Physical activity and social connectedness in single-parent families
- Azar, Denise, Naughton, Geraldine, Joseph, Corey
- Authors: Azar, Denise , Naughton, Geraldine , Joseph, Corey
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Leisure Studies Vol. 28, no. 3 (July 2009 2009), p. 349-358
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Little is known about how to promote physical activity in single-parent families. We evaluated physical activity, barriers to physical activity and social connectedness changes in single-parent families following a one year YMCA programme. At baseline, 106 single parents completed a survey about physical activity, barriers to activity and social connectedness. Sixty-four parents provided data after 12 months. Self-reported minutes of physical activity per week decreased over the 12 months (p < 0.05). However, perceptions of activity over the 12 months increased 44% for parents and 66% for children. Family-related barriers that decreased following the programme included a lack of time and affordability of existing opportunities. Compared with their baseline responses, parents at 12 months showed an increased frequency of visits with friends (p < 0.05). Difficulties in recruiting and retaining single parents to complete the evaluation are testimony to the current poor understanding of the leisure needs of single-parent families. The results provide direction for future research.
- Description: C1
International students and social connectedness : The role sport can play
- Authors: McLeod, Beth Lauren
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Whilst it is well known that international education is a lucrative industry, what is not so well known is how to continue attracting prospective higher education students to Australia in what has become a competitive global market. Adding concern to Australia’s reputation as an international education provider is the recent research which indicated that international students are dissatisfied with their social experiences while in Australia. This research highlights that international students in Australia are not getting the most value out of their educational sojourn, in part, because of their less than engaging experiences with Australians. As a consequence, one of the main challenges faced by Australia’s international education sector is to create and sustain a positive student experience in order to enhance Australia’s reputation as an education provider, be fair to the students and remain competitive in this valuable industry. Developing stronger social connections appears to be an important factor for creating a positive international student experience, and a case can be made to consider the role of sport as a potential strategy for enhancing the international student experience. In particular, sports participation and spectatorship may be possible vectors for enhancing international students’ social connections with Australians because of the opportunity provided for personal interaction. To date, there is a relative lack of research that has investigated this relationship. This Australian-based study aimed to bridge this knowledge gap by focusing on three key areas: (1) to determine whether there was a relationship between sports participation and social connectedness, and if this relationship was influenced by the students’ type and level of sports participation; (2) to determine whether there was a relationship between sport spectatorship and social connectedness, and if the context of sport spectatorship influenced this relationship; and, (3) to determine whether there was a relationship between sport spectatorship and sports participation, particularly from the perspective of international students in Australia. ii The investigation used a mixed methods approach, which combined quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, in a sequential manner. The first phase involved the collection of questionnaire data. Subsequently, these quantitative findings were used to frame the qualitative interview themes and foci. Through this process, greater depth and personal perspectives were added to the initial findings to enrich understanding of various elements of the investigation. Qualitatively the overarching premise as to why a quantitative relationship existed between sports participation and social connectedness (p<0.0001) was that sporting involvement enabled close proximity to the Australian people, who the students perceived to be highly active in sport. The qualitative findings also supported the quantitative finding for the second research sub-question indicating that spectatorship was related to social connectedness (p<0.0001). According to the qualitative results spectatorship was deemed to be one of the best ways for students to connect with Australian people. The students explained this was possible because spectatorship provided them with an easy and relaxed way to connect to people, particularly Australian people and in a casual environment. Three underlying themes explained why spectatorship was perceived to provide this unique environment and connection opportunity. These were (1) spectatorship is a universal and inclusive leisure activity; (2) spectatorship connects people; and (3) Australia has a strong sporting culture. The quantitative results from the third research sub-question revealed a relationship between spectatorship and sports participation (p<0.0001) and the qualitative interview data enriched this finding. The interview data indicated that students considered spectatorship as a driver for their sports participation. Students revealed that spectatorship helped them increase their level of sports participation, and to feel included in sport even without physical involvement. The qualitative results from this study suggest spectatorship plays a more important role than sports participation for international students in developing social connections with Australian people. Results revealed that increased involvement in sports participation and spectatorship enhanced students’ understanding of the Australian language and culture, assisting them iii to develop and maintain meaningful friendships in their host country. This finding indicates that sport may be a unique way for international students to achieve the connections they desire with Australians. The value of both sports participation and spectatorship for international students is evident. Accordingly it is recommended that Australian educational institutions offer sporting opportunities specifically for international students, and thus contribute positively to a rewarding and lasting educational experience.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: McLeod, Beth Lauren
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Whilst it is well known that international education is a lucrative industry, what is not so well known is how to continue attracting prospective higher education students to Australia in what has become a competitive global market. Adding concern to Australia’s reputation as an international education provider is the recent research which indicated that international students are dissatisfied with their social experiences while in Australia. This research highlights that international students in Australia are not getting the most value out of their educational sojourn, in part, because of their less than engaging experiences with Australians. As a consequence, one of the main challenges faced by Australia’s international education sector is to create and sustain a positive student experience in order to enhance Australia’s reputation as an education provider, be fair to the students and remain competitive in this valuable industry. Developing stronger social connections appears to be an important factor for creating a positive international student experience, and a case can be made to consider the role of sport as a potential strategy for enhancing the international student experience. In particular, sports participation and spectatorship may be possible vectors for enhancing international students’ social connections with Australians because of the opportunity provided for personal interaction. To date, there is a relative lack of research that has investigated this relationship. This Australian-based study aimed to bridge this knowledge gap by focusing on three key areas: (1) to determine whether there was a relationship between sports participation and social connectedness, and if this relationship was influenced by the students’ type and level of sports participation; (2) to determine whether there was a relationship between sport spectatorship and social connectedness, and if the context of sport spectatorship influenced this relationship; and, (3) to determine whether there was a relationship between sport spectatorship and sports participation, particularly from the perspective of international students in Australia. ii The investigation used a mixed methods approach, which combined quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, in a sequential manner. The first phase involved the collection of questionnaire data. Subsequently, these quantitative findings were used to frame the qualitative interview themes and foci. Through this process, greater depth and personal perspectives were added to the initial findings to enrich understanding of various elements of the investigation. Qualitatively the overarching premise as to why a quantitative relationship existed between sports participation and social connectedness (p<0.0001) was that sporting involvement enabled close proximity to the Australian people, who the students perceived to be highly active in sport. The qualitative findings also supported the quantitative finding for the second research sub-question indicating that spectatorship was related to social connectedness (p<0.0001). According to the qualitative results spectatorship was deemed to be one of the best ways for students to connect with Australian people. The students explained this was possible because spectatorship provided them with an easy and relaxed way to connect to people, particularly Australian people and in a casual environment. Three underlying themes explained why spectatorship was perceived to provide this unique environment and connection opportunity. These were (1) spectatorship is a universal and inclusive leisure activity; (2) spectatorship connects people; and (3) Australia has a strong sporting culture. The quantitative results from the third research sub-question revealed a relationship between spectatorship and sports participation (p<0.0001) and the qualitative interview data enriched this finding. The interview data indicated that students considered spectatorship as a driver for their sports participation. Students revealed that spectatorship helped them increase their level of sports participation, and to feel included in sport even without physical involvement. The qualitative results from this study suggest spectatorship plays a more important role than sports participation for international students in developing social connections with Australian people. Results revealed that increased involvement in sports participation and spectatorship enhanced students’ understanding of the Australian language and culture, assisting them iii to develop and maintain meaningful friendships in their host country. This finding indicates that sport may be a unique way for international students to achieve the connections they desire with Australians. The value of both sports participation and spectatorship for international students is evident. Accordingly it is recommended that Australian educational institutions offer sporting opportunities specifically for international students, and thus contribute positively to a rewarding and lasting educational experience.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Buffering the fear of COVID-19 : social connectedness mediates the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and psychological wellbeing
- Humphrey, Ashley, March, Evita, Lavender, Andrew, Miller, Kyle, Alvarenga, Marlies, Mesagno, Christopher
- Authors: Humphrey, Ashley , March, Evita , Lavender, Andrew , Miller, Kyle , Alvarenga, Marlies , Mesagno, Christopher
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Behavioral Sciences Vol. 12, no. 3 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Social connections are crucial for an individual’s health, wellbeing, and overall effective functioning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, one major preventative effort for reducing the spread of COVID-19 involved restricting people’s typical social interactions through physical distancing and isolation. The current cross-sectional study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, explored the relationship among fear of COVID-19, social connectedness, resilience, depressive symptomologies, and self-perceived stress. Participants (N = 174) completed an anonymous, online questionnaire, and results indicated that social connectedness mediated the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and psychological wellbeing. In contrast, the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and psychological wellbeing was not mediated by resilience. These findings highlight the important role that social connections and resilience play in buffering against negative psychological wellbeing outcomes, especially during a pandemic. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Authors: Humphrey, Ashley , March, Evita , Lavender, Andrew , Miller, Kyle , Alvarenga, Marlies , Mesagno, Christopher
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Behavioral Sciences Vol. 12, no. 3 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Social connections are crucial for an individual’s health, wellbeing, and overall effective functioning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, one major preventative effort for reducing the spread of COVID-19 involved restricting people’s typical social interactions through physical distancing and isolation. The current cross-sectional study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, explored the relationship among fear of COVID-19, social connectedness, resilience, depressive symptomologies, and self-perceived stress. Participants (N = 174) completed an anonymous, online questionnaire, and results indicated that social connectedness mediated the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and psychological wellbeing. In contrast, the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and psychological wellbeing was not mediated by resilience. These findings highlight the important role that social connections and resilience play in buffering against negative psychological wellbeing outcomes, especially during a pandemic. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Exploring nature-and social-connectedness as mediators of the relationship between nature-based exercise and subjective wellbeing
- McNeil, Dominic, Singh, Ashumeet, Chambers, Timothy
- Authors: McNeil, Dominic , Singh, Ashumeet , Chambers, Timothy
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecopsychology Vol. 14, no. 4 (2022), p. 226-234
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background and Objectives: Underlying mechanisms behind the benefits of nature-based exercise (NBE) for subjective wellbeing (SWB) remain largely unknown. Nature-and social-connectedness may be the factors that contribute to better subjective welling. This study explores whether nature connectedness and social connectedness mediate the relationship between NBE and SWB. Method: Participants (N = 359 Australian citizens; Female = 229 (63.8%); Mage = 40.15, SD = 16.23) recruited through social media responded to an online survey focused on NBE, SWB, social connectedness, and nature connectedness. Results: Correlations revealed positive associations between variables. The relationship between NBE and SWB was significantly serially mediated by nature connectedness and social connectedness. Yet, at an individual level, social connectedness mediated the relationship, but nature connectedness was not significant. Conclusion: It is important that researchers better understand potential mechanisms associated with increased perception of happiness and life satisfaction through nature. Individuals who exercise in nature, with stronger connections to nature, perceive a stronger bond to the social world, and are more likely to have greater wellbeing. The importance of social connectedness identified further supports that more research is needed to better understand the role of connection to humanity regarding exercise in nature. © Copyright 2022, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2022.
- Authors: McNeil, Dominic , Singh, Ashumeet , Chambers, Timothy
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ecopsychology Vol. 14, no. 4 (2022), p. 226-234
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background and Objectives: Underlying mechanisms behind the benefits of nature-based exercise (NBE) for subjective wellbeing (SWB) remain largely unknown. Nature-and social-connectedness may be the factors that contribute to better subjective welling. This study explores whether nature connectedness and social connectedness mediate the relationship between NBE and SWB. Method: Participants (N = 359 Australian citizens; Female = 229 (63.8%); Mage = 40.15, SD = 16.23) recruited through social media responded to an online survey focused on NBE, SWB, social connectedness, and nature connectedness. Results: Correlations revealed positive associations between variables. The relationship between NBE and SWB was significantly serially mediated by nature connectedness and social connectedness. Yet, at an individual level, social connectedness mediated the relationship, but nature connectedness was not significant. Conclusion: It is important that researchers better understand potential mechanisms associated with increased perception of happiness and life satisfaction through nature. Individuals who exercise in nature, with stronger connections to nature, perceive a stronger bond to the social world, and are more likely to have greater wellbeing. The importance of social connectedness identified further supports that more research is needed to better understand the role of connection to humanity regarding exercise in nature. © Copyright 2022, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2022.
Socially aversive dark traits and the drive for social connectedness
- Authors: Grieve, Rachel
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality and Individual Differences Vol. 202, no. (2023), p.
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This research examined for the first time how the “dark” tetrad (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, sadism, and grandiose narcissism) and adjunct dark trait vulnerable narcissism predict drive for social connectedness. Data were collected via an anonymous online survey (N = 395 adults) and analysed via multiple regression. As hypothesised, vulnerable narcissism was significantly and positively associated with a greater desire to experience social connection, but unexpectedly the same relationship was seen for grandiose narcissism. Also as hypothesised both psychopathy and sadism were significant negative predictors of the desire to experience social connectedness, however Machiavellianism failed to contribute significantly to the model. Findings indicate that both grandiose and vulnerable narcissists seek social connectedness, but likely as a means to gratify different needs (attention and contingent self-esteem, respectively). © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »