Perceptual and Motor Skills

Active movement extent discrimination assessment (AMEDA) is a psychophysical task that evaluates proprioception and tactile acuity of the lower limbs, and it is a method of determining sensorimotor ability. Sensorimotor ability is the ability to judge small differences in movement tasks through the process of receiving sensory messages (sensory input) and producing a response (motor output). Participant attention lapses in prior psychophysical studies have been implicated as a cause for increased measurement variance thresholds in these types of assessments. Since minimizing the time needed for the AMEDA may help to reduce attention lapses, we compared the reliability of the 50-repetition AMEDA protocol (Group 1) with that of a 25-repetition protocol (Group 2). We assessed the split half reliability of these two approaches, using the Spearman-Brown Adjusted Pearson correlation (r). For each method, we calculated Bland-Altman Plots and Intra Class Correlation Coefficients to compare the reliability of the two data sets and determine the 95% confidence intervals. Split-half test re-test Spearman-Brown Adjusted Pearson r (r_full) was Group 1 r _full = 0.83 and Group 2 r _full = 0.85. The Bland-Altman Plots indicated only a small degree of bias from the zero-difference line, with 95% of the difference points lying within the limits of agreement. For Group 1, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) two-way, agreement was 0.83 (95% CI 0.54–0.93) and for Group 2, the ICC, two-way, agreement, was 0.85 (95% CI 0.66–0.93). The MDC90 for Group 1 was 0.082 AUC units and for Group 2, it was 0.086 AUC units. The combined data for Group 1 plus Group 2 Bland-Altman Plot indicated only a small degree of bias from the zero-difference line, with 95% of the difference points lying within the limits of agreement. The MDC90 for the combined groups was 0.08 AUC units. The multiple methods from previous research assessing test re-test reliability that we applied to our two data sets indicate that the 25-response AMEDA was a reliable system for evaluating sensorimotor function in the lower limbs and may be an alternative for the more traditional 50-response protocol in which lapses in participant attention from fatigue or other biases may be a concern. There are also practical advantages in time restricted athletic screenings to a shorter administration of this assessment.

Executive functions (EF) have been significantly correlated with many important participant characteristics, including education, behavior, and overall health. Assessing EF in children is particularly important, as doing so can help clinicians develop programs for EF remediation. However, there is a limited understanding of comprehensive performance-based EF assessment tools for children. Our goal in the present paper was to conduct a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the Yellow-Red test, a performance-based EF measure, in a Bosnian sample of early elementary school students. Specifically, our participants were 180 children aged 8–11 years (M age = 9.6 years, SD = 1), including 83 girls and 97 boys. The CFA showed that the data fit well with both a unidimensional model (global EF) and a two-dimensional EF model, comprised of (i) working memory and (ii) inhibition plus cognitive flexibility. A comparison of these two models showed that the two-factor model was a statistically better fit to this sample’s performance than the unidimensional model. These results suggest that EF in this age group can be viewed as both a single construct and a multi-factor construct (with at least two-factors). The Yellow-Red Test, with its engaging and cross-cultural research base, is a useful instrument for detecting EF dysfunction, and it can provide valuable insights for informing tailored interventions.

In the current study, we tested a Jordanian version of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency - Second Edition, Brief Form (BOT2-BF) for use with children with autism. Study participants were a convenience sample of 140 children in Jordan, aged 4–8 years, including70 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 70 children without disabilities. The BOT 2-BF consists of 12 items divided into eight main areas: fine motor skills, fine motor integration, manual dexterity, bilateral coordination, balance, speed and agility, coordination of the upper extremities, and strength. We administered the Jordanian version of the scale individually to all the participants and found it to have acceptable construct validity, internal item consistency, internal sub-scale correlations, discriminant validity for our two groups, and factorial validity on confirmatory factor analysis. The scale also had acceptable split-half reliability. This study is the first Arabic adaptation of the BOT-2BF, and it is the first study to show utility of this instrument for children with ASD. We present further recommendations for research and practice.

This study aimed to gather a compilation of intervention studies that address whether there are ways to get post-pubertal and adult tennis players of intermediate or higher level to enhance the velocity and accuracy of their groundstrokes. After searching Web of Science, Scopus, and SportDiscus, 10 articles were analyzed. Findings from training protocol studies revealed that strength endurance sessions or medicine ball throws do not significantly affect the speed or accuracy of serves, forehands, and backhands. Similarly, wristbands with small weights used during on-court training also did not impact performance, without compromising technical tennis skills. However, a 6-week strength training program involving medicine ball throws or heavier rackets improved forehand stroke speed but reduced hitting accuracy. Additionally, vision training improved accuracy and speed in forehands, accuracy in backhands, and both accuracy and speed in serves. High-intensity interval training that included hitting drills did not improve stroke accuracy and temporarily reduced stroke speed and efficiency during sessions, although it increased maximal aerobic power. Notably, the use of motor imagery during recovery periods in high-intensity-interval-training helped maintain on-court performance. Proper training periodization leads to better adaptations and improvements. The studies also identified that grunting was found to improve stroke speed during forehand and backhand strokes without affecting perceived exertion, oxygen consumption, or fatigue. Regarding supplementation, a 10-week creatine regimen did not significantly affect serve speed, forehand speed, or backhand speed. These findings aim to optimize tennis players’ performance by identifying effective training strategies.

Previous research has highlighted positive associations between physical education (PE) teachers’ transformational leadership and their adolescent students’ intentions to be active. However, no prior investigators have addressed mediating variables of students’ motor self-efficacy and enjoyment. Our aim in this study was to re-analyze the relationships between teachers’ transformational leadership style and PE students’ intentions to be active, while also examining the roles of motor self-efficacy and enjoyment as potential mediators in these relationships. The 429 adolescents in our sample were aged 14–16 years (M = 14.97, SD = 0.85). To assess these variables, we used the Transformational Teaching Questionnaire (TTQ), the Motor Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES), the Intrinsic Satisfaction in Sport Instrument (SSI-EF), and the Intention of Being Physically Active Scale (MIFA). A structural equation model revealed significant and positive relationships between all these variables. Indirect effects were found between a transformational teacher leadership style and students’ intentions to be active, through the students’ motor self-efficacy and enjoyment as mediator variables, with enjoyment the most important mediating variable. Motor self-efficacy and enjoyment mediated the relationship between the teacher’s transformational leadership and the intention to be active, as when students enjoyed themselves and felt capable of successfully performing an activity, they were more inclined to continue practicing that physical activity. This was likely the result of the support and individualized attention the teacher provided through transformational leadership. This type of leadership fosters an environment where students feel valued and motivated, increasing their positive experiences in physical education. Therefore, in this context, it is more likely that they will develop a stronger desire to remain physically active in the future. Thus, teachers might apply transformational leadership to promote students’ increased self-efficacy and enjoyment as a means of influencing their future adherence to active leisure time behaviors.

We aimed to investigate the association of body image perception / (dis)satisfaction with eating disorders symptoms. We conducted a cross-sectional university-based study with 534 students, aged 18 years or older, from a federal higher education institution specializing in health sciences and located in Southern Brazil in 2023. We evaluated eating disorder symptoms using the Brazilian version of the SCOFF screening tool (≥2 symptoms) and body image using a silhouette scale developed for Brazilian adults. The mean age of the sample (78.3% female) was 23.3 (SD = 6.2) years. The prevalence of eating disorder symptoms was 53.6% (95% CI: 49.3–57.8). In terms of body image, the prevalence of (dis)satisfaction was 64.6% (95% CI: 60.5–68.7) and of body image distortion was 53.4% (95% CI: 49.1–57.6). Students dissatisfied with their body image due to excess weight were 2.16 times more likely to report eating disorder symptoms (PR = 2.16; 95% CI: 1.66–2.80; p < .001). Similarly, students who overestimated their body size were 35% more likely to report eating disorder symptoms (PR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.12–1.63; p = .002). In conclusion, we found a significant association between body image perception / (dis)satisfaction and symptoms of eating disorders in university students of health sciences.

Background: Evidence supports that motor competence is inversely associated with weight status, yet less is known about this relationship among young people who are underweight. We hypothesized that there is a non-linear trajectory of motor competence across weight status categories (from underweight to obesity). Purpose: To check whether a non-liner relationship exists between motor competence and weight status in adolescents. Research Design: Cross-sectional study. Study sample: we assessed the motor competence of 310 participants (44.8% boys), aged 12–15 years. Data Collection: Motor competence was assessed the Korperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK). Weight status (underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity) was determined using body mass index (BMI). Results: Motor competence was inversely associated with BMI in normal weight (rho = −.222, p = .001), overweight (rho = −.309, p = .028) and obesity (rho = −.663, p < .001), but not in underweight (rho = .193, p = .508). Adolescents with normal weight presented higher motor competence than those with overweight (mean difference = 17.198, p = .001) and obesity (mean difference = 31.686, p < .001). There was no significant difference in motor competence between normal weight and underweight categories. In addition, boys showed a curvilinear trajectory of motor competence, being ascendant from underweight to normal weight and then downward with increasing BMI. Polynomial regressions, fitting a non-linear model, confirmed a non-linear relationship between motor competence and BMI in boys (B = −3.534, p < .001). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the inverse relationship between motor competence and BMI does not occur in adolescents who are underweight. Furthermore, our results supported the non-linear hypothesis about the relationship between motor competence and weight status in boys.

Postural differences have been evident between female and male athletes, but there is insufficient information on how these differences are characterized in different sports branches. Our aim in this study was to compare the static postures of female and male athletes paired into identical sports. We included 172 athlete participants (86 female and 86 males) who were paired by same chronological age, sporting age, and sports branch. We performed posture analyses of these athletes, using the DIERS formetric 4D device. Specifically, we evaluated and recorded their trunk length, sacrum distance, sagittal imbalance, coronal imbalance, pelvic obliquity, pelvic torsion, pelvic inclinations, pelvic rotation, kyphotic angle, lordotic angle, vertebral rotation, and trunk torsion. We found comparable sagittal imbalance, coronal imbalance, pelvic rotation, vertebral rotation, and trunk torsion similar in females and males (p > .05), but females had a wider sacrum, their pelvic structures were more oblique and anteriorly tilted, and they had more pelvic inclination angles and bigger kyphosis and lordosis angles. Male athletes had longer trunk lengths and more pelvic torsion. The kyphosis and lordosis angles of the female athletes were bigger than those of male athletes, but they were still within normal limits. The lumbar lordosis angles of male athletes were below normal limits. In conclusion, female athletes exhibited a more balanced spinal posture than male athletes.

Our aim in this study was to analyze gender differences across amateur and professional padel players related to the last shot of each rally. We analyzed a total of 180 games per category (professional and amateur), with 90 games for each gender. We performed descriptive and inferential analyses, including the Chi-square (χ2) statistical test, the Cramer’s V coefficient (Vc), subsequent Z-tests and corrected standard residuals (CSR). Results revealed that male amateurs produced more winners than female amateurs (CSR = 3.2). Conversely, male professionals exhibited more forced errors (CSR = 3.0) than female professionals, while female professionals committed more unforced errors (CSR = 3.8). In addition, there was a significant relationship between the type of the last shot played and player gender among amateurs, particularly when the last shot resulted in a winner (p < .001) or an unforced error (p = .011). Similarly, among professionals, there was a significant relationship between gender and last shot play when the last shot was a forced error (p = .009). Likewise, there was a relationship between the court zone and gender in amateur padel, when the last shot was an unforced error (p = .002) and among professionals, when the last shot was a winner (p = .001). In conclusion, the type of technical-tactical action, its effectiveness, and the area of the court were influenced by the players’ sex in both amateur and professional padel.

Background: Goal scoring is critical in soccer, but limited research exists on one touch finishing in open play situations. This study addresses this gap by analyzing one touch finishing in the Copa America 2021. Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of one touch finishing and identify the conditions under which they are most successful in competitive soccer matches. Research Design: Observational study using video analysis of Copa America 2021 matches. Study Sample: 544 goal scoring attempts from 28 matches in the Copa America 2021 tournament. Data Collection: Video footage was coded using Hudl Sportscode software to capture relevant game indicators related to final attempts. Data Analysis: Chi-square tests examined associations between touches and various match factors. Binary logistic regression analyzed the impact of touches on goal scoring success. Results: One touch finishing significantly enhanced goal scoring chances compared to multiple touch attempts, especially when executed from within the penalty area and as part of elaborate attacks. Assists from crosses and cutbacks facilitated successful one touch finishing. Binary logistic regression confirmed one touch finishing was three times more likely to result in goals. Conclusion: One touch finishing is highly effective for goal scoring in competitive soccer. Coaches should emphasize quick, decisive actions in high-pressure zones and develop targeted training programs to enhance one touch finishing efficiency.

In this study, we assessed players’ technical and tactical performance, based on home or away venues and examined whether these differences varied between All-NBA and Non-All-NBA players. We analyzed data from 23 NBA seasons (1997–1998 to 2022–2023), excluding seasons impacted by lockouts and pandemic restrictions. The dataset, sourced from open-access NBA records, included 243,067 games and variables such as points per game, rebounds (offensive and defensive), shooting percentages (2-points %, 3-points %, free-throw %), assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, personal fouls, and efficiency, normalized per 48 minutes of play. We found significant differences based on venue and player tier. Points per game were higher at home (p < .001) and for All-NBA players (p < .001), with a strong interaction effect showing that All-NBA players performed best at home. Free throw and 2P % were also higher at home and for All-NBA players (both p < .001). Efficiency, assists, and rebounds were higher at home and for All-NBA players, with interaction effects showing that All-NBA players at home excelled over other conditions (all p < .001). Turnovers were higher for All-NBA players at home (p < .001), while steals were lower for Non-All-NBA players in away games. Blocks were highest at home, with Home All-NBA players leading (p < .001). Personal fouls were higher in away games and for Non-All-NBA players (p < .001). We concluded that both venue and player tier were significantly associated with better performance, with home games offering a distinct advantage and All-NBA players showing superior performance to Non-All-NBA Players across most metrics. Practical applications include optimizing recovery and travel schedules to manage away-game challenges, leveraging home-court advantages, and tailoring strategies to maximize elite player performance in different environments.