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physical activity (moderate and vigorous physical activity and sedentary behavior), BMI, pubertal stage of development, social support from peers and family, health beliefs regarding the consequences of physical activity, self-efficacy for physical activity, and intention to be physically active. Puberty was significantly associated with lower intentions and self-efficacy for physical activity, which is of particular interest in this population given that African American girls tend to reach puberty at a younger age than Caucasian girls. In addition, younger girls received greater social support for physical activity from both family and peers. Higher levels of physical activity behavior were associated with lower rates of sedentary behavior, lower BMI, and higher self-efficacy for exercise. Multiple regression analyses also revealed social support and health beliefs to positively predict, and pubertal stage to negatively predict, physical activity intentions. This study expands research on determinants of physical activity to a rarely studied, at-risk population, and suggests areas for future research to facilitate physical activity in this population. Lown, D. A., & Braunschweig, C. L. (2008). Determinants of physical activity in low-income, overweight African American girls. American Journal of Health Behavior, 32, 253259.
Journal Web site: www.ajhb.org Author Web site: www.ahs.uic.edu/ahs/php/content.php?sitename = mvsc&type = 7&id = 308

Assessing Short and Core Flow

The assessment of flow has tended to focus upon multi-item multi-factor instruments. Although such instruments may be superior to brief, unidimensional ones, there may also be occasions when brief measures of flow are appropriate and may complement or augment research using multi-item multifactor forms. The aim of the present study was to assess two brief measures of flow, and to assess relationships between these measures of flow and motivation. The two brief measures were (a) short flow, and (b) core flow. Short flow reflects an aggregate or global measure drawn from the original long multi-item multifactor flow instrument. Core flow reflects the phenomenology of the subjective flow experience itself. Study 1 examined short flow in work (n = 637), sport (n = 239), and music (n = 224) contexts. Study 2 examined core flow in school (n = 2,229), extracurricular activity (n = 2,229), mathematics (n = 378), and sport (n = 220) contexts. The results revealed (i) both flow measures demonstrated acceptable model fit, reliability, and distributions; (ii) both measures demonstrated associations with motivation in hypothesized ways; and (iii) both measures demonstrated invariance in factor loadings across the diverse samples. The authors concluded that the two brief flow measures are appropriate for research examining task absorption, subjective experience, and cognate constructs such as motivation, but that choice of measures should be guided by the research purpose and questions. For those seeking an aggregate profile of flow characteristics but with the constraints of methodological or practical limitations (e.g., time, survey space), the short flow scale might be important to consider. However, for those seeking to tap into the core phenomenological experience of what it is like to be in this optimal state of mindbut also with methodological and practical constraintsthe core flow scale might be more appropriate.

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Martin, A. J., & Jackson, S. A. (2008). Brief approaches to assessing task absorption and enhanced subjective experience: Examining short and core flow in diverse performance domains. Motivation and Emotion, 32, 141157.
Journal Web site: http://www.springer.com/psychology/journal/11031 Author Web site: http://applications.edfac.usyd.edu.au/about/admin/FMPro?-db = EDF_SD_ staff&-format = staff_profile_template.html&-lay = web&code = amar&-Find

Digest Editor: Martyn Standage, University of Bath Digest Compilers: Walter Bixby, Elon University Shauna Burke, University of Western Ontario Kim Gammage, Brock University Miranda Kaye, Penn State University Scott Martin, University of North Texas Meghan McDonough, Purdue University Tim Rees, University of Exeter Catherine Sabiston, McGill University Ralph Maddison, University of Auckland Mark Uphill, Canterbury Christ Church University