Master of Science, Miami University, 2017, Exercise and Health Studies

This study presents the results of a phenomenological qualitative analysis of former team sport athletes' experiences of physical and psychological effects of sport-related concussion. Concussions have become increasingly prevalent in sport and knowledge surrounding the injury has become more available. Most research on sport-related concussions has focused on return to play and the physiological aspects of the injury; however, concussed individuals may also suffer psychological symptoms. Former athletes are experiencing health issues due to the physical and psychological nature of this injury. This study sought to add to this literature by exploring what physical and psychological effects former high school/collegiate team sport athletes experienced because of a sport-related concussion and the meanings they make of (how they experienced) these physical and psychological effects of a sport-related concussion.

Committee: Valeria Freysinger (Advisor); Robert Weinberg (Committee Member); Eric Brooks (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Sciences; Kinesiology; Psychology; Social Psychology; Sports Medicine

Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Psychological Sciences and Counseling

Behavioral Sports Psychology (BSP) research has experienced significant growth over recent decades, with various interventions implemented across different sports, athletes, and coaching contexts. This study builds upon previous systematic reviews by examining research from 2018 to 2024, focusing on behavioral interventions to enhance sports performance. Using inclusion criteria aligned with prior studies, 15 articles were identified from academic journals, covering nine sports and employing ten distinct behavioral interventions. Findings indicate consistent performance improvements across studies, with no negative outcomes reported. However, gaps persist in research, including the need for more studies on specific interventions, sports, and skill levels, as well as a scarcity of research involving professional athletes. The study analyzes the effectiveness of behavioral interventions in sports performance enhancement while highlighting avenues for future research to address limitations and broaden the applicability of findings across diverse sporting contexts.

Committee: Kristopher Brown PsyD, BCBA-D (Advisor); Alicia Prieto-Langarica PhD (Committee Member); Joseph Corpa MS, BCBA (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Psychology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Background: At a global level, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted dietary patterns, physical activity, and social interactions among adults in the U.S. For Division 1(D1) student-athletes, the adjustments to collegiate training disruptions, cancelled competitions, and ongoing mandates added another level of complexity to their lives. Objective: To determine D1 student-athlete perceptions and experiences regarding nutrition and mental health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A 7-to-8-minute online Qualtrics survey of 29 questions was distributed to D1 student-athletes at The Ohio State University between August 2021 and December 2021 via email. IBM SPSS Statistics 27 was used to calculate response frequencies for closed-ended questions. Qualitative responses were coded and further analyzed for emergent themes. Results: Forty-five percent (n=467) of all D1 student-athletes from 2021-2022 active team rosters completed the survey. Across the 37 teams, there was an average participation rate of 51% from each team. Over 50% of all respondents reported a change in dietary patterns during COVID-19 with 26% reporting eating healthier or more intuitively while 15% reported disordered eating patterns. Of the 52% that reported a change in mood during the pandemic, 32% reported a negative mood with 19% self-reporting sadness and 16% reporting depression. Conclusions: Our findings document that the COVID-19 pandemic altered the behaviors and perceptions of Division 1 collegiate athletes in ways that impacted both their nutrition and mental health. It is critical for collegiate sports medicine providers and stakeholders to address these issues to ensure optimal health, safety, and performance of our student-athletes.

Committee: Colleen Spees (Advisor); Jill Clutter (Committee Member); Jordan Jennewine (Committee Member); James Houle (Committee Member); Kristen Welker (Committee Member) Subjects: Health Sciences; Nutrition

Master of Science, Miami University, 2015, Sport Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore interscholastic coaches' and athletes' perceptions of attendance-expectancy for scheduled off-season activities for athletes competing on male and female basketball teams, as well as how those expectations were related to their views of specialization in high school sports and athlete perception of burnout. Additionally, this study examined the level of congruency between coach and athlete perceptions regarding attendance expectations for team off-season activities, and compared these perceptions and their corresponding implications to recommendations for optimized talent development by Cote's Developmental Model of Sport Participation (Cote, Lidor, & Hackfort, 2009). Participants were separated into coach and athlete groups and completed a detailed measure of their perceptions of activity attendance during the eight-month off-season. Results indicated that coaches were likely to report off-season activities as more voluntary than the athlete participants, illuminating the incongruent nature of off-season activity perceptions between these two groups

Committee: Melissa Chase Dr. (Advisor); Thelma Horn Dr. (Committee Member); Robin Vealey Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Kinesiology

Master of Science in Sport Studies, Miami University, 2014, Sport Studies

Sport competition is becoming more demanding for student-athletes. Bernier and colleagues (2009) stated that optimal performances does not require the reduction of internal states. Mindfulness Meditation training promotes a non-judging awareness, acceptance and focus on the task at hand, which could be serve as a complementary approach to traditional use of psychological skills training for improving performance and well-being. The construct of Mindfulness appears is compatible with flow and peak performance in sport (Birrer, Rothlin, & Morgan, 2012). The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of a Mindfulness intervention on flow, dispositional mindfulness and the intention to suppress unwanted thoughts in college student-athletes. College soccer players were randomly assigned to a Relaxation Response, a Mindfulness Meditation or a Control group and changes across the 4-week intervention period on the psychological variables noted above were evaluated. Results from repeated measure ANOVAs indicated no statistical significance between experimental groups or time points. The lack of athlete compliance with practicing the techniques and low sample size appeared to contribute to these non-significant findings. Qualitative methods, and case studies along with quantitate studies with larger samples are suggested for future research.

Committee: Robert Weinberg PhD (Committee Chair); Robin Vealey PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Melissa Chase PhD (Committee Member); Rose Marie Ward PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Kinesiology; Psychology

Master of Science in Sport Studies, Miami University, 2013, Exercise and Health Studies

Researchers have been divided on whether to include relaxation prior to imagery or not and research findings have been mixed. Although relaxation prior to imagery has been suggested to increase concentration on the imagery and imagery vividness it has not been scientifically studied before. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of relaxation prior to PETTLEP imagery on soccer free-kick performance, concentration on imagery, and imagery vividness compared to PETTLEP imagery without relaxation and a control group. Participants were 16 elite soccer players, assigned to three groups (relaxation prior to PETTLEP, PETTLEP only, and control), participated in a five week intervention, took part in a soccer free-kick task, and answered questionnaires to evaluate concentration and imagery vividness. The results revealed that the relaxation prior to PETTLEP group significantly improved their concentration on imagery and scored significantly higher on subjective free-kick scores than the PETTLEP only group, but the PETTLEP only group had in general more imagery vividness.

Committee: Robert Weinberg (Advisor); Thelma Horn (Committee Member); Robin Vealey (Committee Member) Subjects: Kinesiology; Psychology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2007, Allied Medical Professions

Study Design: A survey questionnaire design was used in this comparative study. The independent variables were gender, scholarship status, reason for attending OSU and sport. The dependent variables were student (SIM) and athletic (AIM) identity scores. Objective: The primary objective of this study is to compare athletic identity and student identity among male and female Division I student-athletes. Background: Sport Psychology is a field that studies both the mental and psychological attributes that affect sport and physical activity. An increase focus has emerged in the psychology of athletic injury rehabilitation and treatment. The evolution of Title IX has focused our efforts on both male and female collegiate athletics. Methods and Measures: Subjects consisted of 248 student-athletes from The Ohio State University that were members of the above-mentioned teams. Using a 7-point Likert scale, all subjects completed a 14-question instrument. With written authorization, the first 7 questions was the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) survey designed by Dr. Britton Brewer in 1993. The last seven questions was the Student Identity Measurement Scale (SIMS). The survey was provided to all subjects with a packet that consisted of a cover letter, anonymous demographics questionnaire and the 14-question instrument. Upon completion of the questionnaire, the subjects placed the demographics questionnaire and 14-question survey instrument in a sealed letterhead envelope and forwarded the envelope to the team athletic trainer. Upon receipt, the athletic trainer placed them in a larger envelope for the principal and/or co-investigator to pick up at a later time. Results: A total of 181 of 248 questionnaires were returned. However, only 180 surveys were complete and able to be used for data analysis. Of the 180 surveys used, 103 were male student-athletes and 77 were female student athletes. The highest response rates (96%) were men's and women's soccer. Scholarship a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Mark Merrick (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2007, Athletic Training (Health and Human Services)

This study examined both athletes' and athletic trainers' perceptions on motivation and social support of injured athletes during rehabilitation. Investigating how athletic trainers motivate athletes and give social support to perform his/her rehabilitation provides insight to the impact athletic trainers have in caring for and rehabilitating injuries. Two electronic surveys, the athletic trainer survey and the athlete survey were constructed using Survey Monkey. Data were collected on the perceived motivation of injured athletes in rehabilitation, the injured athletes' and athletic trainers' views of motivation, and the athletic trainers' role in motivating the injured athlete and provide social support in rehabilitation. Data analysis with an ANOVA indicated athletic trainers' vital role in the motivation and social support of injured athletes during rehabilitation. Athletic trainers were identified as the most important individual in motivating and providing reality confirmation, task appreciation, task challenge, and emotional challenge and support.

Committee: Jeffrey Seegmiller (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2005, Psychology

How do experts' representations of knowledge differ from novices'? Traditional views suggest that knowledge is represented as a series of propositional codes. Experts' extensive knowledge may simply result in more or stronger codes than novices. However, recent theories suggest knowledge is embodied: Understanding the world arises from previous experiences interacting with the world rather than from links in a semantic network. Thus, expertise may lead to fundamentally different representations of domain information, containing different traces of perceptual and motor information. Building on embodied theories, two experiments examined the type of knowledge supporting novice and expert performance. Experiment 1 asked whether domain knowledge is needed to form embodied representations in ice hockey. Experiment 2 asked whether active football experience, in addition to domain knowledge, is needed to form embodied representations of football-specific action. Results demonstrate that domain knowledge is required. Moreover, motor experience is necessary in forming embodied representations involving domain-specific actions.

Committee: Sian Beilock (Advisor) Subjects: Psychology, Cognitive

Master of Science in Sport Studies, Miami University, 2003, Physical Education, Health, and Sport Studies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of sport psychology that existed among athletes at a NCAA Division I university, as well as why such perceptions were held and how they came to be formed. Thirteen (7 male, 6 female; 8 Caucasian, 5 African-American) student-athletes representing a variety of individual and team sports were interviewed. Through qualitative analysis of in-depth personal interviews with the athletes, the meanings that the athletes attached to sport psychology were revealed. Five themes emerged: mental aspects of sports, problems and issues, lack of support, good for the team, and no interest in sport psychology. The results suggest that the athletes in the study perceive sport psychology as dealing with the mental aspect of sports, that they generally consider sport psychology services to be of value to them, and that they believe significant others in their lives might view those who seek such services negatively.

Committee: Robin Vealey (Committee Co-Chair); Valeria Freysinger (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Psychology, General

Master of Arts in Education, Defiance College, 2011, Education

Ten student-athletes at a NCAA Division III liberal arts college in the Midwest began this study, and seven completed the intervention in full. The purpose of the study was to examine whether weekly use of motor imagery would enhance the athletes' levels of confidence in their sport. Following a six-week intervention period during which the participants engaged in imagery sessions on their own and with the researcher, the majority of athletes scored higher on a measurement of sport confidence than they had prior to the intervention. In addition, all athletes responded that they had experienced an enhancement of their confidence and that they planned to continue their use of motor imagery in the future.

Committee: Matt Lydum M.S. (Advisor); Jo Ann Burkhardt Ph.D. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Physical Education; Psychology; Sports Medicine

Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, 2009, Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies /Kinesiology

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine goal orientation, perceived motivational climate, perceived competence, and motivation in collegiate softball starters and non-starters and collegiate softball players with full, partial, and no scholarships. Method: Division I college softball player (N = 52; ages 18-22) at three Mid-American Conference programs were categorized by player role (starter vs. non-starter) and scholarship status (full, partial, or none). Players completed surveys to assess perceived competence, satisfaction with life (Satisfaction with Life Scale), goal orientation (Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire), perceived motivational climate (Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-2), and motivation (Sport Motivation Scale). The surveys were completed towards the end of the softball season (April, 2009). Perceived competence and life satisfaction were analyzed using independent t-tests and ANOVA. Goal orientation, perceived motivational climate, and motivation were analyzed using one-way MANOVAs. Results: Significant findings for player role and perceived motivational climate, as well as scholarship status and perceived motivational climate were found (p<.05). Although there was no significance between motivation and player role, follow-up univariate tests found significance in amotivation for starters and non-starters (p<.05). Conclusion: College softball players differed in perceived motivational climate according to player role (starter vs. non-starter) and scholarship status (full, partial, or none). Contrary to expectations, perceived competence, satisfaction with life, and motivation did not differ in starters or non-starters or in full, partial, or no scholarship holders. This investigation has provided evidence for the need to further explore relationships including starters and non-starters and differences in scholarship status.

Committee: David Tobar Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Bonnie Berger Ed.D. (Committee Member); Geoffrey Meek Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects:

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2012, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

College student-athletes lead a unique lifestyle in which they must manage high athletic involvement and performance demands along with traditional expectations of college students. They are expected to appropriately execute athletic and academic roles and perform at high standards in both. About half of these student-athletes will suffer an injury over the course of their college career. Injury may elicit psychological distress and can threaten the athletic identity of the athletes. They are expected to continue to maintain both their athlete and student identities at pre-injury level while working through the injury, often with relatively little support. While physical support helps the injury heal, psychological support has been shown to aid in the adjustment in activity and identity during the rehabilitation process while managing the demands of the student-athlete lifestyle. The current research is aimed at better understanding the awareness of student-athletes of availability of psychological resources, specifically sport psychology resources, and the factors that make student-athletes more likely to express interest in access to sport psychology services when recovering from injury. The research found that student-athletes are generally unaware of whether or not they have access to sport psychology services and that gender and the experience of psychological distress following injury affect interest in access to sport psychology services. The findings support the need for an increase in education of student-athletes about these services and their availability within college settings.

Committee: Theodore Ellenhorn Ph.D (Committee Chair); James Graves Ph.D (Committee Member); Mitch Abrams Psy.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Mental Health; Rehabilitation