Journal of Sports and Motor Development and Learning
Year:2013 | Volume:- | Issue:12|Papers Count:9

Relaxation is one of the important mental skills in physical education and sports activities. Relationship between relaxation and rhythmic exercises with an emphasis on flexibility-functional mechanisms of nervous system has received attention in recent studies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of rhythmic exercises on deepening the relaxation of national judo athletes. For this purpose, 30 male athletes of judo national team participated in this study and were divided into three groups: one control and two experimental groups. The subjects practiced the training protocol for three months and the data were recorded and then analyzed by SCL (Skin Conduct Level) index. The results revealed no significant difference in relaxation among the groups (a=%5 and P>0.05). In other words, relaxation exercises had a slight effect on improvement of relaxation skill level; however, rhythmic exercises deepened relaxation to some extent. Results showed that rhythmic movements reduced stress through influencing relaxation deepening and subjects with more relaxation were more successful in their optimal movements.

The aim of this study was to determine motivational priorities of participation in wrestling among wrestlers (Greco-Roman and freestyle) in Kermanshah city. The statistical population consisted of 4612 wrestlers of Kermanshah city. 242 wrestlers in different age groups (99 adolescents, 56 juniors and 87 seniors) were selected as a sample with random sampling method. Personal information questionnaire and Gale participation motivation questionnaire were used to collect data and at the end of the training session, the questionnaires were completed. Friedman test, one-way analysis of variance and SPSS software version 13 were used to analyze data at significance level of 0.05. Gaining success (7.44 ranking), energy depletion (6.15 ranking) and meeting friends (4.57 ranking) were the first priorities to participate in wrestling. There was no significant difference in motivation of participation among different age groups (P>0.05). Results indicated that gaining success was the main factor of participation in wrestling in Kermanshah and there was no significant difference in the priority of motivational factors among different age groups and those groups with various wrestling participation records.

Success is satisfactory for any athlete. However, some athletes will face anxiety in novel circumstances and fear of future will prevent them from improving. Fear of failure is accompanied with stress and adaptation to stress is the most important issue for an effective decision. The aim of this study was to examine validity and reliability of performance failure appraisal inventory (PFAI). For this purpose, 203 athlete university students (93 women and 110 men who aged between 19 and 23 with the physical activity record 7.70±4.4) completed PFAI. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine construct validity, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient to examine internal consistency of the items of each factor, and Pearson correlation coefficient to examine inter-factor reliability. Results of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed five factors in PFAI: fear of devaluing one’s self-esteem (4 items), fear of an uncertain future (4 items), fear of upsetting important individuals (5 items), fear of experiencing shame and embarrassment (7 items) and fear of losing important individuals’ interest (5 items). Correlation analysis showed an acceptable correlation between all of these factors and fear of failure. The results of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient showed acceptable internal consistency of items of each subscale.

The aim of this research was to examine the effect of a training intervention program on fall-related motor performance in the male elderly with no regular physical activities. For this purpose, 39 out of 130 participants in screen test were selected and assigned to training group (n=20) and control group (n=19). Subjects aged between 60 and 70 in experimental were 73.68% and in the control group 43.75% and subjects aged 71 and above were 26.31% in the experimental group and 56.25% in the control group. Experimental group participated in a 10-week intervention program (3 sessions per week and 90 minutes per session). Data were collected with 30-s seat, sit and reach, one-leg standing (eyes open and closed), up and go, 10-meter walk and 10-meter obstacle walk tests. In this semi-experimental research, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and independent t test was used to analyse motor performance measures. Results indicated a significant improve in mean scores of lower extremity strength (27.37 rep), flexibility (29.28 cm), static balance with eyes open (60.94 sec) and closed (19.36 sec), agility and dynamic balance (4.10 sec), 10-meter walk (3.35 sec) and 10-meter obstacle walk (4.03 sec) in the experimental group after the 10-week training intervention program (P<0.05). The findings confirmed the effect of training interventions (especially strength training) on improving fall-related motor performance and preventing probable falls in the elderly.

Skillful performance in soccer requires not only sound techniques but also quick and accurate decision making. These decisions are usually made in various intensities of practice and performance. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of arousal and training intensity on decision making (speed and accuracy) of expert female soccer players. For this purpose, 16 expert female soccer players (mean age 22.4±3.8 yr) with 8 or more years of competitive experience were voluntarily selected from Tehran women's premier league. Soccer related photographs on a computer monitor were used to evaluate the decision making task; participants had to decide which action they would undertake (shoot, pass, dribble). Three different levels of arousal (low: with no spectators, medium: with silent spectators and high: with cheering spectators) in three different levels of intensity (resting, 40% of HRmax, 80% of HRmax) were designed. To measure the accuracy and speed of decision making, parametric method of MANOVA, 3(training intensity levels) in 3 (arousal levels), was used. To totally compare the groups, one-way analysis of variance, ANOVA with repeated measures and Tukey post hoc test were used at a=95%. The results showed no significant difference in the speed of decision making among different arousal levels (P>0.05) while a significant difference was observed in the accuracy of decision making among different arousal levels (P˂0.05). The speed of decision making improved in the low and medium arousal levels through an increase in training intensity while no significant difference was observed in the speed of decision making in high arousal level among different intensity levels (P>0.05). Furthermore, the accuracy of decision making showed no significant difference in low and high arousal levels among different intensity levels (P>0.05). The accuracy of decision making improved in low arousal level through an increase in training intensity. These finding showed that training intensity and arousal separately influenced each decision making component.

The current study aimed to examine the effect of a period of regular exercise on the aggression of educable mentally retarded students aged between 9 and 15 in Lordegan city. For this purpose, 28 students were selected randomly and divided into two groups: 7 boys and 7 girls in experimental group and 7 boys and 7 girls in control group. Ghezelseflu et al. (1387) aggression scale was used as a pretest for both groups. A period of exercise program as an intervention program was run for 2 months, every week, 3 sessions (45 minutes) per week on the experimental group. After intervention program, aggression scale was run again. The data were analyzed by covariance using spss software. The results showed that a significant difference between control and experimental groups' performance (P<0.001) in aggression which showed that a period of exercise program reduced the aggression and its subscales in the experimental group. It was concluded that regular exercise program reduced the aggression of educable mentally retarded students.

Contextual interference is one of the instructional methods for several skills. The aim of this research was to determine the effects of interference before performance and interference during performance on the acquisition and retention of generalized motor program and parameter in basketball skills with an emphasis on the examination of contextual interference hypotheses and self-regulation learning theories. In interference before performance, self-practice schedules is generated (self-regulation effect) and interference during performance, experimenter-imposed practice schedule is generated (contextual interference effect).  For this purpose, 120 students of Yazd University (age range 19-21 years old) who had no prior experience in basketball skills volunteered to participate in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to 10 groups (each 12 subjects); 5 groups practiced with generalized motor program (dribble, chest pass and free throw skills) and 5 groups practiced with parameter (free throw from different distances) in practice schedules (blocked, random, serial, self-regulated and yoked to self-regulated). To collect data, throw and pass test (AAHPERD basketball test) and dribble test (Johnson basketball test) were used. After the pretest, in the acquisition phase, subjects took part in 5 training sessions including 45 trails per session (15 trails each block) for 5 days.  After 48 hours, they participated in retention test with 15 trails (5 trials each task). The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, factor analysis of variance with repeated measures, LSD and Duncan post hoc tests. Results showed a significant difference among practice schedules in acquisition and retention phases of generalized motor program, that is, the effect of contextual interference was observed  in this program (p<0.05). Also, there was a significant difference among the schedules in acquisition and retention phases of parameter, that is, controlling the design of practice has a positive effect on learning (p<0.05). Thus, the results suggested that during learning process, the effect of interference before performance was more important than during performance.

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of analogy (implicit), explicit and discovery learning in the retention and transfer of a topspin shot under psychological pressure. For this purpose, 36 volunteer high school students were randomly allocated to three treatment conditions: explicit, analogy, and discovery learning. After performing 300 trials in the acquisition phase, an immediate retention and transfer test under psychological pressure was performed. Before the acquisition phase, the MSRSQ, after the test, a procedural protocol and CSAI-2Q in two phases were completed by the participants. Results showed no significant difference among the groups in the immediate retention test. In the transfer test, analogy learning group outperformed the two other groups. In addition, contrary to the analogy group, the two other groups experienced a performance breakdown in the transfer test when compared with the immediate retention test. There was a significant correlation (positive and negative respectively) between their MSRSQ score and number of verbal rules and their performance under pressure. It appears that the dominant process in discovery learning is explicit process. In addition, learning under explicit and implicit conditions for an extended period of time appears to be quantitatively similar but qualitatively dissimilar; therefore, using analogy learning, performers benefit from advantages of resistance against performance breakdown under psychological pressure.