Prediction of Athletic Participation in Middle School Males

Abstract

During the first ten days of the academic year the Physical Estimation and Attraction Scales (PEAS) and Bialer's Locus of Control Scale were administered to seventh and eighth grade middle school males. Subsequently, calls were issued for the fall sport season (flag football, cross-country). Stepwise discriminant analysis produced a function containing Attraction first and Estimation second, which accurately predicted athletic participation, canonical r = .35 p < .001. Use of smaller, previously factored collections of PEAS items improved the prediction, canonical r = .40, p < .001. Prediction of a single, more specific activity, cross-country, by means of the more specific factor scores produced a canonical coefficient of .47, p < .001. PEAS Factor 5, referring primarily to activities of running and hiking, developed the largest relationship with cross-country participation of any study variable. Control did not enter either of these two equations. No significant relationship was found between any study variable and adherence (remaining on the cross-country team for the complete season). It was concluded that PEAS variables are capable of predicting initial exercise involvement. In terms of developing optimal psychometric predictions of exercise recruitment and adherence, it is recommended that attitude statements be developed which are more specific and congruent to corresponding desired behaviors.     

Resting Electromyographic Triceps Surae Activity and Tonic Vibration Reflexes in Subjects with High and Average-Low Maximum Oxygen Uptake Capacities

This study was grounded in the belief systems and physical activity literature and investigated preservice teachers' belief systems toward curricular outcomes for physical education programs. Preservice teachers (N = 486; men = 62%, women = 38%) from 18 U.S. colleges/universities shared their beliefs about curricular outcomes. Preservice teachers completed a previously validated belief systems instrument designed to measure the relative importance of four outcome goals for programs (physical activity/fitness, self-actualization, motor skill development, and social development). Internal consistency reliability for the instrument was .98. A confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a good fit of the current sample to the hypothesized outcomes model. Multivariate analysis of variance results revealed a significant interaction in outcome preservice teachers' priorities for year in school by region. The teachers' views also differed on the important outcome goals for physical education. Two critical “tensions” are discussed: (a) the need to examine more fully the consistency of preservice teacher/teacher belief systems, and (b) implications for teacher education and professional development programming. It is important to heed prospective teachers' voices and address their belief systems in teacher education programs.     

Resting Electromyographic Triceps Surae Activity and Tonic Vibration Reflexes in Subjects with High and Average-Low Maximum Oxygen Uptake Capacities

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effect of an interactive videodisc motor skill assessment training program on the development of preservice and inservice teachers' qualitative assessment proficiency on two motor skills: the overhand throw and catch. Twenty-seven preservice and 27 inservice physical education teachers were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: interactive videodisc (IVD), teacher-directed (TD), or self-directed (SD). Motor skill qualitative assessment accuracy was evaluated on a pre- and post-test basis using a 50-item motor skill assessment accuracy test (10 performances rated on 5 components) for each skill. Analysis of covariance results indicated significant main effects for treatment for both skills. Post hoc tests revealed that for the over hand throw, the IVD and TD groups were superior to the SD group but not different from each other. For the catch, the IVD group was found to be superior to both the TD and SD groups. These findings are discussed in relation to the advantages of interactive videodisc in terms of efficiency and user independence and with comparable findings in other educational applications.     

Premotor and Motor Reaction Time As a Function of Response Complexity

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to identify the response elements responsible for the complexity effect found by Henry and Rogers (1960). An attempt was made to determine if these elements were affecting the premotor time component of simple reaction time (SRT). If they were, a strong case could be made for the argument that neuromotor programming time was affected because premotor time is a more exact estimate of it than SRT. The results revealed that premotor time was unaffected by a forward change in movement direction, but increased as the number of movement parts increased from one to two and as the demand for movement accuracy increased. Thus, increasing the (1) number of parts and (2) accuracy demands were identified as elements of response complexity which increase programming time and support Henry and Rogers (1960) hypothesis that the time to initiate a response becomes longer as the programming process become more complex.     

The Use of Statistical Significance: A Commentary Related to Franks and Huck

Abstract

This paper focuses on the processes by which people become high school coaches. Occupational choice, professional socialization, and organizational socialization are examined, using qualitative data drawn from naturally occurring observations of coaches and informal discussions and in-depth interviews with them. Over 50% of the coaches had decided that they wanted to become a coach before entrance into college. The decision to become a coach was subjectively warranted by personal characteristics and experiences in sports, a devotion to sport, and a desire to work with young people. Youth sport coaching and student teaching which involved coaching constituted the only formal professional socialization that most of the coaches received. However, because almost all of the coaches participated in organized youth and/or high school athletics, they had a first-hand opportunity to observe their own coaches and acquire some informal images and impressions about the coaching occupation from them. Regardless of whether a neophyte began as an assistant or a head coach, technical aspects of the job and the occupation's culture were acquired by observing and listening to more experienced coaches. Through these experiences, collective understandings began to form, and the shared meanings about the occupational culture took shape. Reality shock for most novice coaches came in the form of understanding the importance the coaching culture assigns to long hours and hard work and to the realization that coaching does take an enormous amount of time. By the end of the first season, a symbolic transformation takes place and internalization of institutional expectations occurs as the neophyte begins to understand what coaching is all about.     

Cognitive Style and Learner Strategy Interaction in the Performance of Primary and Related Maze Tasks

Abstract

The effect of designated learning strategies and reflective versus impulsive cognitive styles on performance in a maze learning task was investigated. Twenty-four female subjects were randomly assigned to a strategy or control group. The strategies group was provided with three potentially effective strategies (imagery, rhythm, and feedback) as identified by an information processing task analysis procedure. The Matching Familiar Figures test further classified subjects within the two groups according to their preferred styles of responding. Eleven primary task trials were administered with direct view of maze and four related task trials were completed with an indirect view of it. Traversal speed and time in the incorrect pathways were analyzed with a 2 × 2 × 7 (Strategies × Cognitive Styles × Trial Blocks) repeated measures ANOVA. A significant three-way interaction was found for both dependent measures. As hypothesized, during the primary task the control reflective subjects traversed the maze more slowly than the control impulsive subjects. However, the strategies reflective subjects completed the maze with the same speed as strategies impulsives. The incorrect pathways × time interaction revealed that the control reflective subjects spent less time in the incorrect pathways during the related task than the control impulsives. No significant differences were found for strategies reflectives or impulsives. These findings indicate that, for this maze task that emphasized speed, the performance of reflective and impulsive subjects was facilitated by appropriate learning strategies.     

Is In-Class Physical Activity at Risk in Constructivist Physical Education?

Constructivist physical education emphasizes cognitive engagement. This study examined the impact of a constructivist curriculum on in-class physical activity. Caloric expenditure in metabolic equivalents (MET) and vector magnitude count (VM) data from a random sample of 41 constructivist lessons were compared with those from a random sample of 35 nonconstructivist lessons. Statistical analyses revealed that students in both curriculum conditions were active at a similarly low-moderate level (MET = 2.6 for experimental, 2.5 for comparison, p = .30). Differences (p < .05) were found between the three units within the constructivist curriculum. The findings suggest that the constructivist approach may facilitate knowledge learning with little risk of reducing in-class physical activity.     

Estimated maturity status and perceptions of adult autonomy support in youth soccer players

Abstract

In this study, we examined the relations between biological maturity status, body mass index, age, and perceptions of adult autonomy support in the context of youth soccer. A total of 70 female and 43 male soccer players, aged 9 – 15 years, completed three adult-specific versions (i.e. mother, father, coach) of the perceived autonomy support subscale from the Interpersonal Style Scale. The participants' percent predicted adult stature was used as an estimate of biological maturity status. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that advanced maturity status in male players predicted lower perceptions of autonomy support from the coach. Maturity status was unrelated to perceptions of autonomy support from the coach in female soccer players, and paternal and maternal autonomy support in male and female players. Age and body mass index were unrelated to perceptions of adult (i.e. coach, mother, father) autonomy support in male and female players.     

Information recall of younger and older skilled athletes: The role of display complexity,attentional resources and visual exposure duration

This study was concerned with the interactive role of experience of athletic skill with other relevant environmental variables (display complexity, attentional resources, exposure time of stimuli) on perception (recall) of structured handball game situations. Nineteen experienced (older) and 19 less experienced (younger) handball players were assigned randomly either to ball‐bouncing (diverted attention) or to calm seated (focused attention) conditions. In each of the two conditions, the subjects were exposed to a total of 36 slides containing 2–3, 5–6 and 8–10 players. Eighteen slides were exposed for 0.5 s and 18 for 1.0 s. All the slides contained structured defence and offence situations. Recall scores were subjected to repeated‐measures ANOVA using attention condition and age as between‐subject factors and task complexity and exposure duration as within‐subject factors. The results showed that the recall of less experienced players deteriorated more than the recall of more experienced players following exposure to complex displays (≥ 8 players) while engaging in a secondary task (bouncing). The findings suggest that research paradigms should be applied in the field of sport which share both ecological validity and a potential to discover the cognitive substrates underlying experience and age in skilled motor performance.