Laura Bortoli

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of long-distance running through two prominent frameworks: the self-determination theory (SDT) and the dualistic model of passion (DMP). Specifically, we investigated the associations between the satisfaction of psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness), harmonious and obsessive passion, functional and dysfunctional psychobiosocial (PBS) states, and life satisfaction in a sample of amateur long-distance runners. Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey design, data on psychological needs satisfaction, passion, PBS states, and life satisfaction were collected from 209 amateur long-distance runners participating in the Italian Run for Science (R4S) event series (2017–2019). Results: Correlations and structural equation modeling results showed autonomy to be positively associated with functional PBS states and life satisfaction, and obsessive passion to be negatively associated with dysfunctional PBS states. Functional PBS states were found to mediate the relationship between autonomy and life satisfaction. Conclusion: We found partial support for our predictions based on the SDT and DMP. Findings suggest that autonomy, social connections, adaptive forms of passion, and functional PBS states are important correlates of life satisfaction of amateur long-distance runners.

Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the interplay between harmonious passion, obsessive passion, self-confidence, emotional arousal control, worry, concentration disruption, and psychobiosocial experiences in female amateur dancers during their usual practice. Methods: A convenience sample of 160 Italian female amateur dancers aged 16 to 36 years ( M = 20.63, SD = 4.93) participated in a cross-sectional study and completed a questionnaire assessing the variables of interest. Correlational, parallel mediation, and moderated mediation analyses were conducted to test hypotheses regarding direct and indirect effects of passion on psychobiosocial experiences. Results: Harmonious passion positively correlated with self-confidence, emotional arousal control, and psychobiosocial experiences, while obsessive passion was found to have weaker associations with these variables. Self-confidence mediated the relationship between harmonious passion and psychobiosocial experiences. Moderated mediation revealed that the positive effect of harmonious passion on psychobiosocial experiences was stronger when obsessive passion was low. Conclusion: Findings suggest that fostering harmonious passion and self-confidence enhances dancers’ functional emotional experiences, particularly when obsessive passion is minimized. Practical implications include autonomy-supportive coaching and confidence-building strategies to promote performance satisfaction and well-being.

In sport, where high achievements are at stake, athletes often feel pressure and emotions that hinder their performance. Emotion regulation becomes essential for athletes to handle stress, achieve optimal performance, and enhance their overall well-being. To advance both research and practical applications, it is crucial to examine the antecedents of emotion regulation and the impact on emotions and other feelings associated with performance. Specifically, the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the role of athletes’ emotion regulation strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) in the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction, emotions, and psychobiosocial experiences. The sample consisted of 424 competitive athletes (246 men and 178 women) involved in individual sports (n = 164; e.g., fencing, gymnastics, martial arts, swimming, and tennis) or team sports (n = 260; e.g., basketball, rugby, soccer, and volleyball), aged 16–36 years (M = 23.08, SD = 7.65). Their competitive experience ranged from 1 to 21 years (M = 9.71, SD = 6.34) at regional (71%), national (18%), or international (11%) level, and they practiced their sport on average 3.74 times a week (SD = 1.73). Participants completed measures of basic needs satisfaction (i.e., competence, autonomy, and relatedness), emotion regulation style, emotions, and psychobiosocial experiences. Structural equation modeling results showed that competence need satisfaction was positively associated with pleasant emotions and psychobiosocial experiences that are perceived as functional for performance, and negatively associated with a maladaptive emotion regulation style (i.e., expressive suppression) and unpleasant emotions. Relatedness need satisfaction was positively related to an adaptive emotion regulation style (i.e., cognitive reappraisal), pleasant emotions, and psychobiosocial experiences, and negatively related to expressive suppression and unpleasant emotions. Finally, mediation analysis showed positive indirect effects from autonomy and relatedness satisfaction to pleasant emotions and psychobiosocial experiences via cognitive reappraisal. Findings suggest that the satisfaction of athletes’ basic psychological needs of autonomy and relatedness is related to the experience of pleasant emotions and functional psychobiosocial states when they adopt an adaptive emotion regulation style.

The objective of this study was to develop and validate the Psychobiosocial Experience Semantic Differential in Physical Education (PESD-PE) scale, a new holistic measure of discrete emotion-related feelings (i.e., psychobiosocial experiences) as conceived within the individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF) framework. A preliminary version of the PESD-PE was administered to 336 students (171 girls, 165 boys), while the final version was administered to a new sample of 352 students (186 girls, 166 boys) aged 14–19 years. Overall, findings provided evidence of factorial and construct validity for a model containing 33 items loading into 11 modalities, with 3 items each. Convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity of the PESD-PE was also found. This new measure of discrete experiences will help increase our knowledge about the reciprocal effects between emotion-related feelings and performance, and will also inform practical interventions aimed at creating more adaptive psychobiosocial experiences in accordance with physical education goals.

Using the multi‐states (MuSt) theory as a framework, the present study focused on the individual (personality) antecedents of psychobiosocial states. Psychobiosocial states comprise emotional subjective experiences and their correlates (cognitive, motivational, volitional, bodily, motor‐behavioural, operational, and communicative), that can be functional for performance (helpful) or dysfunctional (harmful). Specifically, we examined the relationships between two perfectionism dimensions (perfectionistic strivings and concerns) and functional and dysfunctional psychobiosocial states. The hypothesized mediational role of competitive appraisals was also tested. Participants (N = 271, 138 female, 133 male, M age = 22.74 ± 7.01) completed questionnaires assessing the targeted variables. Structural equation modelling revealed that perfectionistic strivings were positive predictors of functional states directly and via challenge appraisals. On the other hand, perfectionistic concerns were positive predictors of dysfunctional states directly and via threat appraisals. Results provide support to MuSt theory and extend the literature on the antecedents of athletes’ performance‐related feeling states. Findings also provide support for the holistic conceptualization of psychobiosocial states encompassing the functionality dimension. The results highlight the importance of developing interventions aimed at helping athletes high in perfectionistic concerns evaluate situations as a challenge (and less of a threat) and increasing their perceived resources.Highlights Perfectionistic strivings positively related to functional psychobiosocial states Perfectionistic concerns positively related to dysfunctional psychobiosocial states Competitive challenge appraisals mediated the relationship between perfectionistic strivings and functional psychobiosocial states Competitive threat appraisals mediated the relationship between perfectionistic concerns and dysfunctional psychobiosocial states

The purpose of the study was to examine the validity of core action elements and feeling states in ice hockey players in the prediction of performance. A second aim of the study was to explore the effectiveness of a 30-day program targeting action and emotion regulation. Participants were male ice hockey players drawn from two teams competing at the highest level of the junior Finnish ice hockey league. They were assigned to a self-regulation (n = 24) and a control (n = 19) group. The self-regulation program focused on the recreation of optimal execution of core action elements and functional feeling states. Separate repeated measures MANOVAs indicated significant differences in ratings of perceived control and execution accuracy ratings of self-selected visual and behavioral components of the action (critical for optimal performance) and psychobiosocial (feeling) states across recalled best and worst games. Results support the use of both action- and emotion-centered strategies for performance enhancement. Future research including psychophysiological markers is warranted.