Two experiments examined the psychological benefits of exercise environment. In Experiment 1, 128 female college students were assigned to 1 of 3 laboratory conditions that differed only in with whom they were exercising; in Experiment 2, 88 students were assigned to 1 of 4 walking conditions that differed in the environment (i.e., indoors vs. outdoors) and whom they were with. Before and after exercise, participants completed several mood and enjoyment measures. Participants in Experiment 1 were most calm when exercising alone than with others, and participants in Experiment 2 found the experience most enjoyable if outdoors. Our findings suggest that perceived enjoyment and outdoor exercise may account for some of the psychological benefits of exercise for women.
Premature birth has been associated with a number of adverse maternal psychological outcomes that include depression, anxiety, and trauma as well as adverse effects on maternal coping ability and parenting style. Infants and children who were premature are more likely to have poorer cognitive and developmental functioning and, thus, may be harder to parent. In response to these findings, there have been a number of educational and behavioral interventions developed that target maternal psychological functioning, parenting and aspects of the parent-infant relationship. Since the last comprehensive review of this topic in 2002, there have been a significant number of developments in the quality of the studies conducted and the theoretical models that address the experience of parents of premature infants. In the current review, eighteen new interventions were identified and grouped into four categories based on treatment length and the target of the intervention. Findings suggest a trend towards early, brief interventions that are theoretically based, specifically target parent trauma, and utilize cognitive behavioral techniques. Although it is difficult to generalize study findings, conclusions from the review suggest that targeted interventions may have positive effects on both maternal and infant outcomes.
To examine the role of music and social contact on exercise benefits. Methods: Two hundred twenty-nine (n=229) students were randomly assigned to one of 6 conditions: biking alone with iPod or friend in a laboratory, walking alone with iPod or friend outdoors, or biking or walking alone in control conditions. All participants completed 20 minutes of exercise at 70% of their maximum target heart rate. Results: Exercising in control conditions indoors resulted in a more relaxed and calm response. Exercising outdoors was more enjoyable and resulted in less tension and stress. Conclusions: Exercise environment impacts psychological benefits of exercise.
SYNOPSISAn earlier follow-up study with juvenile delinquents found a positive relationship between the experience of "crises" during adolescence and certain aspects of "social integration" in young adulthood. These results bear out the principles of a dialectical development psychology (Riegel, 1975a(Riegel, , 1975b(Riegel, , 1979Buss, 1979;Altman, 1981), from whose point of view each qualitative transition in psychic development is linked with the experience of oppositions. An important concept in this approach is the experience of oppositions as a necessary though not sufficient condition for the process of development.To carry out further checks on this hypothesis and to achieve greater differentiation, a new follow-up study was set up over a period of eight years and with a broader representative sample of 820 non-delinquent adolescents. Both in the first stage of the study and in the second (eight years later), the method used was that of the individual survey conducted at the subjects' homes. The results obtained so far bear out the dialectical view, but they indicate that, when looking for any relationships between the two phases of life concerned, it is necessary to differentiate between the oppositions University Ghent,
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.