The impact of the achievement motive on athletic performance in adolescent football players

Researchers largely agree that there is a positive relationship between achievement motivation and athletic performance, which is why the achievement motive is viewed as a potential criterion for talent. However, the underlying mechanism behind this relationship remains unclear. In talent and performance models, main effect, mediator and moderator models have been suggested. A longitudinal study was carried out among 140 13-year-old football talents, using structural equation modelling to determine which model best explains how hope for success (HS) and fear of failure (FF), which are the aspects of the achievement motive, motor skills and abilities that affect performance. Over a period of half a year, HS can to some extent explain athletic performance, but this relationship is not mediated by the volume of training, sport-specific skills or abilities, nor is the achievement motive a moderating variable. Contrary to expectations, FF does not explain any part of performance. Aside from HS, however, motor abilities and in particular skills also predict a significant part of performance. The study confirms the widespread assumption that the development of athletic performance in football depends on multiple factors, and in particular that HS is worth watching in the medium term as a predictor of talent.

Supporting, Regulating, and Provisioning Hydrological Services

The natural regulation of the water cycle by tropical montane forests is an important ecosystem service. Within this chapter we focus on water balance and regulation of the water cycle. Differences of rainfall-runoff generation across scales change from a near-surface event water driven system in pristine rainforest-covered micro-catchments to a more groundwater pre-event water dominated one on the mesoscale. The highly dynamic discharges are often correlated with total suspended sediment loads. However, we also observed total suspended sediment peaks at times of low flow, indicating a decoupling of erosion and stream transport and a triggering of landslides not directly related to hydrological processes. We also summarize likely future trends of water-related ecosystem services and expect an increase in human use and benefits of fresh water use whereas changes in water regulation and water purification services remain unchanged on a high level.

Effekte einer individualisierten Sportberatung im Betrieb

Background Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) is becoming increasingly important. Individualized exercise counselling provides a person-oriented measure of WHP which sets out to increase the level of sport activity. The aim of the present study was to check the efficacy of individualized exercise counselling in workplace. Method 86 employees received counselling in 60–90-min sessions. Their level of sport activity was ascertained both during the intervention and 6 weeks later. At T2, the perceived impulse to change their personal behaviour was also determined. The data were analysed by calculating Spearman’s rank correlation and conducting t-tests. Results Overall, the level of sport activity increased from 173 to 228 min/week (ES = 0.34). Particularly those people who had been inactive (ES = 0.76), < 90 min/week (ES = 0.63) or 90–180 min/week active (ES = 0.53) at T1, report a higher level of sport activities at T2. Discussion The findings speak in favour of integrating individualized exercise counselling into WHP, whereby the person-oriented measure should be supplemented by environmental strategies.