Predicting Muscularity-Related Behavior, Emotions, and Cognitions in Men: The Role of Psychological Need Thwarting, Drive for Muscularity, and Mesomorphic Internalization

We examine the relationships that internalization, need thwarting (NT), and drive for muscularity (DFM), along with their interactions, had with weightlifting, muscle dissatisfaction (MD), and muscle-related-worry (MRW). A sample of 552 men (MAGE = 20.5 years, SD = 3.1) completed the Psychological Need Thwarting Scale, the Internalization subscale of the male version of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire, the Drive for Muscularity Scale-Attitudes subscale, the Male Body Attitudes Scale-Muscularity subscale, the Body Change Inventory-Worry subscale, and an inventory assessing weightlifting behavior. DFM significantly predicted weightlifting, MRW, and MD. Internalization significantly predicted weightlifting and MRW. NT significantly predicted weightlifting and MD, and its relationship with MRW approached significance. The interaction terms did not predict weightlifting or MRW. The NT/DFM and NT/Internalization interaction terms predicted MD. These results highlight the role of NT in predicting appearance variables in men.

The Moderating Effects of Emotions on Cognitive Skills

An important challenge in higher education today is the growing tutor -student ratio that diminishes the ‘human touch’. As learning and teaching is ultimately an interpersonal process, this will lead to student discontent and impact on the ir learning. Whilst there is little that teaching practitioners can do in terms of the growing student numbers they have to tutor , they may however influence student learning by enhancing their positive emotions. This study examines the importance of emotion s in improving cognitive skills and how it interacts with knowledge and reflection. This research contributes to theory by examining the role of emotions as a moderating factor in the lear ning process. Our findings reveal that emotions moderate the direct relationship between knowledge and cognitive skills , and the indirect relationship between knowledge and cognitive skills via reflection. The findings demonstrate the critical role that emotions play in student learning. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.