Personality and its Relationship to Success in Professional Baseball

Purpose: The relationships among students' self-efficacy, 2 × 2 achievement goals (mastery-approach [MAp], mastery-avoidance [MAv], performance-approach [PAp], and performance-avoidance goals), and achievement performance remain largely unanswered. We tested a model of the mediating role of self-efficacy on the relationship between 2 × 2 achievement goals and cardiorespiratory fitness. Method: A sample of 276 middle school students (115 boys and 161 girls; 91 sixth graders, 87 seventh graders, and 98 eighth graders), aged 12 to 15 years (M _age = 13.34, SD = 0.96), responded to the Achievement Goals Questionnaire (Conroy, Elliot, &; Hofer, 2003) and Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (Gao, Newton, &; Carson, 2008) referenced to the fitness test. Their cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed via the Progressive Aerobic Cardiorespiratory Endurance Run (PACER) 3 days later. Results: Structural equation modeling demonstrated an acceptable model fit to the data, χ ² (2, N = 105) = 1.66. Self-efficacy had a statistically significant direct effect on the PACER after controlling for the effects of the achievement goals (γ _{self-efficacy-PACER}  = .21). MAv and PAp also had direct effects on PACER performance (γ _MAv-PACER  = ? .24, and γ _PAp-PACER  = .24, respectively). MAp failed to exert direct effect on the PACER. However, the indirect effect of MAp on the PACER via self-efficacy was small although it was statistically significant. Additionally, the indirect effects of MAv and PAp on PACER through self-efficacy were not significant. Conclusions: Students' self-efficacy fully mediated the effect of MAp on fitness performance, as well as partially mediated the effects of MAv and PAp on cardiorespiratory fitness performance. Study implications are provided for educators and practitioners.     

有氧健身跑对大众健身的健康促进研究

随着社会经济快速发展,人民生活水平得到改善,社会和个人对自身健康水平的要求进一步提高,全民健身逐渐成为一个热点。然而,全民健身工作的现状还不能令人满意,健身的参与人数不够多,而且健身者普遍缺乏健身的知识和专业的指导,不能有效、有计划地进行锻炼,获取理想的锻炼效果。但是,健身跑这一独特的运动却为全民健身事业注入强大的推力,成为全民健身最大的助推器。该文通过文献资料法、访谈调查法、问卷调查法、数据统计法等研究方法,获取有氧健身跑的运动特点、发展状况及参与者对健身跑的认识和评价,进一步了解和开发这一运动项目,推动当地全民健身事业的发展。     

Aerobic Demand of Running Shoes Designed to Exploit Energy Storage and Return

This qualitative case study used tenets of critical race theory and a single focus group and individual interviews with 4 African American football athletes at a predominantly White institution of higher education (PWIHE) in an effort to bring the voices of this marginalized group into the dialogue on issues concerning institutional integrity in college sport. Institutional integrity involves an athletic program's actual commitment to the educational interests of college athletes as expressed through their structures, functions, and activities. Three themes emerged from the data: (a) there is a need for more African American role models in leadership positions within the athletic departments of these PWIHE; (b) there is a need for more financial support for athletes; and (c) African American athletes should be given a platform to voice concerns. These findings have implications for those educational stakeholders and researchers who are genuinely concerned with institutional integrity in college sport.     

运动认知技能研究的现状与思考

对需要做出快速判断和决策的运动项目而言,认知技能是其专业技能组成的核心成份。对运动认知技能研究领域中的软件与硬件之争,以及软件学说面临的最大难题———迁移问题进行了综述,指出了目前在该领域研究中存在的主要问题及未来的研究方向。     

Talent identification and deliberate programming in skeleton: Ice novice to Winter Olympian in 14 months

Abstract

The aims of this study were to talent transfer, rapidly develop, and qualify an Australian female athlete in the skeleton event at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympic Games and quantify the volume of skeleton-specific training and competition that would enable this to be achieved. Initially, 26 athletes were recruited through a talent identification programme based on their 30-m sprint time. After attending a selection camp, 10 athletes were invited to undertake an intensified skeleton training programme. Four of these athletes were then selected to compete for Australia on the World Cup circuit. All completed runs and simulated push starts were documented over a 14-month period. The athlete who eventually represented Australia at the Torino Winter Olympic Games did so following approximately 300 start simulations and about 220 training/competition runs over a period of 14 months. Using a deliberate programming model, these findings provide a guide to the minimum exposure required for a novice skeleton athlete to reach Olympic representative standard following intensified sport-specific training. The findings of this study are discussed in the context of the deliberate practice theory and offer the term “deliberate programming” as an alternative way of incorporating all aspects of expert development.     

Effect of Mouthguard Use on Metabolic and Cardiorespiratory Responses to Aerobic Exercise in Males

Purpose: This study investigated the physiological effects of wearing a mouthguard during submaximal treadmill exercise. Method: Twenty-four recreationally active males (M_age = 21.3 ± 2.4 years, M_height = 1.78 ± 0.06 m, M_weight = 81.9 ± 10.6 kg, M_{body mass index} = 25.8 ± 3.4 kg·m^?2) performed incremental, continuous exercise at 2, 4, 6, and 8 mph (3.2, 6.4, 9.7, 12.9 kph) for 5 min at each speed on a motor-driven treadmill on 2 separate occasions in a randomized, crossover, counterbalanced design while wearing or not wearing a self-adaptable “boil and bite” mouthguard. Respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume (V_T), ventilation (V_E), oxygen consumption (VO₂), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and heart rate (HR) data were averaged during the last 60 s of each exercise stage; blood lactate (LA) was measured before exercise and 3 min and 10 min following exercise. Results: Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed that mouthguard use failed to alter the response of RR, V_T, V_E, VO₂, RER, and HR to treadmill exercise (p > .05), although each variable did increase in magnitude as a result of increasing treadmill speed (p < .001). Although increasing to above resting values at both 3 min and 10 min (p < .001) after cessation of exercise, LA levels also displayed no differences with mouthguard use (p > .05). Conclusion: Despite predictable increases in respiratory, metabolic, and cardiovascular variables in response to incremental exercise, the presence of a mouthguard failed to affect the magnitude or nature of these physiological responses.     

对青少年足球运动员变向跑速的研究

本文通过对青少年足球运动员50米直线跑和两种不同变向跑速成绩进行比较研究,探讨其内在的规律。论述变向跑速是当今足球运动员重要专项身体素质。     

青少年女子全能运动员速度力量的训练特征及方法

通过运用文献资料法和专家访谈法对青少年女子全能运动员速度力量的训练特征及方法进行探讨,研究表明青少年女子全能运动中速度力量的训练学基础,决定了其运动员的速度力量发展特点,它为有效的发挥速度力量在全能运动中的作用提供了理论依据.     

Motor expertise interacts with physical enactment to enhance action memory

Previous research on action memory showed the advantage for performing the action in memorising the action phrases. We tested if performing the action would help participants with or without motor expertise to memorise the novel action poses. Thirty novel action poses performed by an expert were photographed to constitute memory and interference stimuli. Eighty college students observed to remember the randomly displayed stimuli; however, half were asked to perform the displayed stimuli. Both free-recall and recognition tests were administered immediately and 24 h after the memory task. The results showed that acting was better than observing for memorising the novel action poses, which not only promoted the absolute retention but also alleviated the retention loss caused by interference. Motor expertise enhanced the overall memory performance by promoting a deeper motor encoding. Based on our results, novices should act with (rather than just observe) the model to learn novel motor skills.     

Patterns of Lower Limb Muscle Activity in Young Boys during a One Foot Static Balance Task

Abstract

Activity patterns of four major muscles were studied in the support leg during a standard one foot balance test. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the tibialis anterior (TA), peroneus longus (PL), gluteus medius (GM), and adductor magnus (AM) was recorded from 10 boys (aged 7-9 yr) during 30 s balance trials. Rectified, low-pass filtered EMG data, converted to percentages of maximum contractions, were used to establish muscle activation patterns. The results showed that lateral shifts in balance were primarily mediated by the ankle musculature, while the hip muscles appeared to stabilize the pelvis. Immediately prior to lateral shifts of the center of pressure (COP), the activity of each ankle muscle was similar to the activity of the following pose. The hip muscles, however, were not consistently linked to ankle activity. Thus, the control of one-legged lateral balance does not rely on fixed hip-ankle synergies.     

探究性学习在健美操教学中的运用研究

在健美操教学中采用探究性学习的教学模式,要求在教学过程中,辩证地处理学生自主与教师指导的关系。不仅强调学生要倾听教师,更要强调教师要倾听学生,重视学习探究中学生的个性体验和独特感受,并引导学生积极反思。同时,要特别强调学生之间的相互倾听、交流与合作。强调学生创新和创编能力的培养,提高健美操教学的质量和健美操教学中学生的学习积极性和主动性。     

Relative Endurance and Physiological Responses: A Study of Individual Differences in Prepubescent Boys and Adult Men

Abstract

The reliability of individual differences in relative endurance performance and physiological response was studied in prepubescent boys (N = 21) and adult men (N = 21). Subjects were tested twice (test and retest) on a relative endurance test consisting of pedalling a bicycle ergometer for 8 minutes duration at a high initial work-rate. The work-rate averaged 103% ± 1.0% VO₂ max (mean ± S.E.) for the children and 105% ± 1.1% VO₂ max for the adults, p > .05. Except for minute 3, children and adults had similar patterns for consistency of relative endurance performance (RPM). However, in comparison to adults, children had smaller individual difference variation for both VO₂ and HR (p > .05). On the average, children had a greater proportion of total variability in VO₂ (34% vs. 17%) and HR (49% vs. 13%) due to intra-individual variability in comparison to true individual differences. Children-adult differences were attributed to maturity differences.     

上海市青少年儿童参与民间体育活动现状的调查与思考

采用问卷调查法和访谈法,对上海市青少年儿童参与民间体育活动的现状进行研究。结果发现:上海青少年儿童参与民间体育活动表现为总体性“冷”与个别项目“热”的两种态势;民间体育活动对青少年儿童具有很强的吸引力;学生、教师及家长对民间体育活动应走进学校有较一致的看法。从我国民间体育发展的历程、现状及其与学校体育的关系等方面,追溯民间体育活动在青少年儿童中开展不力的社会根源,据此提出发展我国民间体育活动的对策。     

Reliability of the Heart Rate Response to Submaximal Upper and Lower Body Exercise

Abstract

This investigation was conducted to compare the influence of high and low perceived competence (PC) and various causal dimension orientations on expectations, persistence, and performance while perceiving failure on a motor task. Based on a response to a PC scale, 84 junior high school students were selected to participate in this study. Separately, 42 low and 42 high PC subjects were oriented to perceive their performance on a stabilometer balancing task as due to: (a) internal, controllable, unstable factors (ICU); (b) internal, uncontrollable, stable factors (IUS); or (c) nothing in particular (NDO). Subjects then received fictitious negative feedback over 15 trials. Results revealed that persistence, expectations, and performance dependent measures were significant for PC and Causal Dimension groups. More specifically, the High PC group persisted longer, had higher expectations, and performed significantly better than the Low PC group. Furthermore, the subjects presented ICU orientations persisted for a longer amount of time, revealed higher expectations over trials, and performed significantly better over trials than the subjects in the IUS and NDO groups. These findings suggest that perceived competence and causal dimensional orientations influence children's expectations, persistence, and performance when perceiving failure on a motor task.     

Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Performance Among Young Adults in a Higher Education Setting

Purpose: Acute benefits of aerobic exercise on executive functioning have been reported frequently under laboratory conditions. However, to date, a beneficial effect on long-term memory has been less well supported and no data are available regarding nonlaboratory conditions in young adults. The aim of the current study was to investigate acute effects of aerobic exercise on cognitive functioning in a university classroom setting. Method: Using a cross-over design, 51 participants performed a bout of moderately intense running (RUN) and read an article while seated (CON). Afterwards, they completed free-recall tests, followed by a Flanker task and an n-back task. Results: Participants in the RUN condition compared with those in the CON condition showed shorter reaction time on the inhibition task, F(1, 50) = 5.59, p = .022, η² = .101, and recalled more words in the immediate- and delayed-recall tests, F(1, 50) = 8.40, p = .006, η² = .144. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that a moderately intense bout of aerobic exercise benefits verbal short-term and long-term memory as well as inhibitory control among students in a classroom setting.     

有氧舞蹈网络课程的自主学习模式构建研究

本文通过借鉴自主学习模式的相关研究成果,将有舞蹈网络课程与自主学习模式相结合,期望借助网络教学平台突破有氧舞蹈课程的传统教学模式,使学生学习时间、形式更加灵活,培养学习兴趣、创新和自主学习能力。分析构建有氧舞蹈网络课程自主学习模式下的诸要素,探讨在该模式下对各教学环节的设计、开发及相应教学策略的制定。本文认为有氧舞蹈网络课程的自主学习模式构建应合理利用网络资源、教学评价和课程设计来引导学生进行启发性和探究性学习,即达到培养学生独立解决问题的能力,又符合当代大学生身心发展的需要。     

Using video simulations and virtual reality to improve decision-making skills in basketball

ABSTRACT

A large body of literature supports the effectiveness of using video simulations to improve decision-making skills in invasion sports. However, whether these improvements are transferable (from the laboratory to the court/field) and generalizable (from trained to untrained plays) remains unknown. In addition, it remains to be determined whether presenting the video simulations using virtual reality provides an added-value. To investigate these questions, varsity-level basketball players underwent four training sessions during which they observed video clips of basketball plays presented either on a computer screen (CS group) or using a virtual reality headset (VR group). A third group watched footage from NCAA playoff games on a computer screen (CTRL group). Decision-making was assessed on-court before and after the training sessions using two types of plays: “trained” plays (presented during the CS and VR training sessions) and “untrained” plays (presented only during the on-court tests). When facing the trained plays in the posttest, both VR and CS groups significantly outperformed the CTRL group. In contrast, when facing the untrained plays, the VR group outperformed both the CS and CTRL groups. Our results indicate that CS training leads to transferable but non-generalized decision-making gains while VR training leads to transferable and generalized gains.     

耐力训练对动态心功能的影响与ACE基因多态性的关联研究

测定87名北方汉族新兵,经18周的5km跑耐力训练前后动态左心室结构与功能指标,并应用PCR-AFLP方法检测其ACE基因I/D多态,观察两者之间是否存在关联。结果显示:耐力训练后,左心室结构和功能发生了适应性改变,表现在100W负荷下,左室内径、每搏量、左室后壁、室间隔厚度的增加,反映了心脏机能的增强;相同负荷下功能指标,如射血分数、心输出量呈机能节省化下降,反映了心力储备良好;但是ACE基因型组间比较左心室结构和功能改变的差异无显著性(P>0.05)。在中国北方汉族青年中,未发现ACE基因I/D多态性与左室动态心功能指标的训练敏感性之间的关联。     

Socialisation,culture and the foundations of expertise in elite level Indigenous Australian sportsmen

This article reports on an ongoing study that investigates the development of expertise in rugby league and Australian football by Indigenous Australians as a socially and culturally situated process of learning. Focused on the sampling phase of the Development Model of Participation in Sport (6–12 years of age), it combines narrative inquiry and grounded theory methodologies to identify the important role that participation in a range of different sports and in informal games plays in the participants’ development of expertise, as a process of socialisation.