An autonomous circulatory model of athletic buoyancy of Chinese collegiate athletes

Liwei Fang; Huiting Liu; Yan Li; Yutong Shen; Jingyuan Liu; Pei Sun

doi:10.54844/wsr.2025.1027

Authors

Liwei Fang Shanghai Film Art Academy
Huiting Liu
Yan Li
Yutong Shen
Jingyuan Liu
Pei Sun

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54844/wsr.2025.1027

Keywords:

athletic buoyancy, collegiate athletes, effective coping, loss of control, grounded theory

Abstract

Athletic buoyancy is a recent concept in sports psychology. This study adopted a qualitative research method to explore the concept of athletic buoyancy and its components in Chinese collegiate athletes. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight collegiate athletes. Four core categories of athletic buoyancy were established based on grounded theory, including self-confidence in ability, breakthrough ability, tolerance of loss of control and recovery, and internal drive. Based on the first author's own sports training experience and observations, an autonomous circulatory model of athletic buoyancy was constructed. The model consists of two paths, the first path is a basic cycle and the second path is a progress cycle. The basic cycle begins with self-confidence in ability, through breaking through setbacks and challenges, and tolerating uncontrolled conditions and recovering from them. The progress cycle starts once the setbacks and challenges are resolved in the basic cycle or no longer exert a negative impact on training and competition. Our study suggested that athletic buoyancy could be defined as athletes' ability to effectively cope with daily setbacks and challenges in a competitive sports environment and to enhance sports skills or performance while experiencing loss of control.

References

af Ursin, P., Järvinen, T., & Pihlaja, P. (2020). The role of academic buoyancy and social support in mediating associations between academic stress and school engagement in Finnish primary school children. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 65(4), 661-675. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2020.1739135

Arnold, R., & Fletcher, D. (2012). A research synthesis and taxonomic classification of the organizational stressors encountered by sport performers. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 34(3), 397-429. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.34.3.397

Barrett, L. F. (2017). The theory of constructed emotion: An active inference account of interoception and categorization. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 12(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw154

Bicalho, C. C. F., Melo, G. F., Noce, F. (2020). Resilience of athletes: A systematic review based on a citation network analysis. Cuadernos de Psicología del Deporte, 20(3), 26-40. https://doi.org/10.6018/cpd.391581

Brown, H. E., Lafferty, M. E., & Triggs, C. (2015). In the face of adversity: Resiliency in winter sport athletes. Science & Sports, 30(5), e105-e117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2014.09.006

Calhoun, J. R. V. (2020). An investigation of athletic buoyancy in adult recreational and sport club athletes. LSU Doctoral Dissertations, 5265. https://doi.org/10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.5265

Calhoun, J. V., Webster, E. K., & Garn, A. C. (2017). An investigation of the generalisability of buoyancy from academics to athletics. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 17(4), 321-333. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2017.1349823

Cheng X. M. (2000). [Qualitative research in social science]. Educational Science Press.

Corbin J. M., & Strauss A. L. (2015). [Basics of qualitative (Zhu G. M., Trans.)]. Chongqing University Press.

Collie, R. J., Ginns, P., Martin, A. J., & Papworth, B. (2017). Academic buoyancy mediates academic anxiety's effects on learning strategies: An investigation of English- and Chinese-speaking Australian students. Educational Psychology, 37(8), 947-964. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2017.1291910

China Student Sports. (2025, June 23). [Constitution of the Chinese Students' Sports Federation]. China Student Sports. Retrieved Sep. 30, 2025, from https://www.sports.edu.cn/web/institution/content_3386.shtml

Fletcher, D., & Sarkar, M. (2013). Psychological resilience. European Psychologist, 18(1), 12-23. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000124

Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Aldine Publishing Company.

Hagiwara, G., Iwatsuki, T., Isogai, H., Raalte, J. V., & Brewer, B. W. (2017). Relationships among sports helplessness, depression, and social support in American college student-athletes. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 17(2), 753-757. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2017.02114

Hoferichter, F., Hirvonen, R., & Kiuru, N. (2021). The development of school well-being in secondary school: High academic buoyancy and supportive class- and school climate as buffers. Learning and Instruction, 71, 101377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2020.101377

Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2008a). Academic buoyancy: Towards an understanding of students' everyday academic resilience. Journal of School Psychology, 46(1), 53-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2007.01.002

Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2008b). Workplace and academic buoyancy: Psychometric assessment and construct validity amongst school personnel and students. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 26(2), 168-184. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282907313767

Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2009). Academic resilience and academic buoyancy: Multidimensional and hierarchical conceptual framing of causes, correlates and cognate constructs. Oxford Review of Education, 35(3), 353-370. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980902934639

National Collegiate Athletic Association. (n.d.). History. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved Sep. 30, 2025, from https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/5/4/history.aspx

Pang, P. (2008). [Eleven Lectures on Chinese Culture]. Zhonghua Book Company.

Pedro, S. D. G. (2016). Athletes engagement, resilience, and rate of perceived exertion on Portuguese national- and international-level wrestlers. International Journal of Wrestling Science, 6(1), 5-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/21615667.2016.1166299

Putwain, D. W., Gallard, D., & Beaumont, J. (2020). Academic buoyancy protects achievement against minor academic adversities. Learning and Individual Differences, 83-84, 101936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2020.101936

Sarkar, M., & Fletcher, D. (2014). Ordinary magic, extraordinary performance: Psychological resilience and thriving in high achievers. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 3(1), 46-60. https://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000003

Skinner, E. A., Pitzer, J. R., & Steele, J. S. (2016). Can student engagement serve as a motivational resource for academic coping, persistence, and learning during late elementary and early middle school? Developmental Psychology, 52(12), 2099-2117. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000232

Sparkes, A. C., & Smith, B. (2013). Qualitative research methods in sport, exercise and health: From process to product. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203852187

Strauss A. L. & Corbin J. M. (2015). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Sage publications.

Thelwell, R. C., Weston, N. J. V., & Greenlees, I. A. (2007). Batting on a sticky wicket: Identifying sources of stress and associated coping strategies for professional cricket batsmen. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 8(2), 219-232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2006.04.002

Wagstaff, C. R. D., Sarkar, M., Davidson, C. L., & Fletcher, D. (2016). Resilience in sport: A critical review of psychological processes, sociocultural influences, and organizational dynamics. The Organizational Psychology of Sport (pp. 120-149). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315666532

Wang, Y. (2019). Research on the athlete cultivation and welfare system in the United States. Bulletin of Sport Science & Technology, 27(9), 130-134. https://doi.org/10.19379/j.cnki.issn.1005-0256.2019.09.056

Zhang, K., & Zhang, L. W. (2011). [Doctrine and method: What Chinese culture can contribute to athletes' psychological training and consultation]. Journal of Tianjin University, 26(3), 196-199. https://doi.org/10.13297/j.cnki.issn1005-0000.2011.03.008

Zhang L. W., & Zhang, K. (2011). [The dialectic of self-control: Essential ideas to help athletes manage 8 pairs of relationships]. Journal of Tianjin University, 26(3), 185-190. https://doi.org/10.13297/j.cnki.issn1005-0000.2011.03.00