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ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of a wearable activity tracker used to encourage physical activity, on disease flares in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA).MethodsThis randomized controlled trial involved randomizing 108 patients with SpA into tracker and nontracker groups. The participants were then subjected to assessments of disease activity, performance (6-minute walk test), and quality of life (QOL; 36-item Short Form Health Survey) at the 12th, 24th, and 36th week. The primary outcome was the change in the frequency of flare episodes (categorized as no flare, flare in ≤ 3 days, and flare in > 3 days) between baseline and 12 weeks.ResultsThe results of the study showed that at the 12th week, the mean change (∆) of the number of flares improved in both groups: −0.32 (95% CI −0.66 to 0.02) and −0.38 (95% CI −0.68 to −0.09) in the tracker and nontracker group, respectively. However, the between-group differences were insignificant (P = 0.87). Performance scores improved in both groups at the 12th, 24th, and 36th week (all P < 0.01). The different dimensions of QOL also improved at the 12th week (P < 0.01). Conversely, moderate flares (P < 0.01) and performance (P < 0.01) improved over time; however, the influence over time of a wearable activity tracker was not significant (P = 0.29 and P = 0.66, respectively).ConclusionThe use of a wearable activity tracker did not affect the number of flares, performance, or QOL of patients with SpA. Nevertheless, this study confirmed the benefits of physical activity on flares, disease activity, QOL, and physical performance in patients with SpA. (Move Your Spondyl “Better Live Its Rheumatism With the Physical Activity”; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03458026)

OBJECTIVE Despite positive effects of physical activity programs in the workplace, an appropriate measurement instrument to capture employees' decisional balance to exercise is lacking. This study sought to develop and validate a decisional balance scale for exercise adapted to the workplace. METHODS Four complementary studies were carried out, with a total sample of 2398 French volunteer employees, to develop a preliminary version and examine its dimensionality, temporal stability, and construct validity. RESULTS The Workplace Decisional Balance scale for Exercise (WDBex) consists of 21 items with two subfactors, respectively composed of 12 items (facilitators) and nine items (barriers); for each subfactor, three dimensions (ie, physical, psychological, and logistic) were distinguished and presented satisfactory psychometric properties. CONCLUSIONS This instrument constitutes a reliable and valid instrument for studying the psychosocial determinants of physical activity engagement in the workplace and for developing health promotion strategies.

Context:Firefighters participating in mandatory physical exercise sessions are exposed to a high risk of ankle sprain injury. Although both physiological and psychological risk factors have been identified, few prospective studies considered the complex interaction of these factors in firefighters.Objective:To prospectively determine whether intrinsic physical risk factors and work-related environments predict ankle sprains occurring during on-duty physical exercise in firefighters during an 8-month follow-up period.Design:Prospective.Setting:Fire Department and Rescue Service.Participants:Thirty-nine firefighters were selected based on convenience sampling.Intervention:Participants performed physical tests and completed questionnaires.Main Outcome Measures:Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test, Weight-Bearing Lunge Test, anthropometric measures, postural stability, chronic ankle instability (Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool) scores, previous injuries, and perceived psychosocial work environment (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire [COPSOQ]).Results:During the follow-up, 9 firefighters sustained an injury. Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test and Weight-Bearing Lunge Test performances, Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool scores, history of previous ankle sprain, and specific dimensions of the COPSOQ significantly differed between injured and uninjured firefighters. Lower-limbs asymmetries of the Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test (ie, anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions) and the Weight-Bearing Lunge Test were predictors of ankle sprains.Conclusions:These findings originally provide evidence that intrinsic factors mainly contribute to ankle sprains, although psychosocial work environment assessment could also characterize firefighters at risk.

The aim of this scoping review is to highlight current trends in the emerging field of technology-based physical activity interventions (TbPAI) in pre- and post-bariatric surgery. Original articles published between 2000 and 2020 on eHealth, bariatric surgery, and physical activity were identified through electronic searches of eight databases. Screening, data extraction, and charting were performed independently by two authors and disagreements were resolved by consensus. Nine full-text articles were included in this review. The studies reported that the physical activity outcomes had improved and the interventions were positively perceived by the target population. We highlight some consistent findings, as well as knowledge gaps, and suggest how future studies could be improved.

Walking speed and muscular strength are two main markers of health in adulthood. Previous studies have shown that personality traits may predict these two outcomes. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these relationships. Thus, the present study examined whether personality traits are associated with walking speed and muscular strength through the mediating role of subjective age (how young or old individuals experience themselves to be), attitudes toward aging and physical self-perceptions. Community-dwelling older women (N = 243; Mage = 73.0; SDage = 6.5) were recruited. For reasons of recruitment feasibility, participants were only older women. They were requested to complete a questionnaire measuring personality, subjective age, attitudes toward aging and physical self-perceptions. Following this, their walking speed and their muscular strength were investigated. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. In line with the literature, we extended the associations between extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness and walking speed and between conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness and muscular strength. Physical self-perceptions appear to be a robust mediator between personality traits and walking speed whereas attitudes toward aging and subjective age mediated the personality traits/muscular strength relationship. This study provides evidence, for the first time, that the associations between personality traits and physical capacities are different according to the physical capacities investigated. Based on these results, it could be interesting to adapt physical activity interventions to the psychological profile of older adults.

This study aimed to: (a) identify the acceptability profiles for three technology-based physical activity interventions (TbPAI) in obesity treatment (active video games, mobile applications, telehealth), (b) examine the issues of consistency or change in these profiles for the same individual across technologies, and (c) determine whether acceptability profiles are related to motivational factors. Three hundred and twelve women (Mage = 30.7, SD = 7.1 years; MBMI = 34.5, SD = 7.8 kg/m²) using obesity services were recruited for this cross-sectional survey. They completed an online survey including sociodemographic data and measures related to physical activity: level, stage of change, motivation, and general causality orientations. The women read descriptions of the three technologies and rated their acceptability. We used a latent profile transition analysis (LPTA) approach. A 2-class model (high and low acceptability) best described the profiles for each technology. Intra-individual analysis revealed that the profiles exhibited both changes and stability across TbPAI. Women with high scores on impersonal orientation were more likely to be in the high acceptability telehealth profile, whereas those reporting high scores on control orientation were more likely to be in the high acceptability active video games profile. Women with high scores on control orientation and low scores on impersonal orientation were more likely to be in the high acceptability mobile applications profile. Results showed that the causality orientations were factors related to the TbPAI acceptability profiles, suggesting that clinicians should consider these psychological characteristics in TbPAI counseling.

People living with HIV (PLHIV) are not physically active enough. As nonexercisers are perceived as less healthy, less active and less strong, it is likely that PLHIV would be subject to a nonexerciser stereotype threat. We looked to elucidate the effect of the emerging nonexerciser stereotype on handgrip strength performance among less active PLHIV. We also sought to observe the modulating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between stereotype activation and performance.Eighteen PLHIV were recruited to participate in two experimental sessions in which both a stereotypical context and self-efficacy were manipulated. Participants performed a handgrip task comprising a 15-s fatiguing maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) exercise preceded (Pre) and followed (Post) by 5-s MVCs. In each session, (i.e. high and low self-efficacy), four experimental conditions (i.e. Control 1; Control 2; Stereotypical; Self-Efficacy) were performed.A significant performance decrease of the 15-s fatiguing MVC exercise was systematically observed when the nonexerciser stereotype was induced (0.01

Both doping (e.g. Hodge, K., Hargreaves, E. A., Gerrard, D. F., & Lonsdale, C. (2013). Psychological mechanisms underlying doping attitudes in sport: Motivation and moral disengagement. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 35, 419-432.) and eating behaviours (e.g. Hagger, M. S., Chatzisarantis, N. L., & Harris, J. (2006). From psychological need satisfaction to intentional behaviour: Testing a motivational sequence in two behavioural contexts. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 131-148.) have been studied independently within the SDT framework, but no research has examined these variables concomitantly to better understand the relationships between motivation for sport and doping variables. We therefore examined the mediating role of eating behaviour in the relationship between SDT constructs for sport motivation and athletes' susceptibility to doping. Bootstrapped mediation analyses were performed for 171 male and female athletes with competitive experience in various sports. The analyses revealed that healthy eating behaviours significantly mediated the relationship between SDT motivational constructs and susceptibility to doping. The findings enrich our theoretical understanding of how the SDT approach to motivation for sport might provide insight into the susceptibility to doping; that is, through the potential mediating role of healthy eating behaviours. Finally, the potential central position of eating behaviours in the motivation-doping relationship opens up a potential swathe of novel research, with investigations into eating behaviours at the forefront of future research on the psychology of doping.

Over the long term, people who have undergone bariatric surgery (BS) remain overly sedentary with inadequate physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to apply the transtheoretical model (TTM) to (1) explore in-depth how PA is experienced years after BS and (2) identify the barriers to and facilitators of PA involved at each stage of change (SOC). Seventeen women with a mean age of 32.5 ± 3.3 years and a percentage of total weight loss of 29.6 ± 12.4 were interviewed at a mean of 9.4 ± 3.6 years after BS. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The distribution of barriers to and facilitators of PA differed with the SOC. In progressing from the precontemplation and contemplation stages to the preparation stage, the women experienced changes in their decisional balance, supported by processes of self-reevaluation and environmental reevaluation. In shifting from preparation to the action and maintenance stages, they experienced intrinsic motivation and self-liberation processes. The relapse stage was associated with a decrease in self-efficacy to cope with life constraints. This study presents an in-depth theory-based exploration of the dynamics of long-term engagement in PA after BS in young women, with clinical implications for providing them with better guidance toward a more physically active lifestyle.

Background The benefits of supervised physical activity programs in cardiac rehabilitation have been amply demonstrated, but the quantity of physical activity often declines quickly once supervision ends. This trial assesses the effectiveness of an experimental intervention drawing on habit formation theory to maintain physical activity. Methods Cardiovascular patients (N = 47) were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group participated in two supervised physical activity (SPA) sessions per week for 20 weeks. The second group was offered a progressively autonomous physical activity (PAPA) program as follows: the same supervised program as the SPA group for 10 weeks and then a further 10 weeks with one supervised session replaced by a strategy to build and sustain the habit of autonomous physical activity. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ; Craig et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc 35(8):1381–1395, 2003) was used to measure the quantity of physical activity, which was the primary outcome. The number of participants was limited, and we thus took multiple IPAQ measurements (at 0, 5, 7, 9 and 12 months after the start of the intervention) and used a mixed model for analysis. Physical condition, automaticity of the physical activity behavior, motivation, and quality of life were examined for changes. Results No significant between-group differences were noted for physical activity behaviors after the program, physical condition, motivation, or behavioral automaticity. The PAPA group nevertheless completed more PA sessions during the intervention, and their quality of life was significantly higher than that of the SPA group at 12 months. Conclusion Although the number of supervised sessions was lower, the progressively autonomous PA program resulted in the same or even higher positive outcomes than the fully supervised PA program. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN77313697, retrospectively registered on 20 November 2015.

Background Technology-based physical activity suggests new opportunities for public health initiatives. Yet only 45% of technology interventions are theoretically based, and the acceptability mechanisms have been insufficiently studied. Acceptability and acceptance theories have provided interesting insights, particularly the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2). In several studies, the psychometric qualities of acceptability scales have not been well demonstrated. Objective The aim of this study was to adapt the UTAUT2 to the electronic health (eHealth) context and provide a preliminary validation of the eHealth acceptability scale in a French sample. Methods In line with the reference validation methodologies, we carried out the following stages of validating the scale with a total of 576 volunteers: translation and adaptation, dimensionality tests, reliability tests, and construct validity tests. We used confirmatory factor analysis to validate a 22-item instrument with 7 subscales: Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions, Hedonic Motivation, Price Value, and Habit. Results The dimensionality tests showed that the bifactor confirmatory model presented the best fit indexes: χ2173=434.86 (P

Aims and objectives To get a deeper understanding of correlates of perceived HIV-related fatigue by exploring its associations with sociodemographic characteristics and physical activity level of HIV-infected people. Background Previous studies on HIV-related fatigue have mainly focused on physiological and psychological characteristics, but few have considered its associations with sociodemographic variables. In addition, while physical activity has been found to reduce acute fatigue among HIV-infected people, its links with chronic HIV-related fatigue remain to be explored. Design The study employed an observational and cross-sectional survey design. The manuscript was organised according to STROBE guidelines. Method A total of 560 people living with HIV in France completed a measure of perceived physical fatigue using the Fatigue Intensity Scale. The predictors targeted sociodemographic characteristics and two measures of individuals' reported level of physical activity. Data were analysed by a stepwise multiple regression model. Results The results showed that lower age, higher physical activity level and socio-economic status were significantly associated with reduced perceived physical fatigue, explaining 25% of the variance. Conclusions The results highlighted the importance of considering sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics to better characterise HIV-related fatigue, in particular in an era where HIV as a chronic illness challenges questions of quality of life throughout increasingly longer lifespans. Relevance to clinical practice The results of this study have implications for HIV care professionals in terms of improving strategies for managing chronic fatigue or promoting physical activity according to more specific profiles of HIV-infected people.

Objectives The benefits of physical activity in people living with HIV (PLHIV) are numerous and are largely reported in the literature. Understanding why PLHIV engage or not in physical activity is key to better accompanying health behaviors. Through a qualitative approach, our study sought to identify barriers to and facilitators of physical activity participation in PLHIV. Methods PLHIV were recruited by purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were carried-out in Center and Southern France. The data were analyzed following the principals of thematic analysis. Physical activity level was assessed through questions related to physical activity recommendations and a physical activity questionnaire. Results Fifteen semi-structured interviews (seven men and eight women; Mage = 46.6; SD = 10.3) were analyzed. Only a third of our sample was considered physically active with almost half being considered inactive according to recommendations. A multidimensional perspective of physical activity barriers and facilitators emerged. Barriers to and facilitators of physical activity were related to the physical, psychological and socio-environmental domains. Discussion Our research sought to better understand the beliefs and attitudes of PLHIV towards physical activity. Physical activity was overall viewed as beneficial by both active and less active PLHIV; however, PLHIV remain insufficiently active. This is discussed through our multidimensional approach of the barriers to and facilitators of physical activity.

International audience; This study aims to test the efficacy of text messaging cues (SMS) to promote physical activity (PA) habit formation in the workplace. Employees (N = 49; 28 females and 21 males, Mage = 47.5 ± 8.29 years) were randomized into two parallel groups: a PA group enrolled in a 28-week supervised PA program and a PA+SMS group enrolled in the same PA program with text messaging cues received before their PA sessions. The exercise habit was assessed every week from self-reports on an online application. PA maintenance and several physical fitness measures were also assessed prior to and after the intervention to evaluate its general impact. Mixed model analysis of the 603 observations indicated a small but significant effect of the SMS cues on the speed at which participants engaged in PA behaviors, as the significant interaction effect revealed that the slope of the exercise habit over time was slightly steeper in the PA+SMS group (B = 0.0462, P = 0.0001) than in the PA group (B = 0.0216, P = 0.01). SMS delivery had a marginal effect on the maintenance of PA behaviors 1 year after the intervention. The results suggest that text messaging can help to form PA habits at the workplace and might facilitate long-term maintenance of PA behaviors.

Objective Given the impact of individuals' habits on health, it is important to study how behaviors can become habitual. Cortisol has been well documented to have a role in habit formation. This study aimed to elucidate the influence of the circadian rhythm of cortisol on habit formation in a real-life setting. Method Forty-eight students were followed for 90 days during which they attempted to adopt a health behavior (psoas iliac stretch). They were randomly assigned to perform the stretch either upon waking in the morning, when cortisol concentrations are high, or before evening bedtime, when cortisol levels approach the nadir. A smartphone application was used to assess the Self-Report Behavioural Automaticity Index every day and to provide reminders for salivary measurements every 30 days. The speed of the health habit formation process was calculated by modeling the learning curves. Results Extrapolation of the curves indicated that the morning group achieved automaticity at an earlier time point (105.95 days) than did the evening group (154.01 days). In addition, the cortisol level during the performance of the health behavior was identified as a significant mediator of the time point when the health behavior became habitual. Conclusion The present findings suggest that the time course of the development of healthy habits depends on the time of the day and that the effect is mediated through diurnal variation in cortisol levels. Future studies are now needed to determine to what extent cortisol rhythmicity can help individuals to adopt new health behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record

Research in health communication has shown that narratives contribute more positively to changing health behaviors than informational messages. The main purposes of this study were to examine and to compare the effects of two messages promoting physical activity, one narrative and the other informational, on the perceptions and behavioral intentions of cancer patients.A total of 158 women with breast cancer, undergoing chemotherapy and sedentary, were assigned to read the testimony of a breast cancer survivor who had been physically active during and after treatment (TE group), a content-equivalent message composed of expert recommendations about physical activity in breast cancer patients (RE group), or no message (control group).Source trust was higher in TE group than RE group (p0.001). Exercise self-efficacy and exercise intention were higher in TE group than RE and control groups (p0.001). However, scores in RE group were higher than those of TE group for beliefs about exercise benefits (p0.001) and lower than those of TE and control groups for beliefs about exercise risks (p0.001). Source trust, exercise self-efficacy, and beliefs about exercise benefits and risks mediated the relationship between the message and exercise intention.The results suggest that narratives may be more effective in improving perceived physical abilities and involvement in physical activity, whereas informational messages seem to be more appropriate to convey the benefits and the absence of risks related to physical activity.

Although the benefits of supervised physical activity programs in cardiac rehabilitation have been well documented, the amount of physical activity often drops quickly after the end of the supervised period. This trial (registered as ISRCTN77313697 ) will evaluate the effectiveness of an experimental intervention based on habit formation theory applied to physical activity maintenance. Cardiovascular patients (N = 56) will be individually randomized into two groups. Two supervised physical activity (SPA) sessions per week will be offered to the first group for 20 weeks. Progressively autonomous physical activity (PAPA) will be offered to the second group as follows: 10 weeks of the same supervised program as the SPA group followed by 10 more weeks in which one supervised session will be replaced by a strategy to build and sustain the habit of autonomous practice of physical activity. The primary outcome is the amount of physical activity measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ; Craig et al., Med Sci Sport Exercises 35(8):1381–95, 2003). To compensate for the limited capacity to recruit subjects, multiple IPAQ measurements will be made (at T0, T5, T7, T9 and T12 months after the start of the intervention) and analyzed using the mixed model approach. We will also assess changes in physical and physiological indicators, automaticity of the physical activity behavior, motivation and quality of life. Last, we will assess the cost-effectiveness for each type of program. If proven to be effective, the PAPA intervention, which requires fewer supervised sessions, should provide a cost-effective solution to the problem of physical activity maintenance in cardiac rehabilitation.

This study presents a complete psychological skills training (PST) program with a wheelchair athlete and examines the program effectiveness using a mixed-method approach. After initial testing, the athlete followed a two-month program of self-confidence building, motivational, visualization/relaxation, and injury management techniques. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine the impacts on performance and psychological abilities. The triangulated results suggest that the PST program was perceived as effective by the athlete in terms of his sporting performances and mental skills. The characteristics and implications of a PST program with this wheelchair athlete are discussed, as well as the study limitations and the perspectives for future research.

International audience; This research investigated whether and how self-determined motivation predicts perceived susceptibility to injury during competition (marathon). Two correlational studies including 378 (Study 1) and 339 (Study 2) marathon runners were conducted. Participants filled out a questionnaire the day before the race measuring self-determined motivation, perceived susceptibilities to marathon-related injury and to keep running through pain, and control variables. Study 1 showed that self-determined motivation was negatively related to perceived susceptibility to marathon-related injury. Study 2 replicated this finding and showed that this relationship was partially mediated by perceived susceptibility to keep running through pain during the race. Moreover, results indicated that the predictive role of self-determination was mostly driven by controlled forms of motivation, and more particularly external regulation. These results suggest that self-determined motivation for sport is a protective factor of injury.

The use of Serious exerGames (SeG) as enriched environments (EE), which promotes cognitive simulation with physical activity in a positive emotional context, has been proposed to represent a powerful method to slow down the decline due to neurodegenerative diseases (ND), such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, so far, no SeG targeting EE has been tested in ND subjects.This study aimed at evaluating the usability and short-term training effects of X-Torp, an action SeG designed for elderly ND subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD.X-Torp is a SeG played using the Microsoft® Kinect™. 10 ND subjects and 8 healthy elderly controls (HEC) were enrolled in a 1-month program with three training sessions per week. Usability was evaluated through game time, game performance, the aerobic intensity level reached, perceived emotions, and perceived usability.All participants successfully completed the training program. ND subjects played less and had a lower game performance compared to HEC. During the sessions, ND subjects maintained a light intensity of aerobic activity, while HEC maintained a moderate intensity. Both groups experienced only positive emotions, and reported a 'moderate' to 'high' perceived competence, a 'moderate' game difficulty, and a 'high' interest in the game.Usability results suggest that X-Torp represents a usable EE for healthy subjects and persons with MCI and AD. However, in order to reach moderate or high intensity of aerobic activity, X-Torp control modes should be adapted to become more physically stimulating.

Background The main objective of the current study was to develop and validate a French exercise stereotype scale for people living with HIV (PLHIV) in order to gain visibility to the possible barriers and facilitators for exercise in PLHIV and thus enhance their quality of life. Methods A series of four complementary studies was carried out with a total sample of 524 participants to: (a) develop a preliminary version of the HIV Exercise Stereotype Scale (HIVESS) (Stage 1), (b) confirm the factorial structure of the instrument (Stage 2), (c) evaluate the stability of the instrument (Stage 3), and (d) examine the construct and divergent validity of the scale (Stage 4). Results Results provided support for a 14-item scale with three sub-scales reporting stereotypes related to exercise benefits, exercise risks and lack of capacity for exercise with Cronbach’s alphas of .77, .69 and .76 respectively. Results showed good factorial structure, strong reliability and indicators of convergent validity relating to self-efficacy, exercise and quality of life. Conclusion The HIVESS presented satisfactory psychometric properties, constitutes a reliable and valid instrument to measure exercise stereotypes among PLHIV and has applications for future research and clinical practice.

International audience; Although firefighting is known to engender a high rate of injury, few studies have examined the contribution of physical exercise, burnout and coping strategies to firefighting-related injuries. Data were collected from a population-based sample of 220 male firefighters. In a descriptive study, the nature and site of the injuries and the relationships among firefighter injuries, physical exercise, burnout and coping strategies were examined. Sprains were the most prevalent type of injury (98%), followed by tendinitis (40%) and muscle tears (30%). More than two thirds of these injuries were located at the ankle. Weekly hours of physical exercise, cognitive weariness at work, social support seeking, problem-focused coping and emotional exhaustion were significantly related to these injuries. The findings suggest that physical exercise and cognitive weariness can be considered as risk factors for French firefighter injuries, whereas problem-focused coping can be seen as a protective factor. More research is needed to explain the relationship between social support seeking and injury.

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.

International audience; Objectives: We investigated the associations between the Big Five personality traits and occupational burnout in firefighters and the mediating role of achievement goals in this relationship. Methods: Two hundred twenty male firefighters from 20 to 62 years old participated and mediation analyses were performed.Results: The results showed that neuroticism was positively related to the three dimensions of burnout, both directly and through mastery avoidance goals. Mastery approach goals mediated the relationships between conscientiousness and physical fatigue and between openness to experience and physical fatigue.Conclusion: Three of the Big Five personality traits, neuroticism, conscientiousness and openness to experience, and achievement goals, may be important factors in understanding and preventing firefighter burnout.

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

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 (M

International audience; The objective of this study was to develop and validate a French-language questionnaire measuring stereotypes related to exercise in cancer patients: The Cancer Exercise Stereotypes Scale (CESS). Four successive steps were carried out with 806 participants. First, a preliminary version was developed on the basis of the relevant literature and qualitative interviews. A test of clarity then led to the reformulation of six of the 30 items. Second, based on the modification indices of the first confirmatory factorial analysis, 11 of the 30 initial items were deleted. A new factorial structure analysis showed a good fit and validated a 19-item instrument with five subscales. Third, the stability of the instrument was tested over time. Last, tests of construct validity were conducted to examine convergent validity and discriminant validity. The French-language CESS appears to have good psychometric qualities and can be used to test theoretical tenets and inform intervention strategies on ways to foster exercise in cancer patients.

International audience; This article presents the development and validation of the aging stereotypes and exercise scale (ASES), which measures different dimensions of aging stereotypes in the exercise domain. Drawing on past research on older adults' perceived barriers to exercise, these dimensions include stereotypes about positive and negative exercise outcomes for older adults and about older adults' psychological barriers to exercise (i.e., lack of self-efficacy and motivation). Four studies involving 714 participants examined the factorial structure and invariance, temporal stability, and external validity of the scale. The results supported a 3-factor model that was invariant across age. Age differences in stereotype content appeared, with older adults holding more positive stereotypes than younger adults. Also as predicted, the more older adults endorsed negative stereotypes, the lower their physical self- worth, self-rated health, and subjective age. Last, responses to the ASES appeared to be stable over a 6-wk period.

This study was designed to identify beliefs about physical activity in cancer patients. Semi- structured interviews were conducted with 20 patients under treatment, who were invited to identify perceived barriers for not adopting a physically active lifestyle and to express their beliefs about physical activity. Content analyses revealed five main categories of beliefs including four types of barriers: (a) barriers related to the side effects of treatment; (b) barriers related to a lack of perceived physical abilities; (c) barriers related to a lack of interest for physical activity; (d) beliefs about the negative effects of physical activity, and (e) beliefs about the positive effects of physical activity. These findings extend the existing literature by indicating how stereotypes may play a role in explaining sedentary lifestyles in cancer patients.

We tested a hypothetical model that examined both the effects of implicit theories of ability on the judgement of cheating acceptability in a physical education context and the mediating role of the achievement goals defined in the social-cognitive model of achievement motivation. Data were collected from 477 middle-school students, who completed measures of implicit theories of ability, achievement goals, and judgement of cheating acceptability in team sports within a cross-sectional design. The results indicated that performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals mediated the relationships between entity theory and the judgement of cheating acceptability, and mastery-approach and mastery-avoidance goals mediated the relationships between incremental theory and the judgement of cheating acceptability. Further research is needed to determine whether these results would be replicated with other moral variables and other contexts.

This study extends previous psychosocial literature (Bandura et al., 2001, 2003) by examining a structural model of the self-regulatory mechanisms governing the acceptability and likelihood of cheating in a sport context. Male and female adolescents (N = 804), aged 15–20 years, took part in this study. Negative affective self-regulatory efficacy influenced the acceptability and likelihood of cheating through the mediating role of moral disengagement, in females and males. Affective efficacy positively influenced prosocial behavior through moral disengagement or through resistive self-regulatory efficacy and social efficacy, in both groups. The direct effects of affective efficacy on beliefs about cheating were only evident in females. These results extend the findings of Bandura et al. (2001, 2003) to the sport context and suggest that affective and resistive self-regulatory efficacy operate in concert in governing adolescents’ moral disengagement and transgressive behaviors in sport.

International audience; This study examined the influence of locus of control on disordered eating as mediated by the self-regulation of eating attitudes. The assessment instruments were adapted for athletes as the entire sample of 179 volunteer University students (M(age)=21.12; SD=2.87) were all regularly involved in competition. The results showed that (a) an internal locus of control had a positive influence on the self-regulation of eating attitudes in social interaction contexts; (b) self-regulatory eating attitudes had a negative influence on disordered eating in contexts of negative affect, social interaction, and lack of anticipation of consequences on performance; and (c) an internal locus of control had an influence on disordered eating through the mediation of self-regulatory eating attitudes in social interaction contexts, and an external locus of control attributed to the coach and sports friends had an influence on disordered eating through the mediation of self-regulatory eating attitudes in contexts of negative affect, social interaction and lack of anticipation of consequences on performance. This study, combined with an earlier study from Scoffier, Maïano, and d'Arripe-Longueville (2009) on the antecedents of athletes' eating disorders, suggests the powerful impact of the social environment on the development of disordered eating in athletes.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of social relationships (i.e., coach, friends, and parents) and acceptance (i.e., peers) on disturbed eating attitudes (DEAs) in elite adolescent female athletes, through the mediating role of physical self-perception (i.e., perceived physical appearance and perceived physical ability). Method: The sample comprised 227 elite adolescent female athletes (Mage = 15.75; SDage = 3.00) engaged in various esthetic sports. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling method and mediation analysis. Results: They showed that peer acceptance and quality of parent–athlete relationships have a significant negative influence on DEA in elite adolescent female athletes. Moreover, the quality of relationship with the coach and sport friend has a significant positive influence on DEA in female athletes through the mediating role of perceived physical ability. Discussion: The quality of relationship with parents and peer acceptance would be a protective factor regarding DEA, whereas the quality of relationships with coach and friend in sport would be risk factors for the development of DEA in adolescent female athletes through the mediating role of perceived physical ability. Recommendations for future use of, and research on, activities are outlined. The effects of social relationships and acceptance on DEA in elite adolescent female athletes: the mediating role of physical self-perceptions. © 2009 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2010.

International audience; The context for acquiring skills plays a major role in determining learning-related self-regulatory patterns. Studies conducted in academics (e.g., Roeser, Midgley, & Urdan, 1996) and in sports and physical activities (see Ntoumanis & Biddle, 1999) have revealed that, compared to ego-involving contexts (i.e., contexts promoting social comparison), task involving contexts (i.e., contexts emphasizing learning and personal progress) contribute more to promote adaptive cognitive and behavioral achievement patterns. Among these patterns, particular thoughts and strategies, such as self efficacy beliefs (e.g., Roeser et al., 1996) and help-seeking strategies (e.g., Newman & Schwager, 1995), have been found to favor academic performances. Surprisingly, in the domain of physical activities self-efficacy and help seeking have rarely or may never have been studied as achievement variables that can be influenced by the context. According to Nicholls’ (1989) achievement goals theory, the role of context in adopting adaptive or mal-adaptive achievement patterns is assumed to be mediated by the goals individuals pursue in a given situation. These goals correspond to task involvement, when an individual uses self-referenced criteria, such as effort investment and personal progress, to assess his or her ability. Otherwise, goals correspond to ego involvement, when the individual uses norm-referenced criteria, that is, when his or her perceived ability depends on how much more competent he or she is compared to others. However, whether these goals are actually solicited by the context has seldom been verified, because individu- als’ task or ego involvement has been measured in few studies conducted in sport. In these studies, goal involvement was assessed either with single-item measures (e.g., Swain & Harwood, 1996) or with stems adapted from scales usually used to measure dispositional motivational orientations (e.g., Williams, 1998). Developing tools that can specifically tap into the goals that individuals momentarily pursue might help to identify directly the mechanisms by which task- or ego-involving contexts influence some typical self-regulatory processes, such as help-seeking and self-efficacy beliefs. In the academic domain, help-seeking behaviors have been identified as adaptive learning-related self-regula- tory strategies (e.g., Nelson-Le Gall, 1992) that may be en- couraged by task-involving contexts. Particularly, these contexts have been found to favor seeking indirect instrumental help, such as hints (Butler & Neuman, 1995), whereas in ego-involving contexts, students are less likely to seek help (e.g., Ryan, Gheen, & Midgley, 1998) or more likely to prefer solutions (i.e., full help) over hints (i.e.,instrumental help) to expedite successful task completion (Butler & Neuman, 1995). Although help-seeking could be useful to motor learning, no research has yet focused on this variable in sport and physical activities.

International audience; The aim of this study was to examine the potential motivational and behavioural benefits of two peer tutoring programmes for tutors in a sport setting. Differences between the sexes were also explored. Thirty two college-age males and females, all novices on a French boxing task, were assigned to a 2×2 [sex×training type: physical practice associated with trained peer tutoring (TPT) vs physical practice associated with untrained peer tutoring (UPT)] factorial design. All participants were given six French boxing lessons of 2 h each. The TPT programme included structured methods to prepare the participants to fulfil their role of tutors, whereas the UPT programme did not. The results demonstrated that the TPT programme resulted in higher scores for coaching skills. Furthermore, interaction effects revealed that the TPT programme yielded better offensive outcomes for males and better defensive outcomes for females. Although the UPT participants expressed higher self-efficacy, no differences emerged for intrinsic motivation and causal attributions. Finally, male tutors displayed higher self-efficacy and offensive outcomes than female tutors. The results are discussed in the light of previous findings in the educational and sport psychology literature.