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This study examined whether stereotype-inconsistent information interacts with implicit theories of ability to affect handgrip strength in older adults. Eighty-two retired older adults (13 men and 69 women) from 61 to 89 years old (Mage = 75.8 years; SD = 6.9) performed maximum voluntary contractions (MVC) during a handgrip task in a design manipulating implicit theories of ability and stereotype-inconsistent information related to physical decline with aging. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: incremental condition, entity condition, or control group. The results showed that in the incremental condition the stereotype-inconsistent information improved the peak MVC, the average MVC, the peak rate of force development (RFD), and RFD in the initial 50 ms of the MVC. This study therefore demonstrated that individuals with an incremental mindset who are exposed to stereotype-inconsistent information can boost their physical performance. These findings are discussed from the perspective of regulatory fit (i.e., when task framing is congruent with the individual's goal).

Intrinsic motivation (IM) is often viewed as a spontaneous tendency for action. Recent behavioral and neuroimaging evidence indicate that IM, in comparison to extrinsic motivation (EM), solicits the motor system. Accordingly, we tested whether IM leads to greater excitability of the motor cortex than EM. To test this hypothesis, we used two different tasks to induce the motivational orientation using either words representing each motivational orientation or pictures previously linked to each motivational orientation through associative learning. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation over the motor cortex was applied when viewing the stimuli. Electromyographic activity was recorded on the contracted first dorsal interosseous muscle. Two indexes of corticospinal excitability (the amplitude of motor-evoked potential and the length of cortical silent period) were obtained through unbiased automatic detection and analyzed using a mixed model that provided both statistical power and a high level of control over all important individual, task, and stimuli characteristics. Across the two tasks and the two indices of corticospinal excitability, the exposure to IM-related stimuli did not lead to a greater corticospinal excitability than EM-related stimuli or than stimuli with no motivational valence (ps > .20). While these results tend to dismiss the advantage of IM at activating the motor cortex, we suggest alternative hypotheses to explain this lack of effect, which deserves further research.

LAMHESS, University of Toulon-Var, Toulon, FranceCorresponding author: Corentin Clement-Guillotin, PhD, Laboratory of Human Motricity, Education, Sport, Health – EA 6309,Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, 261, Route de Grenoble – BP 3259, Nice cedex 3 06205, France. Tel:(33) 4 89 83 66 32, E-mail: corentin.clementguillotin@yahoo.fr

The purpose of this study was to test a model of the effects of athletes' eating disorders on coach, sport friend and parent social relationships and peer social acceptance through physical self-perceptions (i.e. perceived physical appearance and perceived physical ability). The sample comprised 199 elite female figure skaters. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Our results showed that the effects of athletes' eating disorders on social relationships were not mediated by physical self-perceptions. Athletes' eating disorders directly negatively influenced the quality of the parent–athlete relationship, thus confirming previous findings in young adults. Contrary to the literature, eating disorders were positively related to perceived physical ability. This paradoxical finding is discussed in relation to achievement theories and the particularity of the sport context. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association