Browsing by Author "Harenberg, Sebastian"

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Open Access
As Iron Sharpens Iron: Understanding Competitive Processes in Elite Sport Teams
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2014-08) Harenberg, Sebastian; Riemer, Harold; Karreman, Willem G.; Dorsch, Kim D.; Forsberg, Nicholas; Eys, Marke A.
The purpose of this thesis was the exploration, definition, conceptualization, and measurement of competition within elite sport teams (i.e., intrateam competition) by using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design (Creswell, 2006). In Study 1, intrateam competition from coaches’ perspectives was examined. It revealed two distinct competitive processes: situational competition and positional competition. Situational competitions are planned competitive situations that occur during practice (e.g., scrimmages). Positional competition is the vying for the same limited playing time by teammates in the same position. The latter was examined further. In Study 2, athletes’ perspectives of positional competition were explored. The results showed that positional competition is an ongoing group process with inputs, processes, and outcomes. Next, a definition and conceptual model of positional competition was proposed. This model built on the qualitative findings from Study 1 and 2 as well as relevant literature. In Study 3, a questionnaire to measure the processes of positional competition was developed. The development of the scale included four phases. In phase one, an initial pool of 108 items and 13 dimensions were generated and administered to an expert panel. This resulted in generating 19 additional items. In the second phase, the items were administered to a sample of undergraduate students (N = 221). The number of items was reduced using statistical procedures (e.g., item-to-total correlations). The resulting version included 58 items and nine dimensions. In the third phase, the questionnaire was administered to a sample of 812 CIS/NCAA athletes. The scale was reduced in items and refined using confirmatory factor analyses. In the last phase, the reliability and validity of the resulting 25 items measuring positional competition on seven dimensions was examined. Overall, the scale showed satisfactory reliability, factorial validity, and initial evidence of construct validity. In conclusion, this thesis uncovered two different competitive processes within elite sport teams (i.e., situational and positional competition). It focused on the definition, conceptualization, and measurement of positional competition, which is a unique process in elite sport teams. Future research is encouraged to examine the relationship between positional competition and other group processes (e.g., cohesion, performance).
Open Access
Competition and Cooperation: Challenging the beauty and the beast paradigm
(University of Regina Graduate Students' Association, 2011-04-02) Harenberg, Sebastian; Dorsch, Kim; Karreman, Erwin; Riemer, Harold A.
Competition and cooperation have been conceptualized by social interdependence theory (Johnson & Johnson, 1989), which functions as the theoretical framework in many contexts (e.g., cooperative learning in education). Most studies show that positive interdependence in cooperative structures leads to more positive outcomes in terms of group productivity and interpersonal relationships. As a result, the focus has been on the structure of cooperation and competition has been viewed as an unproductive condition and a counterpart to cooperative structures. Some scholars (Baumgarten, 1988; Kohn, 1986) even argued that competition should be banned out of our workplaces and schools as it can only lead to destructive outcomes. Lately, studies (Fülöp, 2008; Sheridan, & Williams, 2006) have challenged this dichotomous view of competition and cooperation and suggested that both concepts need to be seen as continuums. Stanne, Johnson, and Johnson (1999) found that appropriately structured competition can lead to equally or more favorable outcomes than cooperative settings in motor task execution. Other researchers (Fülöp, 2009; Tjosvold, Johnson, & Johnson, 2003, 2006) have since examined the nature of constructive competition and its applicability in different contexts. This study examines the concept of constructive competition by exploring and structuring the most recent literature from educational and athletic contexts. The dimensions of constructive competition found in various studies will be explained and compared. The implications for educational and athletic contexts will be highlighted and future research directions will be discussed.
Open Access
Experiences of trauma, depression, anxiety, and stress in western-Canadian HEMS personnel
(Community Safety Knowledge Alliance, 2018-10-17) Harenberg, Sebastian; McCarron, Michelle; Carleton, R. Nicholas; O'Malley, Thomas; Ross, Terry
Mental health in first responders and other public safety personnel has received substantial research attention in the past decade. Emergency medical services (EMS) demonstrate a heightened prevalence of maladaptive mental health concerns compared to other first responders (e.g., police, fire fighters). Interestingly, there is an absence of research examining helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) personnel, who respond to what are often life-threatening cases in challenging circumstances. Hence, the purpose of the present study was to assess the experiences of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and associated mental health conditions (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress) in HEMS workers. HEMS workers from a single mid-western Canadian organization (n = 100) participated in the study. The participants completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) as part of an online survey. The results revealed that five per cent of HEMS personnel experienced heightened PTSD symptoms. Few participants exhibited signs of mild to severe depression, anxiety, and stress (< 17%). HEMS personnel experienced fewer mental health concerns than other first responder groups as reported in the literature; indeed, these figures are similar to levels observed within the general population. These findings may be explained by organizational or personality characteristics. Underreporting of mental health concerns may be an alternate explanation. Future qualitative and quantitative research is needed to explain and replicate the results of the present study.
Open Access
Self-Compassion, Psychological Flexibility, Hardiness, and a Hint of Harmonious Passion: The Recipe for Building Athletes Adaptable to the Stress of Sport Related Injury
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2022-03) Harris, Erin Marquise; Dorsch, Kim; Clune, Laurie; Bruno, Paul; Harenberg, Sebastian; Ferguson, Leah
Due to the recognition that sport related injury be approached from a biopsychosocial perspective, there has been a push for deeper psychological exploration in research. This has led to interest in two main areas: 1) identifying the psychological variables that may play a role in making an athlete more prone to injury, and 2) an athlete’s emotional, cognitive, and behavioural response to injury and how they influence the rehabilitation process (Almeida et al., 2014). As a result, the study presented in this dissertation explored the psychological factors believed to be important to athlete health. Using path analysis, two path models were presented and tested. The first model depicts the interaction between harmonious passion, self-compassion, psychological flexibility, hardiness, and perceived stress. The second, demonstrates the relationship between these variables when harmonious passion is replaced with obsessive passion and psychological flexibility is replaced with psychological rigidity. Multigroup invariance testing was then conducted in order to investigate possible variance between these psychological factors when athletes were separated into injured and non-injured groups. Two hundred and sixty-three athletes were included in this study and more than half of the athletes identified that they had experienced a sport related injury in the past year (n = 137, 52%). The results of the path analysis indicate that multiple psychological factors impact athlete perceptions of stress. Models met criteria for acceptable fit on all goodness-of-fit indices. However, the results of multigroup path analysis indicated that there were no differences in the relationships between psychological factors when athletes were separated into injured and non-injured groups.
Open Access
Using Citation Network Analysis to Examine the State of Peer-Reviewed Perceptual-Cognitive Training Literature with a Research Focus on Neurotracker
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2022-02) Frizzell, Jakaeden Kelly Aristotle; Dorsch, Kim; Hoeber, Orland; Harenberg, Sebastian; Hancock, David
Computer based perceptual-cognitive training is an increasingly popular tool in performance improvement applications yet the academic link between computer training and real-world performance results is tenuous at best. Many commercially available products forge ahead without academic research supporting their product. One perceptual-cognitive training program, NeuroTracker, has differentiated itself by basing its development in academic research. This has resulted in wide use of the program around the world. NeuroTracker holds a leading role in perceptual-cognitive training and this thesis examines the peer-reviewed NeuroTracker literature through citation network analysis to discover the current state of the research. Citation network analysis is a process used to measure and visually represent the interconnectivity of published material through citations. A comprehensive list of journal articles was collected, coded using content analysis, and examined using citation network analysis and exploratory data analysis. Using a network analysis software program to generate graphic visualizations, visual attributes were assigned to specific attributes of the data and the data were filtered to only include the articles that match specific criteria with the purpose of focusing discovery and removing information irrelevant to the research question being examined. The key finding of this thesis is that the NeuroTracker literature is well connected through foundational articles that are awarded a disproportionate amount of influence in the literature. It is recommended that more diverse peer-reviewed research is completed outside of the foundational and established research to truly solidify NeuroTracker as a scientifically validated tool.