Helene Jørgensen’s research while affiliated with University of Alberta and other places

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Publications (13)


Constructing a grounded theory of grit in sport: Understanding the development and outcomes of long-term passion and perseverance in competitive athletes
  • Article

November 2024

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58 Reads

Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise

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Helene Jørgensen

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[...]

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Kent C. Kowalski

To be successful, athletes are expected to overcome the many setbacks and demands of sport throughout the entirety of their competitive career. Grit – or passion and perseverance over long terms – has been linked to positive outcomes in the sport domain, but progress in the field has been hindered by a lack of sufficient theory. The purpose of this study was to construct a grounded theory of competitive athletes’ grit in sport, and constructivist grounded theory methodology was adopted. Twenty-seven participants (14 women, 13 men; 22 athletes, 5 coaches) involved in competitive sport participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Data analysis involved an iterative process of initial coding, focused coding, axial coding, and theoretical integration. Results showed grit to be a malleable dispositional tendency that was formed over time as athletes amassed significant sport experiences. With the encouragement from supportive others, athletes would adopt adaptive cognitions about success and failure. These cognitions would then develop into a propensity to identify and strive towards long-term goals in sport. Participants described grit as leading to several outcomes, including sport-specific goal achievement, adaptive outcomes, and maladaptive outcomes. Our research advances the study of grit in sport by providing researchers and practitioners a deeper understanding of the processes that encapsulate competitive athletes’ sport-specific grit. Implications for practice (e.g., how sport support persons might foster grit in athletes) and recommendations for future research (e.g., improving the measurement of grit in sport) are also discussed.


Search and screening results.
Defining contribution: A scoping review
  • Article
  • Full-text available

August 2024

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55 Reads

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1 Citation

Introduction The term contribution is a key feature of approaches to positive youth development but has yet to be adequately defined. The purposes of this study were to identify properties that underlie contribution and to establish a theoretical definition of the construct. Methods A two‐phase scoping review was conducted. The first phase involved the systematic search, selection, and analysis of studies from which six properties of contribution were identified and a preliminary theoretical definition was constructed. In the second phase expert judges rated the degree to that the proposed definition and the six properties of contribution fit with their conceptualization of the construct on a 6‐point scale. Results Mean ratings for the definition and the six properties ranged from 5.05 to 5.70. Judges' ratings for the overall definition of contribution and the six properties were evaluated using Aiken's content validity coefficient (V). All V coefficients ranged in size from 0.81 to 0.94 and were statistically significant (p's < .01) indicating that the definition of contribution and the corresponding six properties fit well with experts' conceptualizations of the construct. Conclusion This study provides a theoretical definition of contribution that will serve as a foundation upon which future research in the area of positive youth development can build.

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The role of parents in facilitating their children’s life skills development

December 2023

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10 Reads

The overall purpose of this study was to examine parents' role in the development of character among young athletes, with a particular focus on life skills development across learning contexts (i.e., sport, family, school). Participants were 20 parents (13 mothers, 7 fathers, M age = 46.8 years, SD = 4.6) and 24 children (14 girls, 10 boys, M age = 14.3 years, SD = 1.3) who competed in a variety of youth sports. Each participant completed an individual semistructured interview. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. We identified five strategies that parents used to facilitate their children's life skills development: reinforcing values and consistency; giving perspective and guiding; seizing teachable moments; instructing, reminding, and encouraging; and promoting independence. These findings highlight parents' role in character development among young athletes, and show that life skills are developed and reinforced, across learning contexts.



Grounded theory

February 2022

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257 Reads

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12 Citations

The purposes of this paper were to (a) describe and assess the use of grounded theory methodology (GTM) in sport psychology over the past 11 years and (b) provide some guidance for best practices moving forward. Following a brief summary of the history of GTM, we present the results of a rapid review of seven sport psychology journals from 2009 to 2021. A total of 35 articles that made claims regarding the use of GTM as a methodology were retained. The retained articles were assessed using 11 criteria. Overall, the methodological completeness of GTM studies in sport psychology appears to have improved over the past decade. Twenty-two of the 35 articles met all, or all but one, of the criteria. Thirteen articles did not meet two or more of the criteria. In terms of areas for improvement, the least widely reported procedures were theoretical sampling (reported in 22 of 35 studies), theoretical saturation (22 of 35 studies), and assessment of theory (22 of 35 studies). Furthermore, the sophisticated positioning of theoretical sensitivity was sometimes lacking in the articles. We discuss ways in which researchers can increase the conceptual and theoretical sophistication of methodologically sound GTM studies.


Life skills development and learning contexts among members of China women's national soccer teams

January 2022

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101 Reads

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4 Citations

The objectives of this study were to explore life skills development and learning contexts among members of the China women's national soccer teams. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 members of the China women's national soccer teams. Data were subjected to inductive and deductive analytic procedures. Data pertaining to life skills development were initially inductively analysed and then deductively matched with the Chinese adaptation of the “4Cs” of character, competence, confidence, and connection. Data pertaining to life skills learning contexts were inductively analysed and we constructed themes that revealed participants’ experiences in four contexts (sport, family, school, and work). There appeared to be a particular emphasis on the sport context, whereby participants described learning life skills from teammates, coaches, meeting competitive demands, and living with the team. Family also appeared to be an important life skills learning context, whereas school and work were less prevalent. Overall, these results suggest the Chinese adaptation of the 4Cs is appropriate for use with Chinese athletes. The emphasis on the sport context may be reflective of the intense and unique training demands associated with the Chinese national team.



Positive youth development through sport

March 2020

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568 Reads

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220 Citations

Originating in the field of developmental psychology, positive youth development (PYD) is an asset-building approach to youth development research and practice that emphasizes enhancing strengths and developing potential in all youth (Lerner, 2017). Extracurricular programmes designed to promote PYD typically include (a) positive and sustained relationships between youth and adults, (b) activities that build life skills, and (c) opportunities for youth to use life skills as both participants and leaders in community activities (Lerner, 2004). Over the past decade, sport psychology researchers have increasingly adopted the PYD perspective to examine developmental experiences in sport. Early PYD through sport research tended to adopt PYD approaches from the broader developmental psychology literature. There are now several sport-specific measures and models of PYD, hallmarks of a buoyant and expanding area of scholarship. A central premise underpinning this chapter is that sport-specific measures and models of PYD are important and necessary owing to the unique developmental experiences sport can provide. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to review theory and research relating to the topic of PYD through sport.


How Do Sport Parents Engage in Autonomy-Supportive Parenting in the Family Home Setting? A Theoretically Informed Qualitative Analysis

January 2020

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170 Reads

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11 Citations

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

The purpose of this study was to identify and examine how sport parents engage in autonomy-supportive parenting in the family home setting. A total of 44 parents and children from 19 families were initially interviewed. Data from these families were profiled to identify seven families that adopted a highly autonomy-supportive parenting style. The seven families’ data were then examined using a theoretically focused qualitative analysis using the three dimensions of autonomy-supportive parenting. Sport parents engaged in autonomy support (vs. control) through flexible conversations and supporting decision making. The themes of boundary setting and establishing expectations based on values were indicative of structure . The authors found high levels of involvement across contexts. These findings depict the nature and types of social interactions in the family home that created an autonomy-supportive emotional climate, which often extended to sport, providing a foundation for future theoretical development and applied research in sport.


Citations (7)


... Additionally, other early descriptions of contribution suggested that contribution has had a behavioural (action) component and an ideological component (i.e., that an individual possesses an identity that specifies such contributions are predicated on moral and civic duty; Lerner et al., 2003). It was not until a recent study by Deal et al. (2021) that contribution was defined theoretically. Theoretical definitions are meant to capture the essence of a phenomenon and are important to researchers as strong theoretical definitions allow researchers to understand and critique concepts (Watt & van den Berg, 2002). ...

Reference:

Coaches’ perspectives on contribution
Defining contribution: A scoping review

... However, solely focusing on athletes' outcomes may not sufficiently contribute to personal development as high-performance athletes need support and strategies to cope with challenges, adversities, and transitions (Hauser et al., 2022). Jørgensen et al. (2024) proposed that personal development can also be thought of as a continual and individualized process whereby athletes strive to improve in their sport as well as other life contexts. Their grounded theory presented three postulations on how to promote the athlete personal development process: (a) strategies, (b) situations, and (c) social support. ...

A grounded theory of personal development in high-performance sport environments
  • Citing Article
  • November 2023

Psychology of Sport and Exercise

... There are a number of studies exploring Chinese athletes' experiences of PST (Wang and Zhang, 2015), mental health (Si et al., 2021), and career transition and life skill development (Zhang et al., 2017;Li et al., 2022;Zhu et al., 2022). The present research illustrates how a working relationship was developed and contributed to developing the learning processes of an athlete, within the context of the Chinese sport system. ...

Life skills development and learning contexts among members of China women's national soccer teams
  • Citing Article
  • January 2022

... The family is crucial to society for human survival as well as personal growth. According to family systems theory, a family is made up of many interconnected pieces that, when they work well, benefit each member in different ways [11], [12]. Good family dynamics are important for young people to succeed in realizing their full potential, particularly for those who participate in sports. ...

How Do Sport Parents Engage in Autonomy-Supportive Parenting in the Family Home Setting? A Theoretically Informed Qualitative Analysis
  • Citing Article
  • January 2020

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology

... body of evidence has linked sport participation to a range of PYD outcomes (Bruner et al., 2023;Eime et al., 2013;Holt et al., 2017). However, evidence of negative outcomes stemming from sport involvement, such as burnout, reduced enjoyment, and substance use (Holt, 2008;Strachan et al., 2009), suggests that mere sport participation does not inherently lead to PYD. Rather, the structure and delivery of sport activities significantly influence youth development, underscoring the need for PYD approaches that prioritise supportive environments to minimise risks and optimise positive developmental opportunities among youth (Holt, 2008). ...

Positive youth development through sport Enhancing contribution
  • Citing Chapter
  • December 2020

... Currently, many preventive activities are carried out aimed at developing the participants' potential and their strengths. Often these programs focus on development through sports (Holt, 2016;Holt, Deal, Pankow, 2020;Newman et al. 2020), or other interests (Feenstra, 2015;Rice, Girvin, Primak, 2014). It is therefore worth considering whether the use of language talent can be a potential component of a preventive program for adolescents and adults, which is why this study focused on the analysis of the relationship between cultural switching, bilingualism and psychosocial functioning. ...

Positive youth development through sport
  • Citing Chapter
  • March 2020

... Today, one of the main challenges for contemporary youth sport is to accommodate neoliberal forms of competition together with PYD (Jørgensen, Lemyre, & Holt, 2020). On one hand, neoliberal forms of competition, in some youth sport organisations, provide a scarcity of opportunities for youth to belong (Bean, Shaikh, Kramers, & Forneris, 2021) and include negative coaching strategies such as punishing athletes (Santos, Camiré, & Campos, 2018;Santos, Camiré, & MacDonald, 2021). ...

Multiple Learning Contexts and the Development of Life Skills Among Canadian Junior National Team Biathletes
  • Citing Article
  • January 2019