Anxiety versus fundamental emotions as predictors of perceived functionality of pre-competitive emotional states, threat, and challenge in individual sports

The objectives of this study were to examine the contribution of anxiety and fundamental emotions to perceived emotion functionality and evaluate the informational value of anxiety measures used in sport versus measures of fundamental emotions in terms of appraisal. A battery of questionnaires comprising the somatic and cognitive subscale of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2), the State Anxiety Inventory, the Differential Emotions Scale–IV, a perceived functionality of emotions single item, and two items assessing challenge and threat appraisals was administered to 202 athletes competing in individual sports in the United Kingdom. They were tested on recalled pre-competitive emotions experienced before their best and worst competition ever and momentary emotions experienced one hour before an actual competition. In general, measures of fundamental emotions with clear approach or avoidance action tendencies were better predictors of emotion functionality than anxiety measures. Results also suggested that the CSAI-2 does not convey clear information about an athlete’s appraisal of a competition. Measures of negative and positive fundamental emotions with clear action tendencies were better indicators of athletes’ appraisal patterns. It was concluded that assessment of athletes’ emotional state should not be exclusively based on anxiety measures but should encompass or be replaced with measures of emotions conveying unambiguous information about the athlete-competition relationship.

Temporal patterning of competitive emotions : a critical review

An interactional model of stress that integrates current research on competitive affects and emphasizes the temporal dimensions of the stress process is forwarded. The literature reveals that the study of athletes' affective responses to competition has been narrowly focused on pre-competitive anxiety. Equivocal findings on temporal patterning of competitive anxiety suggest that a fundamental change in the empirical approach is needed because the current conceptualization of anxiety and other complex emotions is imprecise. The analysis of secondary emotions as patterns of discrete basic emotions, as suggested by differential emotions theorists, is proposed for consideration in future research. In this view, competitive anxiety is considered as a set of patterns of emotions rather than a unitary affect. The adoption of this approach could result in better operationalization of competitive anxiety as well as other secondary performance-related emotions. We propose that research on competitive affects should follow two parallel lines. The first should focus on the description of complex emotional states that reflect the idiosyncratic emotional experience and vocabulary of the athlete. The second should examine the sets of basic emotions experienced throughout competition, and focus on individual differences and factors determining those differences. The integration of the two approaches could lead to a better understanding of whether, how and why individuals differ in the interpretation of specific secondary emotions and their effect on performance. Moreover, it would permit the analysis of intra-individual variations in labelling secondary emotions with respect to different competitive contexts and temporal aspects.

Learners’ motivation and identity in the Vietnamese EFL writing classroom

The study reported in this paper explores issues of motivation and learners’ identity in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing classroom in Vietnam from the perspectives of the learners. It was conducted with thirty English-major students at a university in central Vietnam. While relevant literature appears to place much emphasis on students’ extrinsic motivations related to institutional needs, their linguistic needs, and social needs in learning EFL writing, students are not only concerned with these but more significantly, with their intrinsic motivations such as their interest, passion and inspiration, which are linked to their personal and cultural needs in writing. Students in this study show their potential to write independently, creatively and passionately if they are really motivated. This reflects an image of students who are able and ready to write with a sense of authorship in a foreign language, which is different from how they appear to be in the routine described with writing as imitating the model and developing some preconceived ideas. The research also suggests that decisions about appropriate methods and materials for teaching writing in the study context need to be based on a comprehensive interpretation of not only the visible signs or visible needs mainly shaped by institutional requirements and social expectations but also what is deep inside students’ act of writing in a foreign language involving their own cognitive and affective process embedded in their unrecognised needs.

Microphase separation induced by competitive hydrogen bonding interactions in semicrystalline triblock copolymer/homopolymer complexes

Microphase separation through competitive hydrogen bonding interactions in ABC/D triblock copolymer/ homopolymer complexes is studied for the first time. This study investigated self-assembled nanostructures that are obtained in the bulk, by the complexation of a semicrystalline polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (SVPEO) triblock copolymer with a poly(4-vinyl phenol) (PVPh) homopolymer in tetrahydrofuran (THF). In these complexes, microphase separation takes place due to the disparity in intermolecular interactions among PVPh/P4VP and PVPh/PEO pairs. At low PVPh concentrations, PEO interacts relatively weakly with PVPh, whereas in the complexes containing more than 30 wt% PVPh, the PEO block interacts considerably with PVPh, leading to the formation of composition-dependent nanostructures. SAXS and TEM results indicate that the cylindrical morphology of a neat SVPEO triblock copolymer changes into lamellae structures at 20 wt% of PVPh then to disordered lamellae with 40 wt% PVPh. Wormlike structures are obtained in the complex with 50 wt%PVPh, followed by disordered spherical microdomains with size in the order of 40–50 nm in the complexes with 60–80 wt% PVPh. Moreover, when the content of PVPh increases to 80 wt%, the complexes show a completely homogenous phase of PVPh/P4VP and PVPh/PEO with phase separated spherical PS domains. The fractional crystallization behavior in SVPEO and complexes at lower PVPh content was also examined. A structural model was proposed to explain the microphase separation and self-assembled morphologies of these complexes based on the experimental results obtained. The formation of nanostructures and changes in morphologies depend on the relative strength of hydrogen bonding interactions between each component block of the copolymer and the homopolymer.

Establishing Competitive Domination Cycles for Peer-to-peer Game Combat

Games require balance to be fair and enjoyable. In two player combat settings balance can be achieved by ensuring that both units are equally capable. The possibility of alliances changes the nature of balance when additional players are introduced. One approach to achieving balance is to use a domination loop between agents in a rock, scissors, paper style approach. This paper investigates whether such loops exist within the existing rules of game combat. Search processes within the attribute space of the game units are used to identify loops within an existing game architecture. A dominance metric is used to identify cycles where the victory is achieved by a clear threshold. Cycles with up to 5 players are demonstrated, although larger cycles require more effort to find. Use of models of game play and attribute space search are recommended as a mechanism for balancing games of this format.

Cooperative and competitive structures of trust relations in teams

This article argues that it is not just trust-generating but also trust-inhibiting mechanisms that operate in teams, and that these cooperative and competitive structures of interpersonal relations of trust within teams may affect team performance. Specifically, we propose that the presence of trust-generating structures (e.g., reciprocity, trusting in the referrals of others we trust, trusting in high performers and more experienced people) and the absence of trust-inhibiting structures (e.g., not trusting in the referrals of others we trust) are more likely to be associated with successful teams. Using exponential random graph models, a particular class of statistical model for social networks, we examine three professional sporting teams from the Australian Football League for the presence and absence of these mechanisms of interpersonal relations of trust. Quantitative network results indicate a differential presence of these postulated structures of trust relations in line with our hypotheses. Qualitative comparisons of these quantitative findings with team performance measures suggest a link between trust-generating and trust-inhibiting mechanisms of trust and team performance. Further theorization on other trust-inhibiting structures of trust relations and related empirical work is likely to shed further light on these connections.

The influence of organisational commitment, job involvement and utility perceptions on trainees’ motivation to improve work through learning

Workplace training is a key strategy often used by organisations to optimise performance. Further, trainee motivation is a key determinant of the degree to which the material learned in a training programme will be transferred to the workplace, enhancing the performance of the trainee. This study investigates the relationship between several components of the Revised Human Resource Development (HRD) Evaluation and Research Model. This model provides a framework for diagnosing and understanding the causal influences of HRD intervention outcomes on training effectiveness. Data were obtained from an online questionnaire completed by 105 employees of various organisations. Findings revealed that affective organisational commitment, job involvement and utility perceptions are predictors of motivation to learn and transfer learning. An interaction effect was found, with increased affective organisational commitment predicting greater motivation to learn when training was of lower perceived utility. These findings suggest that the design and delivery of training should emphasise the relevance and utility of the programme in order to encourage greater trainee motivation and maximise return on investment. Additionally, implementing strategies aimed at promoting organisational commitment would appear beneficial.