Association Division Research Articles

Sigmund Tobias (1932-2023).

Memorializes Sigmund Tobias (1932-2023). A brilliant scholar and an insatiably curious researcher, as well as a kind and disciplined mentor, Sigmund Tobias contributed to American psychology and educational research by dint of his intellect, work ethic, and social values. Although his doctorate was in clinical psychology, Sig became an internationally recognized leader in the field of educational psychology. Sig published over 150 scholarly articles and was elected president of the American Psychological Association's Division for Educational Psychology in 1987. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Atypical jobs in psychology: Interview of Dr. Ellen Scrivner.

This publication highlights the career of Dr. Ellen Scrivner, a past president of American Psychological Association's (APA's) Division 18 and a pioneer in the specialty of police and public safety psychology. While psychologists' work with police and public safety may be typical now, Dr. Scrivner's journey and work were atypical when she embarked on her academic studies and began her career. Although initially intrigued by the science of changing behavior, she became more interested in changing the behaviors of organizations throughout her time as a psychology major in undergraduate studies. Dr. Scrivner followed this passion through her graduate studies and into her career. As a professional working with police in public safety, having a background in psychology has allowed Dr. Scrivner to better assist organizations in transitioning or creating different, coherent, and more effective patterns or practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Diet quality of NCAA Division I athletes assessed by the Healthy Eating Index

Optimizing diet quality is an important concept for college athletes. Purpose: To evaluate dietary quality of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletes. Methods: Total 94 college athletes (n= 21 male, 73 female) from 19 different varsity teams at a single university completed a 24-hour dietary recall using the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) with higher scores indicating better diet quality (range 0-100). Results: The average HEI score for the total sample was 59.2 ± 16.6 and only nine athletes achieved an HEI score ≥ 80. There were no significant differences in HEI scores between sexes, class, majors, sport played, or those who did or did not report taking previous nutrition coursework. Conclusions: The dietary quality was poor based on US dietary guidelines for the general population, which could have negative effects on health and performance.

Corrigendum Supports Therapeutic Contribution of Acupoint Tapping to EFTs' Observed Effects: Response to Spielmans (2021).

We published a meta-analysis of studies that examined the various components of an evidence-based therapy called emotional freedom techniques (EFTs). EFT uses elements of conventional therapies such as exposure and cognitive processing but includes the unique ingredient of acupoint stimulation using fingertip tapping. Six studies were identified, and three of these met the quality control criteria of the American Psychological Association's Division 12 Task Force for Empirically Validated Therapies. Meta-analysis found that the acupoint component of EFT was not an inert ingredient or inactive placebo but made an active contribution to the therapeutic effects noted in a research literature that now numbers over 100 clinical trials of EFT. Subsequent to publication, errors in the original analysis were identified, primarily incorrect standard deviations. A new analysis was performed by an independent statistician and found slightly greater effects than the original investigation. The results were published as a corrigendum, which was subsequently challenged by Spielmans. Here we examine the critiques of the corrigendum and original article. We find that although they may be of academic interest, they are irrelevant to the central research question of whether the acupoint component of EFT is inert or active. We reaffirm that the evidence clearly validates the contribution made by acupoint tapping to EFT's observed clinical effects.

Can NCAA Policy Effect Student Costs? Evidence from the 2015 Adoption of Student-Athlete Cost of Attendance Stipends

ABSTRACT In 2015, 65 universities in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I autonomous conferences changed their scholarship policy by allowing universities to give student-athletes cost of attendance stipends. While student-athletes welcomed this policy change, many people within the higher education community felt the policy change would lead to higher costs for the general student body. This paper provides the results of a difference-in-differences estimation designed to examine if the 2015 NCAA student-athlete scholarship policy change correlated with higher university-published estimated cost of attendance. The findings show a positive, statistically significant relationship between the policy change and estimated student cost of attendance.

David Schnarch (1946–2020).

Presents the obituary of David Schnarch (1946-2020). A graduate of New York University, Dr. Schnarch then went to Michigan State University where he received his MA and PhD (1976) in clinical psychology. His early career included a 1-year appointment as a visiting professor at Indiana University followed by 17 years as an Associate Professor at the Louisiana State University Medical School, where he served in the Departments of Psychiatry and Urology. Dr. Schnarch and his family relocated to Evergreen, Colorado in 1995, where he and Dr. Morehouse cofounded the Marriage and Family Health Center. He is the author of five books, including: Constructing the Social Crucible: An Integration of Sexual and Marital Therapy and Passionate Marriage: Keeping Love and Intimacy Alive in Emotionally Committed Relationships; Resurrecting Sex: Resolving Sexual Problems and Rejuvenating Your Relationship; Intimacy and Desire; and Brain Talk. In terms of professional memberships and service, Dr. Schnarch was a clinical member of the American Psychological Association and a clinical member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). He was Board Certified in Couple and Family psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Schnarch was also a certified sex therapist (diplomate) with the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) and served on their board of directors of for 8 years, chairing AASECT's Professional Education Committee. He also served on the editorial board of AAMFT's Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy. He is remembered by his colleagues for his wry sense of humor, generosity of spirit, unabashed honesty, and collegiality. He is remembered by the public for his landmark books integrating sex therapy with family systems theory. He leaves behind his wife Dr. Ruth Morehouse, a psychologist and former president of American Psychological Association's Division 43, Society for Couple and Family Psychology; his daughter Sarah Morehouse, and son-in-law Parker LeMire. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Bernard I. Murstein (1929–2020).

Presents the obituary of Bernard I. Murstein (1929-2020). Bernard earned his BS in psychology at the City College of New York, MS in psychology at the University of Miami (where he claimed to have been inducted into Psi Chi at a poolside ceremony), and PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Texas at Austin in 1955. Bernard taught at Louisiana State University, the University of Portland, OR, and the University of Connecticut before joining the faculty of Connecticut College in 1963. He remained there until his retirement in 1999, except for a year as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Louvain in Belgium. Bernard published seven academic books, including Theories of Attraction and Love (1971), Love, Sex, and Marriage through the Ages (1974), Who Will Marry Whom? (1976), and Paths to Marriage (1986). He also published more than 130 journal articles and book chapters on psychological testing, interpersonal attraction, marital choice, sexual behavior, relationship styles, and marital adjustment. He is best known for his stimulusvalue-role theory (1970) of relationship development, which is cited in most textbooks on social psychology and intimate relationships. Bernard was elected to Fellow status in the American Psychological Association (Divisions 8, 12, and 43) and the Society for Projective Techniques. The Spanish Psychological Association named him one of the most important psychologists of the 20th century; his book Theory and Research in Projective Techniques (1963) was listed by Basic Sources of Information in the Social Sciences among the 50 most important books on psychology. He is survived by his wife Nelly Kashy Murstein, the Hanna Hakesbrink Professor Emerita of French at Connecticut College, his daughters Danielle and Collette, and three granddaughters. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Quantification of Information Transmission in Signal Play-calling for NCAA Division 1 College Football: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Background: To gain a competitive advantage in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 American college football, teams often use a coded, hand/body gesture-based play-calling system to communicate calls to student-athletes on the field. Objective: The purpose of this study is to apply cognitive engineering concepts toward the improvement of signal transmission such that a realistic amount of data signaled will be received and understood by the student-athlete. Methods: Partnering with an NCAA coaching staff, information transmitted via signal-based communication pathways were quantified to inform the design of their signal system. Quality control coaches, practitioners of football signalling characterization and design, used an autoethnographic frame to train researchers on the communication protocol standards. A comprehensive literature review of sources from 1900 to 2019 was conducted to examine information transmission, signal-gesture taxonomies, sign-language recognition, and code design. Findings were applied to the signal system to quantify the information contained in the transmission between the signalling coaches and the student-athletes. Results: Results found that the observed signal system transmits an average of 12.62 bits of information on offense and 12.92 bits on defense with 23% and 12% redundancy, respectively. Conclusion: Recommendations were provided to the coaching staff regarding code optimization and gesture design to improve student-athlete performance.

Changes in Maximal Strength and Home Run Performance in NCAA Division I Baseball Players Across 3 Competitive Seasons: A Descriptive Study.

The purpose of this longitudinal, descriptive study was to observe changes in maximal strength measured via isometric clean grip mid-thigh pull and home runs (total and home runs per game) across three years of training and three competitive seasons for four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 baseball players. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed, revealing significant univariate effects of time for peak force (PF) (p = 0.003) and peak force allometrically scaled (PFa) (p = 0.002). Increases in PF were noted from season 1 to season 2 (p = 0.031) and season 3 (p = 0.004), but season 2 was not significantly different than season 3 (p = 0.232). Additionally, increases in PFa were noted from season 1 to season 2 (p = 0.010) and season 3 (p < 0.001), but season 2 was not significantly different than season 3 (p = 0.052). Home runs per game rose from the 2009 (0.32) to 2010 season (1.35) and dropped during the 2011 season (1.07). A unique aspect of the study involves 2010 being the season in which ball-bat coefficient of restitution (BBCOR) bats were introduced to the NCAA competition.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Experiences of Student-Athletes in STEM with Dual Advising

Despite the nation's critical need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college graduates, the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I student-athletes represent a small portion of STEM majors. Student-athletes pursuing STEM disciplines benefit from the assistance of academic and athletic advisors; this study explored student-athletes' experiences with such dual advising. Building on Terenzini and Reason's (2005) comprehensive model of influences on student learning and persistence, our findings highlighted STEM athletes' need for individualized advising, support engagement in STEM, and options and flexibility in the curriculum. The study also exposed uncertainty about the different roles of academic and athletic advising units and the ways limited communication diminishes the effectiveness of the advising units' collaborative efforts.

Acute Testicular Fracture in a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Baseball Catcher: A Case Study

A 21-year-old male baseball catcher sustained an injury to the right testicle from a foul ball that ricocheted from the ground to his groin. The athlete was removed from competition when testicular pain began to increase. Ice was applied to the affected area and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were utilized through the evening. Further diagnosis and treatment were warranted the following morning. Diagnostic ultrasound revealed a fracture to the right testicle, necessitating surgical repair. The athlete followed a return-to-play progression and returned to play 20 days postinjury. This case describes evaluation and treatment of a rare acute condition and the need for early recognition and diagnosis.

Resting Blood Pressure in Collegiate Swimmers During a Competitive Season: A Prospective Observational Study.

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to describe and examine differences in resting blood pressure (BP) during an eight-week time frame in the course of the competitive season among collegiate swimmers of varied sexes.MethodsA prospective observational study using a sample of convenience of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 female and male swimmers from one university were invited to participate. Blood pressure was measured using standardized methodology at six encounters spaced over eight weeks. Descriptive statistics analyzed demographics, mean BP, and BP classifications. A pairwise t-test analyzed differences in the mean BP and BP classification by sex. The Bonferroni correction was applied given the multiple variables included in the analysis with statistical significance determined to be p≤0.002.ResultsThirty-eight swimmers (15 males and 23 females) met the inclusion criteria. Differences between sexes were identified with a higher mean diastolic BP observed in males at the third encounter (p=0.0004) and a higher mean systolic BP observed in males at the sixth encounter (p=0.0002). Four males and four females were identified with a BP classified as stage 1 or 2 hypertension at the first encounter; however, six males and no females met this criterion at the last encounter which was statistically significant (p=0.0004).ConclusionsIncreased BP from baseline measured for systole, diastole, and BP classifications was significant in male compared to female swimmers. Specifically, divergence in BP by sex first appeared in the diastolic measures at three weeks and in the systolic measures and BP classifications by eight weeks.

Progress will come in the balancing of needs: Professional desires, consumer demand, and why we have to specialize.

Conoley, Powers, and Gutkin (2020) have provided an assessment of the progress and lack thereof of school psychology as a profession toward school reformation, especially as related to their various earlier calls for changes in training and practice. Conoley and Gutkin especially (and I have been colleagues of both) have called for decades for an emphasis on working with teachers, other adults in the school system, and the school system itself to alter the delivery of education. In some earlier work, they have characterized this as adult school psychology. In many ways this is a reconceptualization of earlier mental health consultation models of school psychology practice that were not widely adopted for reasons Conoley et al. (2020) explain. School psychology has a long history of wanting to be seen and to practice differently from in a primary role of test and place, and indeed I would characterize the primary organizations that represent the profession (the National Association of Psychologists and the American Psychological Association's Division of School Psychology) as being in many ways antagonistic toward psychological testing. Yet, it is what most school psychologists are in fact hired to do as their primary role, and training in psychological testing and assessment is one of the key skills that sets us apart and distinguishes us from others in the schools. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Michael A. Wallach (1933–2020).

Memorializes Michael A. Wallach (1933-2020). Mike spent most of his career as a professor of psychology at Duke University from 1962 to 2004. He was a fellow of the American Psychological Association's divisions of general psychology, experimental psychology, personality and social psychology, psychology of aesthetics, creativity and the arts, and educational psychology. Mike's early work included contributions on modes of thinking in young children, the distinction between intelligence and creativity, and risk-taking behavior. He also served as editor of the Journal of Personality from 1963 to 1972. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Rhoda K. Unger (1939–2019).

Memorializes Rhoda K. Unger (1939-2019). Unger was a feminist empiricist psychologist who advocated for the importance of asking the right questions. Her academic work, her activism, and her engagement with psychology as a discipline were all informed by a heartfelt and enduring commitment to social justice. Laudably, she mentored, encouraged, and supported countless early career feminist scholars as they found their way in the discipline. In 1998, Rhoda became professor emerita after almost 30 years at Montclair State University and joined Brandeis University as resident scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center. Across her career, she maintained a commitment to activism within psychology. She served as president of the American Psychological Association (APA) divisions the Society for the Psychology of Women (1980 -1981) and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPPSI; 1998 -1999) and was the inaugural editor of the SPSSI journal Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Bertram Paul Karon (1930–2019).

Memorializes Bertram Paul Karon (1930-2019). Karon taught in the Psychology Department at Michigan State University (MSU) from 1962 until 2010. In 1988 Karon founded the Michigan Council for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, an organization dedicated to studying classical and contemporary psychoanalysis and training psychoanalysts and psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapists. He was a fellow of several American Psychological Association (APA) divisions, served as president of Division 39 (Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology) in 1990-1991, and was on the APA Council of Representatives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Perception of Comfort, Fit, and Jumping Performance of Elite NCAA Division 1 Student-athletes: The Effect of Basketball Shoe Design – Part II

Background: Assessing basketball shoe comfort and fit as personal protection equipment (PPE) at the collegiate level is unique. Objective: The purpose of Part II in this pilot study was to examine the effect of shoe design on the perception of comfort and fit after performing an acute series of jumps in elite male and female National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 basketball student-athletes. Method: A total of sixteen basketball student-athletes (six males, ten females) performed two rounds of acute series of four styled basketball jumps on two ForceDecksTM Force Platforms while trying to maximize jump height by tapping VertecTM Jump Vanes. The male student-athletes selected the AdidasTM Harden Vol. 3 and the AdidasTM SM Pro basketball shoes. The female student-athletes selected the Adidas Harden Vol. 3 and the Adidas Captain Marvel basketball shoes. Upon completion of each round of jumps, the student-athlete recorded their perception of comfort on a 110mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and fit on a seven-point Likert rating scale based against their most comfortable basketball shoes ever worn. Results: Results of this pilot study reported, on average, the male student-athletes preferred comfort and fit of the Adidas SM Pro basketball shoes and the female student-athletes preferred the Adidas Harden Vol. 3 basketball shoe, though differences were non-significant at p &gt; 0.05. Conclusion: The use of a human factors assessment tool to evaluate basketball shoe comfort and fit and the influence of rated comfort and fit parameters on basketball jumping performance proved viable.

Comprehension and Selective Visual Attention in Play-calling Signage in NCAA Division 1 Football: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Background: The huddle in American college football has been replaced by hand-signals, play-cards, and other forms of nonverbal communication to deliver information from the sidelines to the field. These communication methods serve a dual-purpose of capturing the student-athletes’ attention while perplexing the opposition. Objective: The purpose of this study is to apply cognitive engineering concepts toward the improvement of signage and play-calling such that coaches can more effectively transmit information to players on the field during competitions. Methods: This comprehensive literature review investigates strategies for successful visual play-calling systems in sports communication. Collaboration occurred with a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 football coaching staff to understand communication processes on field. Existing literature related to visual language processing, selective attention, and signal comprehension were compiled for recommendations. Results: Research findings suggest positive correlations between speed, clarity, and simplicity of signage in addition to effective sideline communication. The results of this review can be used to develop guidelines that increase the accuracy and speed of play-calling during games, such as clearly designed imagery and simplified play calls; coaches may establish strategies that are consistently understood by student-athletes. Conclusion: In addition to the findings, this study also identifies visual communication methods and mediums that can be used in any sport or work field where transmitting and comprehending information from a distance is critical for task completion.

The determinants of season ticket holder advocacy in the NCAA football bowl subdivision

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to respond to four research questions. The first two as how likely are college football season ticket holders to recommend (1) purchasing a similar season ticket package and (2) attending a home football game, to a friend or colleague. The third question examines if there is a difference between advocacy toward purchasing season tickets as compared to advocacy toward game attendance. Finally, we identify what factors impact advocacy for college football season ticket holders.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey of 57,240 season ticket holders from 69 different National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision programs was undertaken. The data were analyzed to build a model of the drivers of advocacy in season ticket holders from a conceptual base of advocacy, trust and loyalty.FindingsThe identified drivers include both institutionally influenced factors and factors related to season ticket holder behaviors/demographics. The season ticket holder is arguably the highest level of fan for any sports organization from an affinity perspective and clearly the most important from a business perspective. This research argues that the season ticket holder should not only be the focus of ticket sales efforts but also leveraged as marketing advocates with the objective of attracting additional fans.Originality/valueThe value of this research is the large sample of data from season ticket holders of NCAA Division 1 football clubs and the resulting learning it provides to researchers and practitioners.

Jumping Performance of Elite NCAA Division 1 Student-athletes: The Effect of Basketball Shoe Design – Part I

Background: Assessment of basketball shoes as personal protection equipment (PPE) at the collegiate level is unique. Objective: The purpose of Part I in this pilot study was to examine the effect of shoe design on jump height in elite male and female National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 basketball student-athletes. Method: Each team selected two pairs of AdidasTM branded shoes. The male student-athletes selected the AdidasTM Harden Vol. 3 and the AdidasTM SM Pro basketball shoes. The female student-athletes selected the AdidasTM Harden Vol. 3 and the AdidasTM Captain Marvel basketball shoes. A total of sixteen basketball student-athletes (six males, ten females) performed an acute series of four styled basketball jumps on two ForceDecksTM Force Platforms while trying to maximize jump height by tapping VertecTM Jump Vanes. Two trials were performed in each shoe and for each type of jump which included a countermovement jump, drop jump from 30cm, step and jump, and a series of plyometric jumps. Results: The results of this pilot study indicated a non-significant effect of basketball shoe design on jump height while performing an acute series of basketball style jumps for either the male or female basketball student-athletes. However, there were significant differences in jump height and peak power between the male and female basketball student-athletes (p = 0.001). Conclusion: In addition to the results, the use of quantitative performance testing on the effectiveness of basketball shoe designs as PPE may assist in the mitigation of non-contact ankle and lower limb injuries.