Journal of Sports and Motor Development and Learning
Year:2018 | Volume:10 | Issue:1 |Papers Count:7

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a motor disorder which involves gross and fine motor skills and coordination. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a period of selected physical activity on improving gross motor skills in female children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). In this semi-experimental study, the sample consisted of 30 students with DCD who were selected from 400 female children in second grade of elementary school in Shiraz city by a researcher-made questionnaire and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC). The subjects were divided randomly into control (n=15) and experimental (n=15) groups after the pretest using Ulrich test for gross motor skills version 2000 (TGMD2). The experimental group performed the selected motor program for 12 sessions (3 days a week, 45 minutes per day) while the control group had their normal daily activities. Then, a posttest was held for both groups. The analysis of variance 2´ 2 was used for data analysis (P≤ 0. 05). The results showed that selected physical activity had a significant effect on improving gross motor skills in children with DCD (P=0. 001). Therefore, it is suggested that selected physical activities should be available for teachers and should be performed in physical education courses at schools in order to improve gross motor skills and consequently improve developmental coordination disorder in children.

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of self-talk (ST), feedback (KP) and their interaction (STF) on acquisition and retention of basketball chest pass. 120 adolescent girls were selected and randomly assigned to 4 groups: KP, ST, ST + KP and control. This study was semi-experimental and pretest-posttest design with a control group. Instructional self-talk and knowledge of performance feedback were used in this study. After the pretest, each group had 4 practice sessions in the acquisition phase; then, they had posttest and 72 hours later they had retention test. One-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test were used to analyze data. Results indicated those subjects who used ST achieved better acquisition and retention scores than the other groups (P<0. 05). ST was more effective than KP in the acquisition of chest pass skill. ST and KP can lead to a better and faster development of learning in the early phases.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of music types on depth perception during fatigue. Statistical population consisted of female students of Faculty of Physical Education at University of Tehran. 45 subjects (mean age 23. 3 ± 2. 16 years) voluntarily participated in this study. Participants were divided into three groups: slow music, fast music and control. Initially, all subjects participated in the pretest of depth perception using depth perception apparatus. Then, they received a similar exercise until reaching the threshold of exhaustion. After reaching fatigue, their error of depth perception was reassessed. Then, participants were asked to listen to the music specific to each group for 3 minutes in order to assess the effect of music on their depth perception during fatigue. Their depth perception was immediately measured as the posttest. Analysis of variance with repeated measures and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. The results showed that fast music did not significantly change depth perception error (P=0. 602), but slow music significantly reduced this error (P=0. 006).

The aim of this study was to determine validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Flow in Computer Games Questionnaire so that the flow performance in computer gamers can be evaluated. 400 gamers (237 males; 163 females) were selected by random cluster sampling method and completed the Persian version of the Flow in Computer Games Questionnaire. In the first step, translation accuracy of the Persian version was confirmed through back translation method. Then, confirmatory factor analysis based on structural equations model was used to determine construct validity while Cronbach alpha coefficient was applied to determine internal consistency. Intra-class correlation in test-retest method was administered for temporal reliability of the items. The results indicated acceptable fit indices (CFI=0. 92, TLI=0. 75, RMSEA=0. 062), internal consistency (ɑ =0. 75) and temporal reliability (ICC=0. 85) for the Persian version of the Flow in Computer Game Questionnaire. The results supported the multifactor structure and 23 items of the Flow in Computer Games Questionnaire. Therefore, the Persian version of the Flow in Computer Game Questionnaire has an acceptable validity and reliability among computer gamers and it can be used as a valid and reliable tool to evaluate the flow performance of these gamers in Iran.

Reflexes are body automatic and involuntary responses to a variety of stimuli such as pressure, sound and touch to use as means for determining the level of neurological and central nervous system disorders diagnosis. So this important, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of tactile kinetic stimulations on reflex state of preterm neonates. For this purpose, among all infants of Amiralmomenin hospital neonatal unit of Semnan city during one to two months, 40 infants and mother’ s selected purposefully and divided to experimental and control groups. Then, mothers of experimental group conducted tactile kinetic stimulations on infants to completion of fetal period (40 weeks gestation) for 20 minutes and three times a day whereas, control group received only usual care. Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale was used to evaluate reflex state of neonates, before and after the intervention. The results of mixed ANOVA showed that despite the more improvement in reflexes of premature neonates in the experimental group compared to the control group, was not significant (P≥ 0. 05). tactile kinetic stimulation can be solution to improve the reflex state of preterm neonates and likely more time frames is required to reveal the beneficial effects of intervention.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of interaction between attention focus and two methods of learning (errorless and errorfull) on performance and learning in throwing darts. It's likely that to change functional difficulty of task, attention focus instruction type has a different effect on performance. 60 female students were randomly selected and they were divided in six groups: internal focus-errorless practice, external focus-errorless practice, control-errorless practice, internal focus-errorfull practice, external focus-errorfull practice, control-errorfull practice. Errorless groups begun the practice with low distance from the target (1. 5 m) then they gradually increased the distance (2, 2. 37, 3 and 3. 5 m). Errorfull groups begun the practice with distance away from the target (3. 5 m) then they gradually decreased the distance (3, 2. 37, 2 and 1. 5 m). Internal attention group focused on elbow and wrist. External attention group focused on dart board. After pretest, subjects performed 5 blocks (60 try in each blocks). They participated in retention test after 48 hours. The results showed that in errorless group there was not significant different between internal and external focus (p>0. 05), but in errorfull learning conditions, there was significant different between groups (p=0. 043). There was also significant difference between groups (in favor of errorless group) in internal group (p=0. 012). It seems practice challenge have important role in attention focus effectiveness. We recommend using errorless learning at the start of practice when they using internal attention focus.

The employment of neurofeedback is growing rapidly in sport performance enhancement. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of neurofeedback training on motor performance and conscious motor processing of skilled dart players. The subjects were 20 male skilled dart players. The research was conducted in five phases: pretest, neurofeedback training, posttest 1, under pressure test and posttest 2. Neurofeedback training consisted of prevention training of the alpha frequency band (8 to 12 Hz) in F4. To analyze data, descriptive statistics and mixed ANOVA were used. The results of mixed ANOVA showed that the main effect of the test sessions was significant (p = 0. 001). In other words, the effects of training have been to improve performance and to reduce errors in all groups. In addition, the main effect of the group is significant (p = 0. 001). Therefore, the type of intervention had a different effect on the dart throwing performance, and the groups had different progress. Also, the interactive effect between the test sessions and the group was significant (p = 0. 001). Results indicate the amount of conscious motor processing for neurofeedback training group decreased at post-test 1(p=0. 001) and, under pressure test (p=0. 001) but this reduction was not observed in the control group (p=0. 83). The findings indicated an effect among neurofeedback training, conscious motor processing and sport performance. In other words, the neurofeedback training leads to the desired motor performance and creates automatic sense in the athlete by reducing the conscious motor processing.