Annotated bibliography: Adolescent Psychology

Donaldson, S.J. & Ronan, K. R. (2006, Summer). ‘ emotional well-being. Adolescence, 41(162), 369-373

This 2006 study investigated the link between participation in sports and emotional well-being in adolescents. Concerning emotional well-being, the researchers investigated the relationship between sports and aspects of emotional well-being, such as behavioral problems, emotional problems, and self-concept. The data used in this study had been collected from 203 adolescents utilizing a multi-trait and a multi-method assessment methodology. The information was collected utilizing a questionnaire that queried adolescents’ perceptions about sports and their frequency of participation in sports, among other things. Information about emotional well-being was collected utilizing the Youth Self Report questionnaire (Achenbach, 1991) and the Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985). This 2006 study discovered that adolescents who frequently participated in sports had better behavioral well-being, emotional well-being, and self-concepts. The study also discovered that the more adolescents participated in sports, the fewer the behavioral and emotional problems they reported. Lastly, the study found that there is a positive link between self-concept and sports participation. The study discusses how its findings can be applied and makes recommendations on how sports and emotional well-being can be further investigated.

Khan, M. & Jamil, A. (2017, July 1). Perceptual posture of stakeholders: Efficacy of sports in curbing violent behaviors among youth. The Journal of Educational Research, 20(2), 170-177

This is a perspective study that was conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkkhwa province in Pakistan to investigate the perceptions of different key stakeholders on whether sports was helping to stop violent behavior among young people. The focus of this study is on how participation in sports is helping with the curbing of criminal offensiveness, violence, juvenile delinquency, aggressiveness, and antisocial behavior. The stakeholders from whom the data for this study was collected included sports people, students, teachers, and parents. The study utilized the multi-phase sampling method to sample the population. Students and teachers were sampled via the simple random method, while sports people and parents were sampled via the convenient sampling method. This study discovered that stakeholders believed that sports were very effective in helping promote pro-social behavior and in the reduction of negative sentiments, criminal offensiveness, violence, juvenile delinquency, and aggressiveness. The study also found that participation in sports helped to promote self-control. In light of the findings, the study recommended promoting sports and competitions at various administrative levels and at educational institutions.

Eime, R. M., Young, J. A., Harvey, J. T., Charity, M. J., & Payne, W. R. (2013). A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sports for children and adolescents: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 10(1), 98

This study is a systematic review that looks at various qualifying studies investigating the social health and mental health benefits brought about by young people participating in sports. The information gathered from the review was utilized by the researchers to develop a conceptual model. The review included searching fourteen online databases for qualifying studies that were published after the year 1990. Out of 3668 sources that were found to meet the initial requirements, only 30 met the full selection criteria. The developed model recommends sports participation as a leisure time activity for young children and adults to improve their physical, health, and social health. In summary, this study evaluated the links between sports and mental health benefits that have been discovered over the recent years and then developed a model for integrating sports in education and improving the lives of children because of its many benefits.

Swann, C., Telenta, J., Draper, G., Liddle, S., Fogarty, A., Hurley, D., & Vella, S. (2018). Youth sport as a context for supporting mental health: Adolescent male perspectives. Psychology of sport and exercise, 35, 55-64.

This particular study was designed to investigate adolescent males’ perspectives on the impact of sports on mental health. The study utilized a qualitative interpretive design. The participants in this study were fifty-five males aged between twelve and seventeen years who participated in sports, including tennis, cricket, swimming, Australian Rules Football, soccer, or basketball at the time of the study. The data for this study was analyzed both thematically and inductively. The findings revealed that the participants perceived sports as a good activity for improving their mental health, especially in team sports. The participants generally considered their parents and coaches to be key support persons. This study revealed how sports could help enhance mental health and the need for parents, coaches, and sports teams to find ways to use sports to improve mental health further.

Vella, S. A., Benson, A., Sutcliffe, J., McLaren, C., Swann, C., Schweickle, M. J., … & Bruner, M. (2020). Self-determined motivation, social identification, and the mental health of adolescent male team sport participants. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1-15.

This study investigated how social identification with a sports team among adolescents affected motivation and mental well-being among 383 adolescents. Regression analyses revealed that high or average social identification levels resulted in a negative association between self-motivation and psychological distress. It also revealed that high levels of social identification resulted in a positive association between self-motivation and well-being. The study also found that the psychological and social health benefits of participating in sports vary based on social identification levels. They are particularly magnified when there are high levels of social identification.

Bruner, M. W., Balish, S. M., Forrest, C., Brown, S., Webber, K., Gray, E., … & Shields, C. A. (2017). Ties that bond: Youth sport as a vehicle for social identity and positive youth development. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 88(2), 209-214.

This particular study aimed to look at the link between positive youth development (PYD) in sport and social identity. Adolescents (N = 219; Mage = 11.61 years, SD = 1.39 years) participating in sports completed measures that assessed their social identity and development. The measure of social identity was multi-dimensional. It looked at the in-group effect, cognitive centrality, and in-group ties. Regression analysis for multiple PYD outcomes utilizing the three dimensions of social identity as predictors were performed. The analysis revealed that in-group affect and in-group ties were positively linked with social and personal skills. Moreover, the study found that in-group ties promoted the personal initiative, while the in-group effect was linked to better goal-setting and reduced negative experiences. The study showed that social identity could help develop young people.

References

Bruner, M. W., Balish, S. M., Forrest, C., Brown, S., Webber, K., Gray, E., … & Shields, C. A. (2017). Ties that bond: Youth sport as a vehicle for social identity and positive youth development. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 88(2), 209-214.

Donaldson, S.J. & Ronan, K. R. (2006, Summer). The effects of sports participation on young adolescents’ emotional well-being. Adolescence, 41(162), 369-373

Eime, R. M., Young, J. A., Harvey, J. T., Charity, M. J., & Payne, W. R. (2013). A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sports for children and adolescents: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity 10(1), 98

Khan, M. & Jamil, A. (2017, July 1). Perceptual posture of stakeholders: Efficacy of sports in curbing violent behaviors among youth. The Journal of Educational Research, 20(2), 170-177

Swann, C., Telenta, J., Draper, G., Liddle, S., Fogarty, A., Hurley, D., & Vella, S. (2018). Youth sport as a context for supporting mental health: Adolescent male perspectives. Psychology of sport and exercise, 35, 55-64.

Vella, S. A., Benson, A., Sutcliffe, J., McLaren, C., Swann, C., Schweickle, M. J., … & Bruner, M. (2020). Self-determined motivation, social identification, and the mental health of adolescent male team sport participants. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1-15.