The structure of executive functions in athletes: A latent variable approach

IF 3.1 2区心理学 Q2 HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM

Psychology of Sport and Exercise Pub Date : 2025-01-22 DOI:10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102808

Jack Brimmell , Elizabeth J. Edwards , Liis Uiga , Greg Wood , Robert S. Vaughan

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The role of executive function (EF) in expert sport performance has become a popular topic in sport and exercise psychology research. Research in this area often adopts the unity/diversity framework of EF (i.e., inhibition, shifting, and updating). However, recent investigations into the suitability of this unity/diversity model, and other competing models (e.g., the nested model of EF), has questioned whether this model is suitable for across all populations (e.g., athletes). The aim of the present study was to use confirmatory factor analysis to outline the most suitable EF model in a sample of athletes. In total, 131 participants with varying levels of athletic expertise completed two inhibition, shifting, and updating tasks. All analyses were performed in RStudio. The results revealed the nested model of EF provided the best fit to the data indicating its suitability for athletes. Acceptable fit was also found for the unity/diversity mode of EF. Overall, the results suggest that, despite recent criticism of the nested model and unity/diversity framework of EF, such structures appear to be suitable for use with athletic populations.

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来源期刊

Psychology of Sport and Exercise 医学-心理学

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

5.90%

发文量

172

审稿时长

69 days

期刊介绍： Psychology of Sport and Exercise is an international forum for scholarly reports in the psychology of sport and exercise, broadly defined. The journal is open to the use of diverse methodological approaches. Manuscripts that will be considered for publication will present results from high quality empirical research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, commentaries concerning already published PSE papers or topics of general interest for PSE readers, protocol papers for trials, and reports of professional practice (which will need to demonstrate academic rigour and go beyond mere description). The CONSORT guidelines consort-statement need to be followed for protocol papers for trials; authors should present a flow diagramme and attach with their cover letter the CONSORT checklist. For meta-analysis, the PRISMA prisma-statement guidelines should be followed; authors should present a flow diagramme and attach with their cover letter the PRISMA checklist. For systematic reviews it is recommended that the PRISMA guidelines are followed, although it is not compulsory. Authors interested in submitting replications of published studies need to contact the Editors-in-Chief before they start their replication. We are not interested in manuscripts that aim to test the psychometric properties of an existing scale from English to another language, unless new validation methods are used which address previously unanswered research questions.