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

Perceptions of physical & mental health 
Participants were asked to rate their overall physical and mental health on a scale of 1 
(extremely poor) to 6 (excellent). Following this, two questions were asked to determine if 
participants felt that their involvement in Taekwondo influenced their physical and mental 
health. The questions stated: “How influential do you feel your participation in Taekwondo is 
on your physical (mental) health?” These items were rated on a scale of 1 (not at all influential) 
to 6 (extremely influential). This was placed at the end of the questionnaire in order to reduce 
the possibility of biasing responses on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Body Image 
Satisfaction Scale, and to the open-ended question.
3. Procedure 
In-person data were collected from students at 10 Taekwondo schools and 1 university 
Taekwondo club in Connecticut, with permission from each location’s head instructor. Each 
location is independently run; however, all are operated under the same organization. 
Questionnaires were distributed immediately after a training session and, when feasible, 
the first author visited each location in order to administer the questionnaires to participants.
For cases in which this was not possible, blank copies of the questionnaires were given to 
instructors, who administered them according to a procedure outlined by the PI. In every case, 
Taekwondo students were informed that participation was voluntary and that their responses 
would remain anonymous. All participants gave written consent before beginning the 
questionnaires. 
. 
Qualitative coding 
Responses to the open-ended question were coded according to a scheme developed by 
the authors. The coding scheme was developed based on the participants’ responses; however, 
it was also guided by previous psychological research and Taekwondo philosophy. Previous 
research has provided insight into martial arts practitioners’ motivations for participating in 
their sport, and the first author of this paper has 20 years of experience with Taekwondo and 
its philosophies. However, even when participants’ responses did not adhere to what has been 
previously reported in the literature, the responses were still included in the analysis. Thus, the 
themes developed for the present paper encompass the entirety of the responses reported by 
participants.
First, the responses were read in their entirety in order to determine if patterns existed 
within the data. Participants’ responses were then aggregated into subthemes, and ultimately 
collapsed into broader main themes. A subset of responses were coded by an independent rater 
in order to establish inter-rater reliability, and following discussion, Cohen’s Kappa yielded 
excellent inter-rater reliability, 
κ
= .941, p < .001. The data revealed 16 subthemes that were 

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International Journal of Martial Arts 
collapsed into four main themes (Enduring Psychological, State Psychological, Physical, and 
Social Motivations). Table 1 contains all subthemes and their respective main themes. 
Table 1. Themes Reported by Taekwondo Practitioners