PhD, Associate Professor K.E. Lagvilava¹
Dr.Hab., Professor A.S. Makhov²
Dr.Sc.Psych., Professor E.A. Petrova²
Dr.Sc.Psych, Associate Professor N.A. Tsvetkova^{2, 3
1}Pskov State Social University, Pskov
²Russian State Social University, Moscow
³Research Institute of Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, Moscow

 

 

Keywords: adolescent injury rates, personality determinants, socio-psychological injury prevention program.

Introduction. It is a complex of negative consequences of sports injuries that is especially destructive for adolescents [1; 2]. At the same time, the system of organizational, medical, disciplinary preconditions for sports injuries is well known [3; 4]. However, it is the identification of individual psychological determinants of injury rates that will make it possible to persistently prevent injuries.

Objective of the study was to analyze the personality determinants of adolescent physical injury rates.

Methods and structure of the study. The total sample was made of 82 adolescents divided into two groups. The first group involved 52 adolescents who trained at different advanced sport training establishments and were undergoing extended stationary treatment with the use of special equipment to cure severe orthopedic traumas. The percentage of boys in this group equaled 71%. The second group consisted of 30 non-sporting adolescents diagnosed with different chronic diseases and provided with conservative treatment implying scheduled preventive health service at the Somatic Division of the same hospital (Reference Group). The mean age of the subjects was 12 years old.

The empirical material was collected using the following methods: Ehlers’s motivation to success (failure avoidance motivation) test; B. Bass Orientation Inventory;  Locus of Control Level personality test by J.B. Rotter (modified by E.G. Ksenofontova); K. Thomas Conflict Management Modes Test; evaluation of nervous and mental stability, the risk of disadaptation in stress ("Forecast" questionnaire); I. and L. Brengelmann’s method of personality assessment; A.N. Nikolayev’s mental state (wellbeing, activity, mood, stress, anxiety, confidence, excitation) test; Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory MMPI (mini-animation adapted by F.B. Berezin and M.P. Miroshnikov); R. Schubert’s Readiness for risk test. We applied the Fisher’s angular distribution to rate the significance of the intergroup differences (j*).

Results and discussion. The analysis of the demographic data indicated that boys are more prone to injuries than girls, with the most traumatic age being 13-14 years for boys and 11-12 for girls. These indicators are consistent with the WHO data [5].

Of particular attention among injured adolescents is the degree of display of specific temperaments: mixed, intermediate type is significantly more frequent (j*=3.17 at p=0.00), the number of adolescents in the first group with the mixed type of temperament is more than twice the number of adolescents with the same temperament type in the second group. As for the second group, all four classical types of temperament are observed there, and, in general, the number of adolescents with a pronounced type of temperament prevails over the number of those with the mixed type. Consequently, injured adolescents do not have any certain propensities due to their temperament specifics, many of them can be attributed neither to obviously hot-tempered choleric people nor to active level-headed sanguine ones, nor to thoughtful phlegmatic people, nor to sensitive melancholic ones; that is, their behavior is rather variable and diverse, which increases the probability of repeated traumatism. Such unpredictable behaviour, apparently, reduces the stereotypeness of actions and understanding of consequences of the developments both by the adolescent himself and people around him.

Considering the nervous control and mental balancing rates, it should be noted that it is the average degree of stability that predominates among injured adolescents (52%), while the Reference Group has more subjects with the high degree (46%); the differences are significant (j* average = 2.23; j* high = 2.66 at p≤0.01). In other words, the ability to regulate own interaction with the environment is significantly lower in the injured adolescents. The behavioural control process instability can be a marker of the predisposition to injuries, as well as indicate the probability of nervous breakdowns in extreme conditions.

Another specific feature is failure avoidance motivation: it was found that it is the high level ​​(43.6%) that prevails among injured adolescents, whereas their Reference Group peers tend to the average level (51.9%). The differences are statistically significant (j*low=2.49; j*average=3.79; at p=0.00). Thus, a vivid desire to escape punishment, defeat (a painful response to reproaches or remarks, fear of new undertakings, the desire to train at half ability, "anything rather than scolding") may indicate an increased predisposition to injuries.

We also found that injured adolescents give special priority to communication (40%), while the Reference Group subjects are more focused on action (42.5%). Nevertheless, both groups of adolescents equally demonstrate their internal aim (15.5% and 24%, respectively). The differences are significant (j* focus on communication = 2.67; j* focus on action = 2.79; at p≤0.002). Probably, a pronounced need to communicate encourages adolescents to perform risky stunts under the influence of their peers’ opinion to be recognized in their sports team. Thus, adolescents who give a special priority to communication and active interaction fall into the "injury risk group".

The analysis of the stylistic characteristics of communication revealed that the first group subjects are most inclined to adapt to their opponents (32.7%), while their Reference Group peers tend to cooperate (50%) and compromise (25.9%). The differences are statistically significant (j* cooperation = 3.45; j* compromise = 5.81; j* avoidance = 3.21; j* adaptation = 4.98; at p=0.00). That is, among the signs of personality predisposition to injuries are: refusal to jointly de-escalate a conflict; excessive compliance, the desire to rely on other people’s decisions; denial of responsibility, actions, initiatives; unwillingness to recognize the fact of contradiction.

The comparison of the locus control levels revealed a general tendency typical for both groups: the overwhelming majority of the adolescents have the external locus of subjective control, and this index significantly prevails in injured adolescent (82.7% versus 74.1%). The differences are significant (j* externality = 5.54, at p=0.00). It is obvious that, in general, inpatient adolescents do not consider themselves to be capable of controlling most of the events in their life and leave anything to chance, which is especially typical of injured adolescents. In its worst manifestation, this trait (external locus of control) leads to fatal inaction in the face of difficulties, ignoring injuries ("it will pass"), untimely specialized medical care.

The intergroup differences in the "risk appetite" indices were quite predictable: the injured adolescents demonstrated high indices (13.7%), whereas in the Reference Group high "risk appetite" was not observed; the differences are statistically significant (j* low = 2.14, j* average = 3.71, j* high = 7.66, at p≤0.01). That is, potentially injured adolescents are characterized by risky behaviour, and predisposed to unjustified, ostentatious risk.

Analyzing the features of the subjects’ emotional sphere we found that anxiety as a personality trait is significantly more prevalent in the injured adolescents: 65.5% are characterized by the high level of anxiety; in the group of chronic patients, it is the average level of trait anxiety that prevails (53.7%). The revealed differences are statistically significant (j* average = 4.90; j* high = 4.70; at p=0.00). It is important to bear in mind that an increased tendency to anxiety, unrest, concern without sufficient grounds can indirectly indicate predisposition to injuries.

Another specific feature of injured adolescents is emotional rigidity (j* high = 8.16, j* low = 2.82, at p≤0.001, j* average = 1.67, at p=0.05). That is, emotional "entrapment" is an indirect sign of injury: after a noisy, active game, injured adolescents cannot compose themselves for a long time, they continue being naughty even after being scolded, they are hard to fall asleep. At the same time, there is a tendency to displace those factors that cause anxiety: in the first group, it is the average level of hysteria (51.9%) that prevails, the high (11.5%) one is also registered; while their chronically ailing peers do not show the high levels of hysteria, it is the low (60%) one that prevails. The differences are significant (j* high = 7.05; j* average = 2.44; j* low = 4.84; at p=0.00). In other words, adolescents who are highly exposed to risks of physical injuries, generally tend to use physical diseases as a way to resolve complex situations. The "injury risk group" involves those who often become ill on the eve of school tests or competitions, complain of ailment in the event of conflicts, quarrels.

Conclusions. The obtained data suggest for the following conclusions: 1) psychoprophylaxis of adolescent injury rates should be first and foremost aimed at 13-14 year-old male adolescents, although it is same important for 11-12 year-old girls; 2) working with adolescents highly exposed to risks of physical injuries, a sports psychologist is in need of a special intervention and prevention program aimed to prevent injuries with due regard to the identified personality determinants of adolescent injury rates. This kind of program should include at least three aspects of individual-group work with adolescents: a) optimization of social adaptation experiences of adolescents (locus of control, variance in selection of behaviour pattern in conflict situations, formation of assertiveness as a personality trait); b) optimization of their motivational sphere (personality orientation, formation of success motivation, decrease of risk appetite); c) optimization of their emotional sphere (decrease in the level of trait anxiety and emotional rigidity); 3) special attention should be paid to the adolescents with an undifferentiated type of temperament, whose reactions are diverse and difficult to predict; who demonstrate clearly risky behaviour during sports activities, i.e. who have low level of nervous and mental stability; 4) since an increased predisposition to injuries is observed in "compliant" adolescents with strong failure avoidance motivation ("anything rather than scolding"), who mainly tend to communicate rather than act, it makes sense to organize and conduct group sessions using active socio-psychological training methods - discussion, role play, practical course (for example, self-awareness training course, assertiveness training course, development of communication and other skills).

 

References

1. Bakulin V.S., Gretskaya I.B., Bogomolova M.M. et al. Sportivny travmatizm. Profilaktika i reabilitatsiya. Ucheb. posobie [Sports injuries. Prevention and rehabilitation. Textbook]. Volgograd: VSAPhC publ., 2013, 135 p.

2. Veselkova K.E. Analiz issledovaniy sotsialno-psihologicheskikh aspektov podrostkovogo travmatizma [Analysis of studies of socio-psychological aspects of adolescent traumas]. Mater. kruglogo stola s mezhdunar. uchastiem «Problema upravleniya chelovecheskimi resursami v usloviyakh innovatsionnogo razvitiya ekonomiki Rossii», posvyaschennogo 20-letiyu sotsialnoy raboty v Rossii [Proc. round table with intern. participation "The problem of human resources management under innovative development of Russian economy", dedicated to the 20th anniversary of social work in Russia]. Novokuznetsk: SibSIU publ., pp. 43-50.

3. Veselkova K.E. Soprovozhdenie sotsialno-psikhologicheskoy adaptatsii podrostkov s tyazhelyimi fizicheskimi travmami [Follow-up of socio-psychological adaptation of adolescents with severe physical traumas]. Teoriya i praktika obschestvennogo razvitiya. [Electronic resource]. 2011, no. 7. Informregister Code: 0421000093\0513. Available at: http://teoria-practica.ru/rus/files/arhiv_ zhurnala/2011/7/psixologiya/veselkova.pdf.

4. Sportivnye travmy. Osnovnye printsipy profilaktiki i lecheniya [Sports injuries. Basic principles of prevention and treatment]. P.A.F.H. Renstrem. Kiev: Olimpiyskaya literatura publ., 2002, 378 p.

5. Sethi D., Towner E., Vincenten J., Segui-Gomez M., Racioppi F. Evropean report on child injury prevention. Denmark: WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2008, 118 p.

 

Corresponding author: TsvetkovaNA@yandex.ru

 

Abstract

Objective of the study was to analyze the personality determinants of adolescent physical injury rates in the advanced sport training process. Subject to the study were 52 adolescents (aged 12 years on average) trained at different advanced sport training establishments and undergoing medical treatment service at the Children’s Orthopaedic/ Traumatologic Division of the Pskov region Hospital to cure their sport injuries. The Reference Group was composed of their non-sporting peers (n=30) diagnosed with different chronic diseases and provided scheduled preventive health service at the Somatic Division of the same hospital. For the study purposes we applied a set of psychodiagnostic tests designed to profile social adaptation experiences of the sample, their motivations, emotional responses and biologically predetermined traits; and then offer the frame socio-psychological injury-prevention model. The study data and analyses showed that the seriously injured adolescents, in contrast to their peers diagnoses with somatic diseases, were tested with the following personality traits: undifferentiated type of temperament; low nervous control and mental balancing rates; failure avoidance motivations; special priority to communication; proneness to adaptive conflict-settlement behavioural models; externality (with external locus control); high predisposition to risks; expressed personality anxiety; emotional rigidity; and anxiety-suppression behaviour. Based on the study data, we designed a socio-psychological injury prevention program applicable by sport psychologists to serve the adolescents tested as highly exposed to risks of physical injuries due to the relevant personality traits.