Large Positive Relationship Research Articles

Correlation of mean temperature and suicide rates of India

Environmental temperature affects life in numerous ways and spheres. There were reports that it impacts human behavior of suicide. Indian medical literature was almost silent on this topic. To find out the relationship between suicide and max., min., and average temperatures over a six-decade period in India. The suicides for the years from 1964 to the year 2021 were collected from the Ministry of Home, Govt. of India, displayed National Crimes Record Bureau-Accidental Death & Suicides in India (NCRB-ADSI) portal. The annual Max., Min., and Average temperature were obtained from the website Indiastat for the same period. After basic analysis, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient was performed to find the association between suicides and temperature. The statistics were done using online software from Social Science Statistics. There were 5157992 suicides in 59 years-1964-2021 with a highest of 164033 in 2021 and a lowest of 38217 in 1979. The maximum temperature recorded was 30.08 °C in 2009. The lowest temperature of 17.2 °C was recorded in 1971. The average temperature ranged from 23.74 °C to 26.21 °C. There were no outliers in either. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was estimated to be: 0.73509. Spearman rank correlation coefficient showed a p-value of <0.001 for a significant large positive relationship between suicides and each of the three parameters studied. There was a substantial, monotonic, increasing positive relationship between the variables. Increasing temperature impacts suicide.

The Association between Countermovement Rebound Jump Metrics and Independent Measures of Athletic Performance

This study investigates the associations between countermovement rebound jump (CMRJ) performance metrics and various independent measures of athletic performance, including the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), 20 m linear sprint, and 505 change-of-direction (COD) speed tests. Pearson’s correlations were used to analyse the relationship between the CMRJ measures with athletic performance, with significance being set at p ≤ 0.006. Results showed large significant positive relationships between IMTP peak force and force at 300 milliseconds with the first jump height of the CMRJ (JH-1, r = 0.54 to 0.55, p ≤ 0.002). Additionally, inverse relationships were observed between reactive strength index modified (RSImod) and reactive strength index (RSI) with 20 m sprint total and split times (r = −0.55 to −0.66, p ≤ 0.001), and the 10 m and total sprint times were significantly correlated with JH-1 (r = −0.54, p = 0.003), indicating that greater vertical explosive power and reactive strength are associated with faster sprint performance. Finally, a significant inverse relationship was identified between CMRJ metrics (two JH values and RSImod) and 505 COD times in both the left and right sides (r = −0.51 to −0.68, p ≤ 0.006). These findings suggest that CMRJ performance metrics are valuable indicators of lower-limb explosive force production, with a strong link to both linear sprint and COD performance. The finding underscores the importance of including CMRJ assessments in athletic performance evaluations due to their dual assessment capacity of slow and fast stretch–shortening cycle mechanics.

Exploring gait velocity as a predictor of cardiometabolic disease risk in young adults.

The association between poor gait and functional movement ability and metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been well established in older adults. A continuous cardiometabolic risk score, MetSindex, may more easily identify individuals at risk for cardiometabolic disease who do not yet meet the stringent criteria for a formal MetS diagnosis. Although the association between MetS and gait velocity is well established in older adults, no such relationship has been identified in younger adults; a group experiencing a rapid increase in the development of MetS. MetSindex was determined for 21 young adults using standard procedures. Gait velocity was measured as participants completed a ten-meter walk test. Spatiotemporal parameters of gait were also derived using a motion capture system. Simple linear regression was used to determine the relationship between MetSindex and gait velocity, as well as MetSindex and spatiotemporal parameters of gait. There was a large inverse relationship between MetSindex and gait velocity. A large inverse relationship was also observed between MetSindex and cadence, and a large positive relationship was observed between stance time and double limb support time. Gait velocity slows in young adults who do not necessarily meet the criterion for positive diagnosis of MetS-but demonstrate an increased risk for MetS and cardiovascular disease through higher MetSindex scores. The mechanism underlying reduced gait velocity may be fewer, but not shorter steps. Determining easy-to-use surrogates of MetS (e.g., gait velocity) may help combat the growing prevalence of MetS by increasing access to preventative approaches.

The Meaning and Purpose Scales (MAPS): development and multi-study validation of short measures of meaningfulness, crisis of meaning, and sources of purpose

BackgroundMeaning in life is multidimensional. It encompasses different qualities of meaning, such as meaningfulness, crisis of meaning, or existential indifference, as well as the sources from which people draw meaning, or purpose. For both research and practice, it is of high value to know not only the extent of meaningfulness, or its absence, but also its sources. How do these relate to meaningfulness and mental health? Are they accessible to people of different sociodemographic and economic backgrounds alike? For therapeutic and counseling practice, knowledge of experiences and sources of meaning is needed to support a clearer self-understanding in patients or clients and to encourage them to make authentic life choices. The Meaning and Purpose Scales (MAPS) presented here enable researchers and practitioners to gain insights into these dimensions of meaning in life, and, with only 23 items, to do so in a short time.MethodsUsing five independent and two follow-up samples with a total N of 7,500, this paper examined the MAPS’ internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent, divergent, criterion, factorial, and predictive validity.ResultsPrincipal axis factoring identified two meaning scales, Meaningfulness and Crisis of Meaning, and five purpose scales, Sustainability, Faith, Security, Community, and Personal Growth. The scales proved consistent, stable over four weeks and two months, and valid in multiple respects. In a representative German population sample, Personal Growth, Sustainability, and Community exhibited large, Faith and Security medium positive relationships with Meaningfulness, whereas Crisis of Meaning showed small to moderate negative correlations. Meaningfulness was positively, and Crisis of Meaning negatively predicted by age, partnership, parenthood, and religious affiliation. Financial hardship correlated positively with Crisis of Meaning and negatively with Meaningfulness, Community, and Personal Growth. Meaningfulness and Crisis of Meaning explained 21%, the sources of purpose 6% of additional variance in general mental distress (PHQ-4), beyond sociodemographics. Except for Faith (unrelated), all sources exhibited moderate negative correlations with the PHQ-4.ConclusionAs this series of studies demonstrates, the MAPS provide a highly economic and valid assessment of two qualities of meaning, Meaningfulness and Crisis of Meaning, and five sources of purpose: Sustainability, Faith, Security, Community, and Personal Growth.

Standing Pelvic Tilt Is Associated With Dynamic Pelvic Tilt During Running When Measured by 3-Dimensional Motion Capture.

Standing pelvic tilt (PT) is related to biomechanics linked with increased risk of injury such as dynamic knee valgus. However, there is limited evidence on how standing PT relates to dynamic PT and whether the palpation meter (PALM), a tool to measure standing PT, is valid against 3-dimensional (3D) motion analysis. The purposes of this study were to (1)determine the criterion validity of the PALM for measuring standing PT and (2)identify the relationship between standing PT and dynamic PT during running. Participants (n = 25; 10 males and 15 females) had their standing PT measured by the PALM and 3D motion analysis. Dynamic PT variables were defined at initial contact and toe off. No relationship between the 2 tools was found. Significant large positive relationships between standing PT and PT at initial contact (r = .751, N = 25, P < .001) and PT at toe off (r = .761, N = 25, P < .001) were found. Since no relationship was found between standing PT measured by the PALM and 3D motion analysis, the PALM is not a valid alternative to 3D motion analysis. Clinicians may be able to measure standing PT and gain valuable information on dynamic PT, allowing clinicians to quickly assess whether further biomechanical testing is needed.

ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE DETERMINING FACTORS EMPLOYEES THROUGH WORK PRODUCTIVITY AS INTERVENING VARIABLES

The main objective of this study is to determine the effect of human capital, organizational commitment, spiritual intelligence, and intellectual intelligence on performance as measured by work productivity partially or simultaneously. This study's PLS-SEM analysis led to the following conclusions: (1) There is a considerable positive influence of organizational commitment, human capital, and spiritual intelligence on employee work productivity, whereas intellectual intelligence has a negative and negligible effect. (2) While intellectual intelligence has a negative and minor impact on employee performance, human capital, organizational dedication, and spiritual intelligence all have a considerable beneficial impact. (3) There is a sizable positive relationship between employee performance and job productivity. (4) Work productivity as an intervening variable for workers has a large positive relationship with human capital, organizational commitment, and spiritual intelligence, but a negative and negligible relationship with intellectual intelligence. The study's novel conclusion is that both directly and indirectly, the discovery of spiritual intelligence positively affects performance through job productivity.

The importance of cultivating awareness of environmental matters in science classrooms: a cross-regional study

AbstractAs scientific literacy plays a contributing role in identifying, analysing, and solving environmental matters that our world is facing, there is growing consensus to mandate environmental matters in science classrooms following five decades of efforts in promoting environmental education. However, much remains unknown about the relationship between students’ awareness of environmental matters and their science literacy scores on standardised test. Using data drawn from the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) science performance assessment, this study investigates the relationship between students’ awareness of environmental matters and their science literacy scores in the context of established predictors for science learning. In all the regions’ multilevel models ranging from medium to large effect sizes, a significant and positive relationship emerges between students’ awareness of environmental matters and science literacy scores. Among the well-known predictors for science learning, student science self-efficacy associates positively with student science literacy scores across the regions. In contrast, inquiry-based science instruction associates negatively with the scores. Except for these two well-known predictors, variations exist in the relationships between other variables among the regions. Given all the regions’ evidence showing the positive linkage between students’ awareness of environmental matters and science literacy scores, the present study signifies the importance of integrating environmental issues into traditional science classrooms, suggesting that there should be systematic supports that enable both environmental and science educators to collaborate towards the development of an interdisciplinary environmental science curriculum.

Genetic Overlap Between Midfrontal Theta Signals and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Longitudinal Twin Cohort

BackgroundCognitive control has been strongly linked to midfrontal theta (4–8 Hz) brain activity. Such control processes are known to be impaired in individuals with psychiatric conditions and neurodevelopmental diagnoses, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Temporal variability in theta, in particular, has been associated with ADHD, with shared genetic variance underlying the relationship. Here, we investigated the phenotypic and genetic relationships between theta phase variability, theta-related signals (the N2, error-related negativity, and error positivity), reaction time, and ADHD and ASD longitudinally in a large twin study of young adults to investigate the stability of the genetic relationships between these measures over time. MethodsGenetic multivariate liability threshold models were run on a longitudinal sample of 566 participants (283 twin pairs). Characteristics of ADHD and ASD were measured in childhood and young adulthood, while an electroencephalogram was recorded in young adulthood during an arrow flanker task. ResultsCross-trial theta phase variability in adulthood showed large positive phenotypic and genetic relationships with reaction time variability and both childhood and adult ADHD characteristics. Error positivity amplitude was negatively related phenotypically and genetically to ADHD and ASD at both time points. ConclusionsWe showed significant genetic associations between variability in theta signaling and ADHD. A novel finding from the current study is that these relationships were stable across time, indicating a core dysregulation of the temporal coordination of control processes in ADHD that persists in individuals with childhood symptoms. Error processing, indexed by the error positivity, was altered in both ADHD and ASD, with a strong genetic contribution.

Factors affecting consumer attitude and loyalty: evidence from a Philippine chain of fast-food restaurants’ smart retailing technology

PurposeThis study aims to explore the influence of perceived value, enjoyment and novelty of fast-food chains’ smart retailing technology (SRT) on Filipino consumers’ attitude and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachPurposive sampling was used in identifying the respondents (N = 343). The participants were composed of consumers of the leading fast-food chains in the Philippines, where SRT using self-service ordering kiosks is being implemented. The hypotheses were explored using partial least squares path modeling, and predictive-causal was the study’s research design.FindingsThe results reveal that, among the factors, perceived enjoyment substantially contributes to the formation of favorable consumers’ attitude toward SRT. Moreover, perceived value was found to have a moderate effect on attitude while perceived novelty showed small impact. In terms of consumers’ attitude and loyalty, the two variables were found to have large positive and significant relationship. The moderation analysis shows that consumers’ attitude toward SRT has medium indirect effect on the relationship between perceived enjoyment and loyalty, while there is small indirect influence on the links between perceived value and loyalty, and between perceived novelty and loyalty.Originality/valueAs more and more fast-food establishments are adopting the use of SRT via self-ordering kiosks, the present study is the only study in the Philippine context that explores how perceived value, enjoyment and novelty affect consumers’ attitude and loyalty.

Secreted Colostrum Volume, Transition and Mature Milk Outputs After Calving in Holstein Friesian Cows

Colostrum volume after calving, transition and mature milk outputs in the time from 1^st to 10^th milkings were evaluated at 30 primiparous and 30 multiparous cows milked twice daily. Colostrum volume at the first milking after calving varied from 1.5 to 19.2 kg (mean 9.44 ±5.6 kg SD) in multiparous and from 1.2 to 9.8 kg (mean 5.65 ± 2.3 kg SD) in primiparous cows. Timing of the first milking did not negatively influence colostrum volume. Colostrum volume of the second milking decreased over all multiparous and primiparous cows because the period of time between first and second milking was shorter (10.5 hours). The hourly milk outputs increased sharply from the second to the fourth milking in multiparous and primiparous Holstein Friesian cows. Applying a linear regression model we observed a significant large positive relationship between volume of colostrum at first milking and subsequent transition and mature milk outputs from 2^nd to 10^th milkings. A low colostrum volume secreted was identified in multiparous cows, as a results of sorter dry period and in primiparous cows, probably as a result of low secretory capacity of mammary gland. Extended feeding with transition milk can be real health benefits for the newborn calf.

The effect of self-concept and achievement motivation on the study habits of the children belonging to working and non-working mothers

Introduction: Research studies on the growth and development of adolescent children belonging to working and non-working mothers revealed that the children belonging to working mothers had to compromise a lot with their psychological adjustment, emotional health, and socialization compared to their peers belonging to non-working mothers. Another way the children of non-working mothers were found more pampered, bullied, and overconfident was their behavioural problems. The cognitive development of this group of children was drastically affected by their mothers as working professionals or house mothers. Rationale: Though there are many research studies available on self-concept, academic achievement, and study habits of the students a few studies were found to be related to the adolescent children belonging to working and non-working mothers. Again a few studies were there on the effect of demographic characteristics of the children on their cognitive development. Besides, it was also important to investigate the correlation between the variables through the demographic characteristics of the students belonging to working and non-working mothers. Objective: The purpose of the study was to find out the effect of self-concept and achievement motivation on the study habits of secondary school children belonging to working and non-working mothers. Also, to study the effect of independent and dependent variables through the demographic characteristics of the secondary school students. Again, the study also investigated the correlation between the variables primarily as well as through their demographic characteristics. Methods: It was descriptive research. The methods were quantitative and included standardized questionnaires for the survey. The population study includes all students studying in secondary classes. The purposive sampling technique was adopted. The sample size was 150(N=150) and again was segregated with various demographic characteristics. Research Tools: The Achievement Motivation Scale(n-Ach) developed by Dr. Deo and Dr. Mohan, in 1985 and the Students Self-Concept Questionnaire developed by Dr. Saraswat in 1985 and revised in 2010 were used as standardized research tools to collect the data. To consider the Academic Achievement criterion of the students their mark in their Pre-Board exams during academic year 2021-22 was taken into account. Data analysis and interpretation: The data were analyzed through the application of descriptive statistics, the t-test, and Pearson’s Product Moment correlation. Results: Self-concept and achievement motivation of the children belonging to working and non-working mothers had an extremely positive effect on their study habits (p&lt; 0.0001). Also, self-concept had a very strong effect on the study habits of both male and female students (p&lt; 0.0001). However, the achievement motivation of the children did not have a strong effect on their study habits((p&gt; 0.0001). The self-concept and achievement motivation had no significant effect on the study habits of students belonging to working mothers and living in rural areas. Better achievement motivation and better self-concept of urban students were found with better study habits. The self-concept of the children belonging to nuclear families with working and non-working mothers did not have a significant effect on their study habits. Achievement motivation did not have a significant effect on the study habits of the children of joint families. The self-concept and achievement motivation of the children from all three socio-economic backgrounds had a very significant effect on their study habits. It was found that despite their association with a single or both parents’ families their self-concept and achievement motivation have a very strong effect on their study habits. There was no significant correlation between the self-concept, achievement motivation, and study habits of the children belonging to either working or non-working mothers. There was a non-significant very small positive or negative relationship found between the self-concept, achievement motivation, and study habits of male and female students belonging to working and non-working mothers. There was a medium positive relationship between self-concept and study habits of students living in urban areas (r (98) = .493, p &lt; .001). Precisely, the study revealed that the self-concept of the children belonging to nuclear families with working and non-working mothers did not have a significant effect on their study habits. Between Achievement motivation and study habits of the students living in the same residential background (r (98) = .187, p = .063). There was a significant large positive relationship between self-concept and study habits of the students belonging to middle socio-economic background, as the (r (93) =0 .669, p &lt; .001). There was a significant large positive relationship between X and Y (self-concept and study habits), (r (98) = .993, p &lt; .00. A significant very small negative relationship between X and Y (achievement motivation and study habits) variables for the children living with both parents as the (r (98) = -0.872, p &lt; .001). A significant very small negative relationship between achievement motivation and study habits, (r (98) = 0.511, p &lt; .001) for the children belonging to single-mother families.

Self-esteem and Life Satisfaction among University Students

The achievement of personal goals and aspirations affect a person’s self-esteem and will critically determine the person’s psychosocial well-being. Being acutely aware of one’s intrinsic strengths and positive traits defines one’s self-esteem. This awareness results in present good experiences instead of negative thoughts becoming the focal point. The sum total of good experiences will result in better life satisfaction. It is found that self-esteem is an important determinant of one’s life satisfaction because of the close relationship between the two, with demographic characteristics, social relationships, and personality being the other determinants. This study aims to investigate the relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction among Psychology Program students in a university in Sabah. The two instruments used in this study were Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). A total of 243 Psychology Program students participated in this study. The results indicated that there was a large positive relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction among the Psychology Program students. However, there were no significant differences between self-esteem and life satisfaction based on gender, age, and year of study. Thus, increased self-esteem is crucially important as it would directly increase life satisfaction regardless of gender, age and year of study.

Planning and performance in teams: A Bayesian meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach.

We meta-analyzed the relationship between team planning and performance moderated by task, team, context, and methodological factors. For testing our hypothesized model, we used a meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach. Based on K = 33 independent samples (N = 1,885 teams), a mixed-effects model indicated a non-zero moderate positive effect size (ρ = .31, 95% CI [.20, .42]). Methodological quality, generally rated as adequate, was unrelated to effect size. Sensitivity analyses suggest that effect sizes were robust to exclusion of any individual study and publication bias. The statistical power of the studies was generally low and significantly moderated the relationship, with a large positive relationship for studies with high-powered (k = 42, ρ = .40, 95% CI [.27, .54]) and a smaller, significant relationship for low-powered studies (k = 54, ρ = .16, 95% CI [.01, .30]). The effect size was robust and generally not qualified by a large number of moderators, but was more pronounced for less interdependent tasks, less specialized team members, and assessment of quality rather than quantity of planning. Latent class analysis revealed no qualitatively different subgroups within populations. We recommend large-scale collaboration to overcome several methodological weaknesses of the current literature, which is severely underpowered, potentially biased by self-reporting data, and lacks long-term follow-ups.

Effects of Training Small-Scale Farmers on Food Security in Moiben Sub County in Uasin Gishu County

Food security revolves around equality in the availability, access, and intake of nutritious food. The main purpose of this research is to determine the effectiveness of the adoption of agricultural technologies by small-scale farmers on food security, with a particular focus on Moiben Subcounty in Uasin Gishu County. The research adopted a mixed-methods design. A sample size of 179 small-scale farmer households was obtained using purposive and simple random sampling. The instruments used for the research were both questionnaires and interview schedules. To assess validity and reliability, the instruments were piloted. The data collected was organised and analysed using frequencies and%ages and then presented with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The findings of the research will enable better training methods for small-scale farmers to enhance food security in the Moiben Subcounty of Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The researcher used inferential analysis of the study data to determine the strength of the relationship between the food security variable and the success of the adoption of agricultural technology. The researcher did a correlation analysis and examined the study’s correlation coefficient in detail. Adoption of agricultural technology was significantly and positively connected to food security (r = 0.943; P &lt; 0.05), according to the findings. The correlations were higher than 94.3%, implying that there are large positive relationships between the adoption of agricultural technology and food security. The study findings revealed that an increase in one unit of training small-scale farmers on agricultural techniques decreased food security by 0.146 units. The study will be beneficial to students and other researchers’ intent on the knowledge of small-scale farmer training and its relationship to food security. The adoption of agricultural technologies increased food security by 52.1%. The recommendation of the study was Agricultural technologies will make the work on the farm efficient and will result in more first-grade production of farm produce, improving food security.

The impact of inpatient bed capacity on length of stay

ObjectiveLarge reductions in inpatient length of stay and inpatient bed supply have occurred across health systems in recent years. However, the direction of causation between length of stay and bed supply is often overlooked. This study examines the impact of changes to inpatient bed supply, as a result of recession-induced healthcare expenditure changes, on emergency inpatient length of stay in Ireland between 2010 and 2015.Study designWe analyse all public hospital emergency inpatient discharges in Ireland from 2010 to 2015 using the administrative Hospital In-Patient Enquiry dataset. We use changes to inpatient bed supply across hospitals over time to examine the impact of bed supply on length of stay. Linear, negative binomial, and hospital–month-level fixed effects models are estimated.ResultsU-shaped trends are observed for both average length of stay and inpatient bed supply between 2010 and 2015. A consistently large positive relationship is found between bed supply and length of stay across all regression analyses. Between 2010 and 2012 while length of stay fell by 6.4%, our analyses estimate that approximately 42% (2.7% points) of this reduction was associated with declines in bed supply.ConclusionChanges in emergency inpatient length of stay in Ireland between 2010 and 2015 were closely related to changes in bed supply during those years. The use of length of stay as an efficiency measure should be understood in the contextual basis of other health system changes. Lower length of stay may be indicative of the lack of resources or available bed supply as opposed to reduced demand for care or the shifting of care to other settings.

Effects of Cognitive Restructuring and Defusion for Coping with Difficult Thoughts in a Predominantly White Female College Student Sample

BackgroundUnderstanding how cognitive processes are naturally used by untrained individuals in the moment to cope with difficult thoughts may help inform effective and efficient interventions.MethodsThis study investigated self-reported naturalistic use of two evidence-based processes, cognitive restructuring and cognitive defusion, in an untrained, predominantly White female college student sample (n = 194) through ecological momentary assessments over seven days.ResultsCognitive restructuring and defusion had a large positive relationship. Both processes were also positively associated with increased momentary use of suppression and distraction. Only momentary defusion was associated with decreased rumination and negative affect at the same timepoint, while both defusion and restructuring were associated with positive affect and increased values progress at the same timepoint. Momentary defusion predicted later values progress, but only among those with low distress.ConclusionsOverall, results suggest that both cognitive restructuring and cognitive defusion are used in a nonclinical, untrained population, that both processes are overall beneficial when used in the moment, and that defusion may be particularly relevant to certain aims such as lower rumination or values progress across time points. Replication among clinical and more diverse populations is needed.

Validation of the Bath CRPS Body Perception Disturbance Scale

The Bath Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Body Perception Disturbance Scale (“B-CRPS-BPDS”) measures alterations in body perception. We assessed its internal consistency, known group validity, construct validity, and associations with demographic and clinical characteristics. We also evaluated changes in, and baseline predictors of B-CRPS-BPDS scores at follow-up. We included people with CRPS (N = 114) and pain-free controls (N = 69). People with CRPS obtained higher scores than pain-free controls on all B-CRPS-BPDS items, except the item on attention. Because this item also had an insufficient corrected item-total correlation, we propose a revised B-CRPS-BPDS (r-B-CRPS-BPDS) excluding this item. The internal consistency of the r-B-CRPS-BPDS was good. The r-B-CRPS-BPDS showed a large positive relationship with “motor neglect-like symptoms”, indicating good construct validity. The r-B-CRPS-BPDS showed positive relationships with pain intensity, fear of movement, depression, and upper limb disability. There were no independent relationships with handedness, affected side, affected limb, disease duration, CRPS severity score, tension, anger, fatigue, confusion, and vigour. Finally, r-B-CRPS-BPDS scores did not consistently change over time. Our results demonstrate the utility of the r-B-CRPS-BPDS for measuring body perception disturbances in CRPS. PerspectiveThis article evaluates the validity of the Bath Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Body Perception Disturbance Scale (“B-CRPS-BPDS”) in CRPS, and assesses relationships with demographic and clinical variables. The proposed revised B-CRPS-BPDS appears to be a valid measure of body perception disturbances in CRPS.

Association of anthropometrics and physical performance measures to golf-specific variables in collegiate male golfers.

As physical fitness has become more of a central component of competitive golf it is important to have an understanding of the relationship between anthropometric and physical performance on actual golf performance. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between measures of anthropometrics and physical performance to golf swing performance. Fourteen division I collegiate golfers performed a battery of tests including the vertical jump, grip strength, rotational medicine ball toss, and sit and reach test in addition to anthropometric measure measurements. Golf specific variables included clubhead speed (CHS), ball velocity (BV) and carry distance (CD) using the participants own driver. Pearson product moment correlations were used to assess the level of relationship between all variables. Statistically significant large positive relationships were found between grip strength and all golf specific variables. Height also showed large significant positive relationship with both CHS and BV. The association between anthropometrics and physical performance and golf specific variables appear to be limited in a group of collegiate male golfers, outside of grip strength. However, this does not mean that physical fitness is irrelevant to golf performance, but caution should be taken in assuming increase in physical performance will have a direct impact on the golf specific variables.

Vertical Jump Testing in Rugby League: A Rationale for Calculating Take-Off Momentum.

The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of calculating jump take-off momentum in rugby league (RL) by exploring its relationship with sprint momentum, due to the latter being an important attribute of this sport. Twenty-five male RL players performed 3 maximal-effort countermovement jumps on a force platform and 3 maximal effort 20-m sprints (with split times recorded). Jump take-off momentum and sprint momentum (between 0 and 5, 5 and 10, and 10 and 20m) were calculated (mass multiplied by velocity) and their relationship determined. There was a very large positive relationship between both jump take-off and 0- to 5-m sprint momentum (r = .781, P < .001) and jump take-off and 5- to 10-m sprint momentum (r = .878, P < .001). There was a nearly perfect positive relationship between jump take-off and 10- to 20-m sprint momentum (r = .920, P < .001). Jump take-off and sprint momentum demonstrated good-excellent reliability and very large-nearly perfect associations (61%-85% common variance) in an RL cohort, enabling prediction equations to be created. Thus, it may be practically useful to calculate jump take-off momentum as part of routine countermovement jump testing of RL players and other collision-sport athletes to enable the indirect monitoring of sprint momentum.

Which Character Strengths Are Focused on the Well-Being of Others? Development and Initial Validation of the Environmental Self-Efficacy Scale: Assessing Confidence in Overcoming Barriers to Pro-environmental Behavior

Character strengths are assumed to contribute not only to an individual’s well-being but also to communal thriving, citizenship, and the well-being of others. In particular, they can be assumed to contribute to an individual’s confidence in overcoming barriers to pro-environmental behavior. This confidence, environmental self-efficacy, has primarily been measured in the context of specific behaviors (e.g. recycling). In this study, we developed a broad measure of environmental self-efficacy: the Environmental Self-Efficacy Scale (ESE20) and a derivative short version (ESE10). Through an online survey, two convenience samples completed assessments of environmental self-efficacy, generalized self-efficacy, and character strengths (NC = 224) as well as environmental self-efficacy and psychological barriers to pro-environmental behavior (NV = 169). Both ESE20 and ESE10 demonstrated unidimensionality, reliably captured environmental self-efficacy, and put forward medium to large positive relationships with generalized self-efficacy. The scales further yielded small to medium negative relationships with the psychological barriers Change Unnecessary, Conflicting Goals and Aspirations, Lacking Knowledge, and Tokenism. The character strengths zest and leadership sustained the numerically strongest relationships with environmental self-efficacy (medium positive effects) and generalized self-efficacy (large positive effects). Kindness, humility, prudence, fairness, and forgiveness were only related to environmental self-efficacy (small to medium positive effects), but not to generalized self-efficacy. These five strengths can hence be assumed to be other-focused and to specifically contribute to the well-being of others.