The purpose of this work is to analyze, in a pilot study, the effects of video modeling and imagery training over 24 weeks on tennis service performance. Three groups of 9- to 12-yr.-old tennis players participated: (a) a physical practice group, who received physical training, (b) a physical practice + video group who received physical training plus watched a video modeling mental training, and (c) a physical practice + video + imagery group who received physical training plus video modeling and imagery mental training. The results for the intragroup pre-posttest comparisons showed that tennis performance did not significantly improve for the physical training group. The groups given mental training showed improvement from pre- to postintervention. Finally, the posttest comparison between groups indicated that diere were significant differences between the group given physical training only compared to the groups given mental training but that the latter two did not differ significantly from each other.

Perfectionism is considered to be an important personality factor within the dance context given the high number of dancers whose psychological health is influenced by its consequences. The relationship between perfectionism and dancers’ well- and ill-being can be mediated by a range of variables. The present study explores the role of forms of motivation (i.e., autonomous motivation, controlled motivation and amotivation) as mediators in the relationship between perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented and socially prescribed) and an indicator of well-being (i.e., subjective vitality) and ill-being (i.e., burnout). Participants of the study were 146 male and female Spanish vocational dancers aged between 12 and 26 years old (Mean age = 15.40 ± 2.96) who completed questionnaires measuring the variables of interest. Results of multiple mediator regression analyses showed that amotivation mediated the relationships between self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism with burnout and subjective vitality. Self-oriented perfectionism was negatively correlated, and socially prescribed perfectionism positively associated with amotivation. Amotivation of dancers was a positive predictor of burnout and a negative predictor of subjective vitality. Overall, the findings corroborate the importance of amotivation in the relationship between perfectionism dimensions and well-being and ill-being in dancers.

The purpose of this study was to study the associations between specific self-perceptions and global self-worth with different frequency levels of sport participation among Spanish boys and girls adolescents. Students (457 boys and 460 girls) completed the Self Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985) and items assessing sport engagement from The Health Behavior in School Children Questionnaire (Wold, 1995). Results showed that some specific dimensions of self-perception were related to different frequency of sport participation whereas overall judgments of self-worth did not. Specifically, for boys and girls, higher levels of sport participation were positively associated to Athletic Competence, and for boys were also associated with Physical Appearance and Social Acceptance. The potential implications of domain specific socialisation processes on the configuration of self-perceptions are highlighted.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between self-reported life satisfaction, self-rated health, gender, and age in adolescents. 1,141 secondary school students aged between 12 and 17 participated in our study. The data were analyzed using bivariate and nonlinear canonical correlation analyses. The results of the bivariate correlation analysis support the results of previous studies. Life satisfaction was positively correlated with same-day perceived health (r = .37; p < .01) and negatively correlated with anxiety/depression (r = –.37; p < .01). Same-day perceived health was positively correlated with health in the past 12 months (r = .38; p < .01) and negatively correlated with pain/discomfort (r = –.32; p < .01) and with anxiety/depression (r = –.32; p < .01). The nonlinear canonical correlation analysis provided further evidence of the relationship between the variables, suggesting the complementarity of the indicators of self-rated health analyzed. Multiple fit values showed that demographic variables age (.61) and gender (.56) were the variables with the best discriminatory power. Graphically, two groups of related variables were displayed. A non-linear analysis better explains the relationships between the variables analyzed, showing that age and gender have a high level of discriminatory power for life satisfaction and self-rated health, suggesting a role as a moderator in the relationship between health and well-being variables.

Findings in different contexts suggest that task orientation and ego orientation are related to adaptive and maladaptive motivational patterns, respectively. In sport, these personal dispositions could influence other important variables such as the goals that athletes pursue (and why they pursue them) during the season and their well- and ill-being. The main purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between athletes’ dispositional goal orientations, their goal motives, and their reported well-being (subjective vitality) and ill-being (physical and emotional exhaustion). The study involved 414 Spanish university athletes (206 female and 208 male) with an age range of 17 to 33 years (M = 20.61; SD = 2.58) that completed a package of questionnaires at the beginning of the season. Results of path analysis revealed that athletes’ task orientation was negatively associated to physical and emotional exhaustion indirectly through autonomous and controlled goal motives. In contrast, ego orientation was positively related to physical and emotional exhaustion via its link to controlled goal motives. Athletes’ task orientation directly and positively predicted subjective vitality, even though goal motives were not significant mediators. These findings support previous evidence about the protective role of athletes’ task orientation, in contrast to ego orientation, confirming its positive relationship with well-being and its negative one with ill-being. Additionally, it extends the knowledge regarding interdependencies between goal orientations and goal motives and how both contribute to athletes’ optimal or compromised functioning.

El Inventario Multidimensional de Perfeccionismo en Deporte (MIPS) es una medida deportiva específica del perfeccionismo desarrollado a partir de una combinación de diferentes modelos multidimensionales. Este estudio analiza las propiedades psicométricas del MIPS en una muestra de adolescentes deportistas. Participaron 429 futbolistas españoles con edades comprendidas entre 9 y 13 años. Los análisis factoriales confirmatorios mostraron que un modelo bidimensional obtenía adecuados índices de ajuste y los coeficientes alfa de Cronbach mostraron niveles de fiabilidad interna aceptables. La validez criterial y convergente del MIPS español ha sido confirmada analizando su asociación con medidas de ansiedad competitiva, auto-estima contingente y con otras dimensiones de perfeccionismo. Los resultados de este estudio sugieren que la versión española del MIPS es un instrumento específico para deporte, bien adaptado, fiable y válido para su utilización con jóvenes deportistas. The Multidimensional Inventory of Perfectionism in Sport (MIPS) is one sport specific measure of perfectionism developed on the basis of a combination of different multidimensional models. This study assesses the psychometrics of the MIPS-Y in a Spanish adolescent sport sample. Participants were 429 Spanish football players with ages ranging from 9 to 13 years. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that a two-dimensional model obtained adequate fit indices and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients showed acceptable levels of internal reliability. The criterion and convergent validity of the Spanish MIPS was also confirmed via its association with measures of sport anxiety, contingent self-worth and additional perfectionism dimensions. The results of this study suggest that the Spanish version of the MIPS is a well-adapted, reliable and valid sport specific instrument for employment with young athletes. O Perfeccionismo Multidimensional em Inventário Desportivo (MIPS) é uma medida específica de perfeccionismo desenvolvida a partir de uma combinação de diferentes modelos multidimensionais. Este estudo analisa as propriedades psicométricas da MIPS em uma amostra de atletas adolescentes. Havia 429 futebolistas espanhóis entre os 9 e os 13 anos. As análises fatoriais confirmatórias mostraram que um modelo bidimensional obteve índices de ajuste adequados e os coeficientes alfa de Cronbach mostraram níveis aceitáveis de confiabilidade interna. A validade convergente e criterial da MIPS espanhola foi confirmada pela análise da sua associação com medidas de ansiedade competitiva, auto-estima contingente e outras dimensões do perfeccionismo. Os resultados deste estudo sugerem que a versão espanhola da MIPS é um instrumento específico do esporte, bem adaptado, confiável e válido para uso com jovens atletas.