Microsoft Word Training the body and mind Examining psychological correlates of Taekwondo docx

1. Participants 
Data were collected from a group of Taekwondo students who had just participated in a 
Taekwondo training session. The sample (n = 57) consisted of 32 male and 24 female 
participants from a large Taekwondo organization in the Northeastern United States. Data for 
one participant’s gender was not available due to a defective questionnaire packet. The majority 
of the participants identified themselves as White or Caucasian (58.9%). The remaining 
participants identified themselves as Asian (17.9%), Biracial or Multi-racial (7.1%), Black or 
African American (8.9%), or Hispanic (7.1%). Participants’ ages ranged between 18 and 61 
(M = 37.75, SD = 14.60), with a median age of 40 years-old. Taekwondo experience ranged 
from 3 weeks to 34 years, (M = 4.75, SD = 6.20), with a median of 2 years of training. A 
number of participants were excluded from certain analyses due to defective questionnaire 
packets (n = 1) or failure to respond to the questions (n = 4). 
2. Measurement 
Demographics

Participants completed a demographics questionnaire that assessed their age, ethnicity, 

and gender. On this questionnaire, participants were also asked to indicate the amount of 
training experience they had in Taekwondo by answering the question, “How long have you 
have been participating in Taekwondo classes/training?”, and were prompted to write their 
responses in the form of months or years. Responses were later coded in terms of years (e.g., 6 
months = .5 years). This variable is referred to as “years of Taekwondo experience”, or 
“Taekwondo experience” throughout the manuscript. 
Reasons for taekwondo participation
 
Participants were asked to indicate the reasons why they chose to participate in 
Taekwondo classes. The question read: “please describe the reason(s) why you participate in 
Taekwondo. Please explain as fully as possible.” Participants were given the remainder of the 
page to write their answers. This question was placed at the beginning of the questionnaire to 
avoid the subsequent measures influencing participants’ responses. 
Self-esteem 
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965) was used to assess levels of 
self-esteem. The Scale is one of the most widely used self-report measures and has high internal 
consistency and test-retest reliability (Robinson, Shaver, & Wrightsman, 2013). In the present 
study, the Scale yielded high internal consistency (Cronbach’s 
α
= .90). The Rosenberg Self-
Esteem Scale consists of 10 items, and includes statements such as, “All and all, I am inclined 
to feel that I am a failure.” Participants were asked to indicate the degree to which they agreed 
with each statement, with response choices ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 4 (strongly 
disagree).
Body image 
Perceptions of body image were assessed using the Body Image Satisfaction Scale (BISS; 
Holsen, Jones & Birkeland, 2012a). This scale consists of 4 statements assessing global 
satisfaction/dissatisfaction with one’s body, and is appropriate for use with both males and 

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International Journal of Martial Arts 
females (e.g., Holsen, Joenes, & Birkeland, 2012b). For instance, one item on the scale states: 
“I would like to change a good deal about my body.” These items are rated on a scale of 1 (does 
not apply at all) to 6 (applies exactly). The BISS showed acceptable internal consistency 
(Cronbach’s 
α
= .75).