ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH26
Introduction Today’s world assesses the ideal female figure as not only thin, but also muscular, or more colloquially known as fit. Internalizing ideal body standards has been linked to various negative health outcomes. Exploring women’s pursuits to achieve idealized body appearance and resultant health outcomes has been a salient and sought-after topic among behavioral health researchers. Considering that sociocultural factors significantly influence health outcomes such as disordered eating and disordered exercise, it is vital to assess the social and cultural determinants influencing behavioral dynamics within women’s relationships of idealized aesthetics. Two cultures that share Westernized customs and beliefs yet have distinct value systems are the Italian and US cultures. These two distinct cultures hold varying family, peer, and media value systems inherently influenced by cultural impacts that arguably shape today’s exercise culture and aesthetic ideals. This study cross-culturally explores Italian and US adult women’s relationships with fit ideal body image beliefs and sociocultural factors. Methods This sub-study is under a larger bilingual (Italian/English) multi-phase explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. This sub-study includes the phase that examines differences between sociocultural influences and body image in Italian and US women. Women (n=153) 18-45 living in Italy (n=105) or the USA (n=53) completed an online survey measuring demographic, body image, and sociocultural attitudes, namely the sociocultural attitudes towards appearance questionnaire and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire. Sub-scales were compared between U.S. and Italian women using analysis of covariance. The model included age, race, income, and education as covariates to adjust for potential confounders between the two groups. Results Italian women reported a higher internalization of general appearance than US women (2.60 vs. 2.47, p=0.031) and higher levels of familial pressures regarding appearance (4.36 vs. 3.64, p=0.005). Italian women reported lower fitness evaluations like feelings of being fit than US women (3.14 vs. 3.70, p=0.001) and fitness orientation, such as personal investment in being fit (2.99 vs. 3.30, p=0.005). Conclusions Italian and US women differ in the sociocultural internalized pressures toward appearance and general appearance beliefs. These two cultures also differ in how they evaluate and orient themselves to fitness. Since sociocultural factors inform health beliefs, behaviors, and, subsequently, health outcomes, it is warranted to explore further how these significant sociocultural factors and body image-related beliefs inform fitness/exercise behaviors among these women. Our findings may lead to a better understanding of the phenomenon of sociocultural determinants and their relationship with body image and exercise behaviors for optimal women’s health outcomes on an internationalized scale.
Read CV Jaclyn HadfieldECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH26
Objective: Self-conscious emotions, such as guilt, shame, pride, and embarrassment, play a key role in the performance outcomes of athletes in sport and training. This systematic review aimed to examine the interplay of personal and contextual sources influencing self-conscious emotions in athletes. Methodology: We conducted a comprehensive search across Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and PsycINFO, covering the years 2004 to 2023. Using key terms such as "self-conscious emotions," "guilt," "shame," "pride," "embarrassment," "environment," "athlete*," and "sport*," we identified 31 studies that met the inclusion criteria: (a) focusing on self-conscious emotions, (b) written in English, (c) investigating factors influencing these emotions, (d) involving sports-related settings or participants, and (e) using qualitative or quantitative methods. Only studies from A&HCI, SCI, or SSCI-indexed journals were included to ensure quality, while theoretical reviews, non-English papers, and studies with non-athlete participants were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Result: Based on Bronfenbrenners ecosystem theory, we categorized findings into individual (n = 24; e.g., perfectionism, moral disengagement) and microsystem (n = 8; e.g., coach, teammate) levels. Notably, gaps were identified in the mesosystem (n = 3; e.g., motivational climate), exosystem (n = 1; e.g., management style), and macrosystem and chronosystem levels, which remain unexplored. Discussion: The study highlights the need for cross-cultural investigations of athletes self-conscious emotions, inclusion of additional stakeholders (e.g., parents, referees), and research on underexplored emotions such as pride and embarrassment. However, this review has limitations, including the exclusive focus on English-language and indexed journals, potentially excluding culturally diverse perspectives and non-indexed studies. Furthermore, the review was limited to studies published before December 2023, suggesting the need for periodic updates to capture emerging research. Other: This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023494012) and received no external funding.
Read CV Chi-Lun TsaiECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH26
Introduction Emotion recognition refers to the ability to identify another individuals emotional state [1]. In school settings, better emotion recognition promotes positive peer relationships and academic success, while deficits are linked to problematic behaviors and various mental difficulties [1]. A single exercise session has the potential to temporarily enhance emotion recognition by implementing components of social skills training or by trigger a cascade of physiological effects underlying cognitive enhancements [2]. However, the effects may differ depending on the children’s psychopathology due to varying adaptation reserves. We aimed to investigate the acute effect of exercise, with and without the integration of cooperative activities, on emotion recognition in children depending on their psychopathology, indicated by the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Methods Using a between-participants-design, 140 children (age = 11.5 years) were randomly allocated (stratum: school class) to groups performing exercise involving cooperative activities (EX+CO, n = 45), exercise without cooperative activities (EX, n = 45), and a control group watching a video (CON, n = 50). The interventions lasted 20 minutes and were completed in a school setting. Prior and after the interventions, participants completed a computerized facial emotion recognition task, in which anger, fear and happiness had to be categorized. In addition, psychopathology was assessed using the SDQ sum score, dividing participants into normal (<16) and abnormal (≥16) behavioral difficulty groups. Results A mixed ANCOVA revealed a significant interaction of group and psychopathology for post-test emotion recognition accuracy, while controlling for pre-test scores. Decomposition of the interaction showed that among participants with a normal range of behavioral difficulties, the EX group had a significantly greater accuracy (M = .62, SE = .02) compared to EX+CO (M = .57, SE = .02) and CON (M = .57, SE = .02) at post-test. The analysis of reaction time showed no indication for a speed-accuracy trade-off. In contrast to participants with behavioral difficulties in the normal range, the exercise groups and the control group did not differ with regard to emotion recognition in those with abnormal scores on the SDQ. Discussion A single aerobic exercise session without the integration of cooperative activities temporarily enhances emotion recognition in children without behavioral difficulties. This finding offers initial insight into exercises potential use fostering this ability within school context. References [1] Riddell, C., Nikolić, M., Dusseldorp, E., & Kret, M. E. (2024). Age-related changes in emotion recognition across childhood: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 150(9), 1094–1117. [2] Ludyga, S., Ishihara, T., & Kamijo, K. (2022). The Nervous System as a Pathway for Exercise to Improve Social Cognition. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 50(4), 203–212.
Read CV Melanie BergerECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH26