. Thus, in the current study, we examined relationships between positive and negative affect (i.e., mood), the lower-order cortical aspects of executive function (i.e., inhibition, shifting and updating), and athletic expertise. A sample of 256 participants (55.08% male; M age = 20.69) completed a self-report mood measure and computerized tests of EF. Individuals with more athletic expertise reported higher positive affect and better EF scores, whereas those with less athletic expertise reported higher negative affect. Structural equation modelling indicated that positive affect was related to better inhibition, shifting, and updating performance but was not related to performance errors. Similarly, negative affect was related to better EF, except for the inhibition latency score. Athletic expertise moderated all significant associations between mood and EF and higher expertise facilitated higher EF performance. Together, athletic expertise is an important individual differences factor in understanding the influence of mood on EF performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research attests to the important contributions of emotional, athletic, and cognitive expertise for sport performance. However, little is known regarding the interplay between trait emotional intelligence, athletic expertise, and working memory. The aim of this research was to examine the interplay between working memory (emotional, capacity and ability), trait emotional intelligence and athletic expertise. In total, 437 participants aged between 18 and 27 years with a range of athletic expertise (i.e., non-athlete n = 96, novice n = 92, amateur n = 85, elite n = 83, and super-elite n = 81) completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form, an Emotion Recognition Task (i.e., working memory-emotional), a Spatial Span Task (i.e., working memory-capacity), and a Spatial Working Memory Test (i.e., working memory-ability). Structural equation modelling indicated a significant positive relationship between trait emotional intelligence and all three components of working memory (i.e., emotional, capacity and ability). Also, this differed over athletic expertise whereby those with more expertise reported larger effects than those with less expertise. These findings suggest that trait emotional intelligence is important for working memory in athletes. Moreover, the link between cognitive and affective processes are increasingly relevant as athletes develop expertise levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to detangle the association between attention, working-memory (focusing on both control and capacity functions), and sport performance across athletic expertise. Specifically, the mediating effect of working-memory-control and working-memory-capacity on the attention and performance relationship will be investigated, and whether this effect differs across athlete expertise. A sample of 359 athletes (Mage = 18.91 ± SD = 1.01; 54.87% male) with a range of athletic expertise (novice n = 99, amateur n = 92, elite n = 87, and super-elite n = 81) completed a battery of neurocognitive tasks assessing attention, working-memory-control, working-memory-capacity, and a cognitively engaging motor task (e.g. basketball free-throw task). Athletes with more expertise performed better on tasks of attention, working-memory-control and working-memory-capacity. Results of structural equation modelling indicated a positive association between the cognitive measures and sport performance. Specifically, working-memory-control and working-memory-capacity mediated the attention and sport performance relationship. Additionally, invariance testing indicated larger effects for those with more athletic expertise. These findings provide a better understanding of how attention and the control and capacity functions of working-memory interact to predict performance. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological science faces a call to action researching the implications of the corona virus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Rapid reviews have reported that maintaining rigorous research standards is a priority for the field, such as ensuring reliable and valid measurement, when investigating people's experience of Covid-19 (O'Connor et al., 2020). However, no research to date has validated a measure mental health symptomology for an athlete population. The current research addresses this gap by examining the internal consistency, factor structure, invariance, and convergent validity of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond and Lovibond, 1995) in two athlete samples. Participants completed the DASS-21 and sport-specific measures of mental health such as the Profile of Mood States – Depression subscale (POMS-D), Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2), Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ), and Athlete Psychological Strain Questionnaire (APSQ). In sample one (n = 894), results of exploratory structural equation modeling indicated that a three-factor model provided good fit to the data, but a bifactor model provided better fit. Factor loadings indicated minimal misspecification and higher loadings on the general-factor. Invariance testing suggested equivalence across gender, athletic expertise, sport type, and injury status. Further, latent mean differences analyses indicated that females and injured athletes scored higher than male and non-injured athletes on all DASS-21 factors reporting higher mental health symptomology, those with more expertise scored higher on the general-factor and depression and those with less expertise scored higher on anxiety and stress, and no differences between team and individual athletes. In sample two (n = 589), the bifactor structure was replicated. Results largely supported the scales convergent validity with depression predicting POMS-D scores, whereas all three subscales predicted the SAS-2, ABQ, and APSQ scores. Internal consistency was acceptable in both samples. The current work provides initial support for use of the DASS-21 as an operationalisation of mental health symptomology in athletes. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]