Kinesiology

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Start date: 1980End date: 1999

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    The Effect of Variability of Practice on the Performance of the Layout Squat Vault
    (1989) Khayat-Mofid, Fariborz; Church, Kenneth; Physical Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
    This study focuses on Schema Theory which maintains that the practice of motor skiIIs store a set of general memory of movements. This memory guides the performance of demands specifically made from the environment as well as the objective or goal of the performer. The layout squat vault was selected as the motor task to be studied, since it is a basic vault of gymnastics. The most important factor of a good vault is the angle of the hips and shoulders to the horse at the moment of contact by the hands. It was hypothesized that if Schema Theory is applicable, subjects who practice vaulting at varying heights will achieve a better angle of contact with the horse than wiII subjects who practice when the vault remains at a constant height. The investigation examined the effects of varied heights of the vault during practice to the transfer of new tasks. The study specifically studied the Schema Theory in the performance of the layout squat vault at the time of contact with the horse. Subjects were 38 females, aged 9 to 11 years, who were randomly assigned to two groups. One group practiced at a single height; the other group practiced vaulting at varying heights for 36 practice trails over a period of two days. When this was completed, three consecutive vaults were assigned at a new height for each subject of both groups. At the same time, the subjects were video-taped. Using the tape, four qualified judges scored each of the subjects. The highest and lowest scores for each vault were eliminated. The two remaining scores were averaged to produce the final score. The Students t test for the difference of means was used to determine the differences between the groups. The results showed that the high variability practice group was superior to the non variability practice group. It was concluded that Schema Theory could be applied to closed skills such as vaulting in gymnastics and that there was support for the Schema Theory.
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    The Evolution of the Baltimore City Bureau of Recreation: 1940-1988
    (1993) Jordan, Cheryl L.; Churchill, John; Recreation; Recreation; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
    The purpose of this study was to examine the evolution of the Baltimore City Bureau of Recreation from its inception in the 1940, as the Department of Public Recreation to the beginning of 1988. Research focused on major policies that were developed in the areas of administration, budget, staff, facilities, and programs. Social, political an economic factors were examined to determine the effect each had on the formation of these policies. The historical method research was used to examine the artifacts and documents gathered for this study. The data were ordered utilizing the following chronological eras: 1) World War II and the Post-War Era of the 1940s; 2) Desegregation and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s; 3) Urban Renewal of the 1970s and the Changing Social Climate of the 1980s. Changes in the policies of the Bureau of Recreation were quantified to measure increases and decreases in budget, staff, facilities and programs. Decisions of the Board of Recreation and Parks, the policy-making body of the Department of Recreation and Parks until 1987, were examined in light of the three factors mentioned above. The research showed that the policies of the Bureau of Recreation changed significantly over the years, most dramatically with the desegregation of the Department after the landmark Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka Supreme Court decision, and the influx of Federal funds for the City of Baltimore after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Board of Recreation and Parks focused much of its attention on the "showcase" areas of the Department, like the Baltimore Zoo, Memorial Stadium and the five public golf courses. In 1984, when most of these units were privatized, a power struggle ensued eventually leading to a 1987 referendum that stripped the Board of its policy-making powers. The conclusions of this study indicated that while economic and social factors had obvious influence over policy decisions in the Bureau of Recreation out of necessity, the political factors had the most dramatic effects.
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    LEARNED RESOURCEFULNESS, SELF-MOTIVATION, AND COMMITMENT AS PREDICTORS OF AEROBIC EXERCISE ADHERENCE IN COLLEGE STUDENTS
    (1990) Mahoney, Colleen Anna; Allen, Roger; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
    In this study of exercise adherence among traditional-age college students, a number of variables were used to discriminate between those who adhere to regular aerobic exercise, those who adhere to regular non-aerobic exercise, and those who do not exercise regularly but intend to do so. The relative importance of learned resourcefulness, self-motivation, commitment to aerobic exercise, and various demographic variables to predict exercise adherence was assessed. The instruments employed in this study were a demographic questionnaire, the Self-Control Schedule, the Self-Motivation Inventory, and the Commitment to Aerobic Exercise scale. In order to test the hypotheses in this study, one-way analyses of variance and a multiple discriminant function analysis were conducted. Chi-square analyses were used to assess the relationship between demographic variables and exercise group membership. Furthermore, a two-way analysis of variance (group x gender) was performed on the Self-Control Schedule, Self-Motivation Inventory, and Commitment to Exercise scale. Hypotheses were generated for the following variables: weekly time commitments, learned resourcefulness, self-motivation, and commitment to aerobic exercise. Three of these were fully supported and one was partially supported by the data. In order of their relative importance, the following three psychological variables distinguished between the three exercise groups: commitment to aerobic exercise, self-motivation, and learned resourcefulness. Among the demographic variables examined in this study, only gender discriminated significantly between the three exercise adherence groups. Males were much more likely to be non-aerobic exercise adherers than females, and females were much more likely to be non-exercisers than males. weekly time commitments, class standing, and place of residence explained little of the variance among the three groups. The analyses of this study indicated that psychological variables were the strongest discriminators among exercise adherence behavior patterns. Moreover, these findings dispute the notion that barriers, such as time commitments, prevent college students from engaging in regular, Physical exercise. Implications of these findings and strategies for enhancing exercise adherence among College students are discussed. Specifically, it appears that interventions need to emphasize affective strategies in order to modify attitudes toward regular exercise.
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    The Interrelationships of Leisure Attitude, Leisure Satisfaction, Leisure Behavior, Intrinsic Motivation and Burnout Among Clergy
    (1995) Stanton-Rich, Howard Michael; Iso-Ahola, Seppo; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
    This study focused on the interrelationships of leisure behavior, leisure attitude, leisure satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, and burnout among clergy in The United Methodist Church in Western North Carolina. Responses were obtained from the clergy by a questionnaire that operationalized the primary variables (i.e., leisure behavior, leisure attitude, leisure satisfaction, intrinsic motivation), demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, marital status, education, years in ministry, years in present church), and burnout with its three components (i .e., emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment). A systematic random sample, further stratified to include no less than one-half of all women clergy in their geographic districts, was taken. A final sample of 438 was obtained representing a 55% return rate. Hypothesized relationships among study variables were tested using path analytic techniques. Also, tests of reliability were run on each of the instruments to compare them with prior studies. Significant relationships among several variables were detected, with the entire pool of independent variables accounting for about 27% of the variance in emotional exhaustion, 22% in depersonalization and 27% in personal accomplishment. Variables with significant relationships with emotional exhaustion included age, years in ministry, years in present church, leisure behavior, and leisure satisfaction. In each of these cases, the relationships were direct and inverse. Variables with significant relationships (all direct and inverse) with depersonalization included age, years in ministry, leisure behavior, leisure satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. Variables found to have significant relationships to personal accomplishment were leisure behavior, leisure satisfaction, and intrinsic motivation. In each of these cases, the relationships were found to be direct and positive. Further, significant relationships existed among the independent variables that confirmed earlier studies highlighting the positive relationship between intrinsic motivation, leisure attitude and leisure satisfaction.
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    MOTIVATION FOR AND SOURCES OF ENJOYMENT FROM PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ACROSS THE ADULT LIFESPAN
    (1996) Hyman, Dorothy C.; Steel, Donald H.; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
    This research describes the development and validation of measures designed to assess physical activity motivation and physical activity enjoyment across the adult lifespan. Two stages were used with samples of 259 and 275 adults respectively counterbalanced for age and sex. All respondents were currently engaged in a variety of sport and exercise activities and settings appropriate for all age groups. Stage one respondents completed an initial 50 - item physical activity motivation inventory and an initial 39-item physical activity enjoyment inventory. Results were used to identify factors and items for physical activity motivation and enjoyment that appeared consistent and stable across the adult lifespan in order to develop the Physical Activity Motivation Scale (PAMS) and the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PAES). Alpha reliabilities were calculated for each sub -scale of the PAMS and PAES, and a convenience sample (n=40) completed the PAMS and PAES two weeks apart to determine test~retest reliabilities. Stage two respondents completed the PAMS, PAES, the short form of the Leisure Motivation Scale, the short form of the Leisure Satisfaction Scale, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale in order to confirm PAMS and PAES stage one factor structures, determine the convergent and divergent validity of the PAMS and PAES, and describe adult patterns of physical activity motivation and enjoyment across the lifespan. Additionally, results from stage two were used to distinguish between motivation for and enjoyment from physical activity. The Physical Activity Motivation Scale (PAMS) consists of 22 items and five sub-scales: Mastery and Autonomy, Social Recognition and Rewards, Affiliation, Family, and Self-Control. The Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PAES) consists of 14 items and sub-scales: Self Rewards, Social Recognition and Rewards, and Responsibility/Family. The PAMS and PAES sub-scales have acceptable internal consistency and testretest reliability, share expected variance with related constructs, and appear relatively stable and consistent across the adult lifespan. In stage two, the relationship between motivation and enjoyment in the physical activity setting was explored and preliminary support found for their cyclic, yet distinguishable natures. Directions for further research are proposed.