title: An examination of the jump-and-lift factors influencing the time to reach peak catch height during a Rugby Union lineout

authors: Smith, Tiaki Brett

subjects: Biomechanics

abstract: The goal of an offensive Rugby Union lineout is to throw the ball in a manner that allows your team to maintain possession. Typically, the player catching the ball jumps and is lifted upwards by two teammates, reaching above the opposing player who is competing for the ball also. Despite various beliefs regarding the importance of the jumper's mass and attempted jump height, and lifters' magnitude and point of force application, there is negligible published data on the topic. The squeeze technique is one lifting method commonly employed by New Zealand teams during lineout plays, whereby the jumper initiates the jump quickly and the lifters provide assistance only once the jumper reaches 20-30 cm. While this strategy may reduce cues to the opposition, it might also constrain the jumper and lifters. We developed a model to explore how changes in the jumper’s body mass and attempted jump height, and lifters’ magnitude and point of force application influence the time to reach peak catch height. The magnitude of the lift force impacted the time-to-reach peak catch height the most; followed by the jumper’s (attempted) jump height and body mass; and lastly, the point of lift force application.

text: An examination of the jump-and-lift factors influencing the time to reach peak catch height during a Rugby Union lineout The goal of an offensive Rugby Union lineout is to throw the ball in a manner that allows your team to maintain possession. Typically, the player catching the ball jumps and is lifted upwards by two teammates, reaching above the opposing player who is competing for the ball also. Despite various beliefs regarding the importance of the jumper's mass and attempted jump height, and lifters' magnitude and point of force application, there is negligible published data on the topic. The squeeze technique is one lifting method commonly employed by New Zealand teams during lineout plays, whereby the jumper initiates the jump quickly and the lifters provide assistance only once the jumper reaches 20-30 cm. While this strategy may reduce cues to the opposition, it might also constrain the jumper and lifters. We developed a model to explore how changes in the jumper’s body mass and attempted jump height, and lifters’ magnitude and point of force application influence the time to reach peak catch height. The magnitude of the lift force impacted the time-to-reach peak catch height the most; followed by the jumper’s (attempted) jump height and body mass; and lastly, the point of lift force application.

year: 2017

title: Examining processes in the relationship between narrative identity  and psychological functioning

authors: Corbett, Monique

subjects: narrative identity

abstract: Theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence support a link between narrative identity and psychological functioning. When examining this relationship, psychological functioning has typically been conceptualised in terms of diagnostic symptoms. As a result, the transdiagnostic psychological processes underpinning the relationship remain largely unexplored. Additionally, recent research proposes that the relationship between narrative identity and psychological functioning may be reciprocal, but research has primarily utilised cross-sectional data or considered characteristics of narrative identity as predisposing factors. The work in this thesis addresses these gaps in the field by examining potential underlying psychological processes and exploring potential reciprocal associations in a sample of young adults. In the first study, a systematic review was conducted to identify transdiagnostic factors either associated with narrative identity or that mediated or moderated its relationship with psychological functioning. The review comprised 11 studies and revealed mixed findings for the support of rumination, overgeneral memory (OGM), emotion dysregulation, and attachment state of mind as transdiagnostic factors that may be uniquely associated with narrative identity or mediate or moderate the relationship between narrative identity and psychological functioning. In the second study, 245 university students were recruited to investigate the mediating and moderating effects of the identified transdiagnostic factors. Findings revealed that rumination and emotion dysregulation, but not OGM, mediated the relationship between lower causal coherence and psychological functioning. Surprisingly, neither attachment state of mind nor memory tone moderated any relationships between narrative identity and psychological functioning. The third study examined associations between narrative identity as measured by causal coherence and psychological processes utilising the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) systems, using the same sample of 245 participants at Time 1 and a returning 88 participants at Time 2 (6 months later). Structural equation modelling revealed concurrent and longitudinal negative associations between difficulties in the negative valence system and causal coherence. Furthermore, lower causal coherence predicted later difficulties in the arousal/regulatory system. However, difficulties in the social processes system showed no such associations. The final study investigated the relationship between identification with psychopathology in turning point narratives and psychopathology symptoms. This study utilised the 245 community young adults from studies two and three, as well as 30 in-patient clinical young adults. A novel coding scheme was developed to tap identification with psychopathology within turning point narratives. Findings revealed that higher identification with psychopathology was associated with higher symptoms of depression, anxiety, BPD, rumination and emotion dysregulation. Multinomial regression analysis revealed that identification with psychopathology predicted an individual belonging to the symptoms or diagnosis group above and beyond measures of psychopathology. Moderation analyses revealed that the interaction between identification with psychopathology and belonging to the community group predicted depression, but not for the symptoms or diagnosis nor the clinical group. Overall, this thesis provides crucial insights into the dynamic relationship between narrative identity and psychological functioning, emphasising the significance of cognitive and emotional processes such as rumination and emotion dysregulation. Furthermore, this thesis introduces identification with psychopathology as a potentially important aspect of narrative identity. Understanding these complex relationships can lead to the development of personalised and targeted interventions with greater responsivity. Future longitudinal research that incorporates a range of narrative identity, transdiagnostic, and psychological functioning variables is recommended.

text: Examining processes in the relationship between narrative identity  and psychological functioning Theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence support a link between narrative identity and psychological functioning. When examining this relationship, psychological functioning has typically been conceptualised in terms of diagnostic symptoms. As a result, the transdiagnostic psychological processes underpinning the relationship remain largely unexplored. Additionally, recent research proposes that the relationship between narrative identity and psychological functioning may be reciprocal, but research has primarily utilised cross-sectional data or considered characteristics of narrative identity as predisposing factors. The work in this thesis addresses these gaps in the field by examining potential underlying psychological processes and exploring potential reciprocal associations in a sample of young adults. In the first study, a systematic review was conducted to identify transdiagnostic factors either associated with narrative identity or that mediated or moderated its relationship with psychological functioning. The review comprised 11 studies and revealed mixed findings for the support of rumination, overgeneral memory (OGM), emotion dysregulation, and attachment state of mind as transdiagnostic factors that may be uniquely associated with narrative identity or mediate or moderate the relationship between narrative identity and psychological functioning. In the second study, 245 university students were recruited to investigate the mediating and moderating effects of the identified transdiagnostic factors. Findings revealed that rumination and emotion dysregulation, but not OGM, mediated the relationship between lower causal coherence and psychological functioning. Surprisingly, neither attachment state of mind nor memory tone moderated any relationships between narrative identity and psychological functioning. The third study examined associations between narrative identity as measured by causal coherence and psychological processes utilising the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) systems, using the same sample of 245 participants at Time 1 and a returning 88 participants at Time 2 (6 months later). Structural equation modelling revealed concurrent and longitudinal negative associations between difficulties in the negative valence system and causal coherence. Furthermore, lower causal coherence predicted later difficulties in the arousal/regulatory system. However, difficulties in the social processes system showed no such associations. The final study investigated the relationship between identification with psychopathology in turning point narratives and psychopathology symptoms. This study utilised the 245 community young adults from studies two and three, as well as 30 in-patient clinical young adults. A novel coding scheme was developed to tap identification with psychopathology within turning point narratives. Findings revealed that higher identification with psychopathology was associated with higher symptoms of depression, anxiety, BPD, rumination and emotion dysregulation. Multinomial regression analysis revealed that identification with psychopathology predicted an individual belonging to the symptoms or diagnosis group above and beyond measures of psychopathology. Moderation analyses revealed that the interaction between identification with psychopathology and belonging to the community group predicted depression, but not for the symptoms or diagnosis nor the clinical group. Overall, this thesis provides crucial insights into the dynamic relationship between narrative identity and psychological functioning, emphasising the significance of cognitive and emotional processes such as rumination and emotion dysregulation. Furthermore, this thesis introduces identification with psychopathology as a potentially important aspect of narrative identity. Understanding these complex relationships can lead to the development of personalised and targeted interventions with greater responsivity. Future longitudinal research that incorporates a range of narrative identity, transdiagnostic, and psychological functioning variables is recommended.

year: 2024-09-09

title: Whanaungatanga: an illustration of the importance of cultural context

authors: McNatty, William

subjects: Te reo Māori

abstract: The word 'whanaungatanga' is often used by people who lack an intimate understanding of the philosophical base in Māori culture out of which it emerges. Thus, it is sometimes used simply to describe the camaraderie that can be associated with team sports or with reference to the 'glue' that connects people to one another socially. This is not necessarily a problem in itself. After all, change and development in the lexicon is a characteristic of living languages. However, real problems can emerge where words become divorced from their cultural roots to such an extent that two speakers using the same word can completely fail to understand one another. It is argued here that this is what can happen when Māori words, such as 'whanaungatanga', are used in the context of modelling in the social sciences, particularly where that modelling is conducted in the context of Western social and cultural values. In particular, the essential spiritual dimension of whanaungatanga may be overlooked or misunderstood.

text: Whanaungatanga: an illustration of the importance of cultural context The word 'whanaungatanga' is often used by people who lack an intimate understanding of the philosophical base in Māori culture out of which it emerges. Thus, it is sometimes used simply to describe the camaraderie that can be associated with team sports or with reference to the 'glue' that connects people to one another socially. This is not necessarily a problem in itself. After all, change and development in the lexicon is a characteristic of living languages. However, real problems can emerge where words become divorced from their cultural roots to such an extent that two speakers using the same word can completely fail to understand one another. It is argued here that this is what can happen when Māori words, such as 'whanaungatanga', are used in the context of modelling in the social sciences, particularly where that modelling is conducted in the context of Western social and cultural values. In particular, the essential spiritual dimension of whanaungatanga may be overlooked or misunderstood.

year: 2002-02