Life Sciences Commons^™

Suppressing A Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method To Assess An Inhibitory Postural Response, David A. E. Bolton, Charlie C. Baggett Iv, Chase A. Mitton, Sara A. Harper, James K. Richardson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Stepping to recover balance is an important way we avoid falling. However, when faced with obstacles in the step path, we must adapt such reactions. Physical obstructions are typically detected through vision, which then cues step modification. The present study describes a novel method to assess visually prompted step inhibition in a reactive balance context. In our task, participants recovered balance by quickly stepping after being released from a supported forward lean. On rare trials, however, an obstacle blocked the stepping path. The timing of vision relative to postural perturbation was controlled using occlusion goggles to regulate task difficulty. Furthermore, …

Isokinetic Dynamometer Leg Extensor Peak Torque Measurement: A Time-Delayed Reliability And Score Selection Analysis Study, Brennan J. Thompson, Jennifer Xu

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The reliability of isokinetic peak torque (PT) has been reported mostly using a short-term ( < ~10 day) inter-trial testing time frame. However, many studies and programs utilize a long-term (several weeks to months) inter-trial testing period. Additionally, the methods by which the PT value is selected and reported from a multiple rep testing scheme have not been well investigated for both reliability and PT absolute performance comparisons. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term reliability of isokinetic and isometric PT of the leg extensors with an emphasis on the differences among several PT score selection methods. Thirteen men and women (age = 19.5 years) underwent two testing trials separated by 28.8 (±1.8) days. Testing included maximal voluntary contractions of three sets of three reps for two isokinetic contraction conditions of 60 (Isok60) and 240 (Isok240) deg/s velocities, and three sets of one rep of isometric contractions for the leg extensors. The PT score was derived from seven different methods (see text for descriptions). Reliability as assessed from intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) varied widely across contraction conditions and PT score selection parameters. The Isok60 velocity overall had lower reliability (ICCs = 0.48–0.81) than Isok240 (0.77–0.87) across the conditions whereas the isometric PT variables showed moderate reliability (0.71–0.73). Overall the set 1 PT score selection parameters were generally lower (p ≤ 0.05) than those that involved sets two and three. Systematic error (p ≤ 0.05) was shown for 6 out of the 17 PT selection variables. On a subjective interpretation basis, when taking everything into account the best overall combination of time/trial efficiency, reliability, best/highest PT score parameter, and reduced risk of systematic bias appears to be the PT variable that uses the average of the highest two reps of the first two sets of three reps—i.e., averaging the highest two values of the six total reps from the first two sets.

Sport Management Study Abroad And International Exchange Program Innovation For A Post Covid-19 Era, James T. Morton, Chris Hanna, Jeffrey F. Levine

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The globalization of the sport industry has required sport management programs to create strategies for internationalizing students. Study abroad programs are a prominent example of those strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on study abroad programs in Spring of 2020. Many students had their study abroad experiences either cut short or canceled all together. The purpose of this essay is to discuss how the student learning process can continue during an interruption or cancellation of study abroad and international exchange programs due to a pandemic or other global issues. Using an observational study, we asked the following research …

Houston College Sport Programs’ Hurricane Harvey Communication: A Twitter Content Analysis, Chris Hanna, Robert Thompson, James T. Morton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study provides a Twitter content analysis of tweets by Houston-based Division I college sport programs during Hurricane Harvey. A content analysis was performed on the tweets appearing on the main intercollegiate athletics Twitter pages of University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, Prairie View A&M University, Rice University, and Texas Southern University in response to Hurricane Harvey. The researchers based their study on grounded theory informed by a study conducted by Inoue and Havard (2015). While this study examined tweets rather than newspaper and magazine articles like Inoue and Havard (2015), this study confirmed the theme findings in Inoue and …

Organizational Effectiveness Measures And Their Relationship To Donor Contributions, James T. Morton, Chris Hanna

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between organizational effectiveness measures and donor contributions for National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletic departments. For this study, donor contributions were used as a proxy for donors’ perception of organizational effectiveness for these athletic departments. Using a combination of the goals attainment model (Price, 1972) and the strategic constituencies model (Connolly, Conlon, & Deutsch, 1980) the effectiveness measures used were athletic performance, student athlete welfare, and student athlete academic success. The whole of Division I, as well as the three subdivisions, were examined for the five-year period from 2013 …

No More “Social Distancing” But Practice Physical Separation, Debasree Das Gupta, David W. S. Wong

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Though not a new term, “social distancing” exploded onto the global stage as an expression to publicize the only means currently available to control the transmission of COVID-19. This term is increasingly being adopted and translated into the vernacular to inform and guide public behavior in most, if not all, countries around the world. However, any effective global response requires direct and unambiguous communication and sharing of ideas across communities with different cultural backgrounds as well as between researchers and responders across the disciplinary spectrum. Unfortunately, social distancing is a misnomer. The current use of social distancing – separating ourselves …

Case Study: Effect Of Surgical Metal Implant On Single Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Measures Of An Athlete, Dale R. Wagner

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This case study examined the influence of a surgical metal implant on the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) readings of an athlete. Single‐frequency BIA using a tetrapolar electrode configuration was applied to both the right and left sides of a 23‐year‐old female jumper who had an 8 × 345 mm titanium alloy nail implanted in her left tibia. The metal implant reduced BIA resistance and reactance on the implanted side by 27 and 6 ohms, respectively. This reduction in impedance resulted in a 0.4 kg–1.9 kg increase in the estimate of fat‐free mass (FFM) depending on the prediction formula used. There …

Forecasting Issues In Ncaa Division I Fbs Athletics, James T. Morton, Donna L. Pastore

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and its member institutions have been faced with significant changes in the recent past. This study was used to predict issues, caused by some of these changes, which will impact leaders of NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) athletic departments over the next five to seven years. The Delphi technique was employed to obtain expert opinions for the forecast. The expert panel consisted of sport management faculty who were surveyed over three rounds to determine what issues were likely to occur and whether or not those issues would have a significant impact. The …

An Examination Of The Present And Predictions For The Future Of Intercollegiate Athletics, James T. Morton, Donna L. Pastore

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study forecasts future issues in NCAA Division I FBS intercollegiate athletics. The research design employed the Delphi technique to survey an expert panel, consisting of 12 athletic directors and associate athletic directors from FBS institutions, over three rounds to ascertain what issues are likely to occur over the next five to seven years and whether or not these issues will have a significant impact on the way intercollegiate athletics operates. Results of the study revealed eight issues that were likely to occur over the next five to seven years. Four of these issues related to the economic sector of …

College Choice Factors And Organizational Effectiveness In Intercollegiate Athletics, James T. Morton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to find out if winning could be predicted by spending on facilities and coaches’ salaries by NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic departments. Using the goals attainment model (Price, 1972) approach, winning, as measured by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Cup Points, was used as the measure of organizational effectiveness for intercollegiate athletic departments. The results of a hierarchical multiple linear regression suggest that a significant proportion of the total variation in Directors’ Cup points was predicted by the combination of total annual debt service, total outstanding debt, average men’s head …

Stop-Signal Reaction Time Correlates With A Compensatory Balance Response, Garrett Rydalch, Hayden B. Bell, K. L. Ruddy, David A.E. Bolton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background

Response inhibition involves suppressing automatic, but unwanted action, which allows for behavioral flexibility. This capacity could theoretically contribute to fall prevention, especially in the cluttered environments we face daily. Although much has been learned from cognitive psychology regarding response inhibition, it is unclear if such findings translate to the intensified challenge of coordinating balance recovery reactions.

Research question

Is the ability to stop a prepotent response preserved when comparing performance on a standard test of response inhibition versus a reactive balance test where compensatory steps must be occasionally suppressed?

Methods

Twelve young adults completed a stop signal task and …

Staying Upright By Shutting Down? Evidence For Global Suppression Of The Motor System When Recovering Balance, Caleigh Goode, David M. Cole, David A.E. Bolton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background

When automatic, yet unwanted action is quickly inhibited, short-lived suppression throughout the motor system ensues. This effect is referred to as global suppression. Although response inhibition is essential for behavioral flexibility, widespread motor suppression may delay action reprogramming. In reactive balance control, even fleeting suppression of the motor system could interfere with our ability to adapt compensatory reactions quickly enough to avoid a fall.

Research Question

Is muscle activity in the hand suppressed when a prepotent compensatory step becomes suddenly blocked in a balance recovery task?

Methods

Nineteen young adults were tested using a lean and release apparatus. …

Comparison Of Motor Skill Learning, Grip Strength And Memory Recall On Land And In Chest-Deep Water, Eadric Bressel, Michiel N. Vakula, Youngwook Kim, David A.E. Bolton, Chris J. Dakin

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Immersion in chest-deep water may augment explicit memory in healthy adults however, there is limited information on how this environment might affect implicit memory or motor learning. The purpose of this study was to compare the speed and accuracy for learning a motor skill on land and in chest-deep water. Verbal word recall and grip strength were included to gain a more complete understanding of the intervention. Sixty-two younger adults (age = 23.3 ± 3.59 yrs.) were randomly assigned to either a water group immersed to the xiphoid or a land group. Participants in both groups completed the same eight …

Motor Affordance For Grasping A Safety Handle, Douglas W. Mcdannald, Manhoud Mansour, Garrett Rydalch, David A.E. Bolton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Mere observation of objects in our surroundings can potentiate movement, a fact reflected by visually-primed activation of motor cortical networks. This mechanism holds potential value for reactive balance control where recovery actions of the arms or legs must be targeted to a new support base to avoid a fall. The present study was conducted to test if viewing a wall-mounted safety handle – the type of handle commonly used to regain balance – results in activation of motor cortical networks. We hypothesized that the hand area of the primary motor cortex would be facilitated shortly after visual access to a …

Summer Camp As A Force For 21st Century Learning: Exploring Divergent Thinking In A Residential Camp Setting, Myles L. Lynch, C. Boyd Hegarty, Nate E. Trauntvein, Jonathan Plucker

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study investigated change in divergent thinking (DT), an indicator of creative potential, at two gender-specific residential summer camps. Additionally, this study examined whether the change in DT varied by gender and by the type of activities campers self-select. Quantitative methods, using a quasi-experimental design was used in order to understand differences in camper scores. A total of 189 youth, 100 girls, 89 boys, between the ages of 9 and 14 years participated in the current study. Participants were administered a modified version of Guilford's (1967) alternate uses task, a measure of DT, in which respondents were asked questions such …

Positive Youth Development And Observed Athlete Behavior In Recreational Sport, Matthew Vierimaa, Mark W. Bruner, Jean Côté

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Objectives

Competence, confidence, connection, and character are regarded as outcomes of positive youth development (PYD) in sport. However, the specific athlete behaviors associated with different PYD profiles are not well understood. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between athletes' observed behavior during sport competitions and their perceptions of PYD outcomes.

Design

Cross-sectional study with systematic behavioral observation.

Method

Sixty-seven youth athletes were observed during basketball games near the end of their season, and the content of their behavior was systematically coded. Athletes also completed measures of the 4 Cs (competence, confidence connection, and character). A …

Stigma And Status At An Hbcu: Perceptions Of Racial Authenticity Among Racially Underrepresented Students In The South, Patrick Webb, Le'brian Patrick, Sandra H. Sulzer

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The existence of race-based stigma among minority populations in the United States has been well-documented. Notably, the acting White accusation has garnered considerable attention in relation to the African American population. Interestingly, studies related to this accusation have been primarily centered around Black students at Predominately White Institutions. Comparably, a focus on African American college students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities is limited. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which student characteristics (i.e., age, classification) are associated with the acting White accusation. Utilizing a quantitative method design, we analyzed over 100 student surveys which …

I Use The Student Recreation Center, But I Would Use It More If…: Understanding Male And Female Constraints To Student Recreation Center Use, Christopher L. Stankowski, Nate E. Trauntvein, Stacey L. Hall

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Studies have found that there is a positive relationship between the number of student visits to campus recreation and academic outcomes such as rates of graduation and grade point average (Huesman, Brown, Lee, Kellogg, & Radcliffe, 2009). Despite the strong correlation between use of fitness facilities and academic performance some students choose not to visit, while some who use the facilities may not be maximizing such use due to constraints (barriers). The purpose of this study was to understand the constraints to using the campus recreation facility at a midsized New England university. Moreover, this study sought to understand the …

Impact Of Student Fees On Winning In The Ncaa, James T. Morton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The financial picture for most intercollegiate athletic departments involves the use of student fees to help offset the costs of running the department. Students were charged more than $795 million to support sports programs at 222 Division I public schools during the 2008-09 school year (Berkowitz, Upton, McCarthy, & Gillum, 2010). With that level of investment it is prudent to ask what effect on winning these funds may have. Many presidents have cited the indirect benefits athletics brings to a campus as a justification for allocating student fees to athletics. However, while much research has been done on the subject, …

Understanding Hunting Constraints And Negotiation Strategies: A Typology Of Female Hunters, Elizabeth Covelli Metcalf, Alan R. Graefe, Nate E. Trauntvein, Robert C. Burns

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This article examined a typology of female hunters, factors constraining participation, and negotiation strategies females used to overcome constraints. A survey of Oregon hunters was conducted in the summer of 2010 to understand hunting characteristics using the 2008 big game license database (n = 392). We created a typology of female hunters using a cluster analysis of Recreation Experience Preference items. Four clusters were identified: less-engaged, family oriented, nature-sport, and all around enthusiast. Analysis of variance revealed differences among female hunter segments. Differences existed among the four groups on both constraints and negotiation strategies. One of the notable groups was …

Recreation Participation And Conservation Attitudes: Differences Between Mail And Online Respondents In A Mixed-Mode Survey, Alan R. Graefe, Andrew J. Mowen, Elizabeth Covelli, Nate E. Trauntvein

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study reports a comparison of demographics, outdoor recreation activity patterns, and attitudes toward conservation issues collected via mail and online survey methods within a mixed-mode survey. Pennsylvania residents, randomly sampled by Survey Sampling, Inc., were invited in a pre-survey letter to complete the survey online, or through a paper survey mailed to their homes. Differences in outdoor recreation participation were generally small for wildlife-related activities, and were greater among non-wildlife-related outdoor recreation activities, with the Internet respondents generally reporting higher rates of participation. Analyses controlling for demographic variables showed a confounding influence on the relationships examined. Internet respondents tended …

Outdoor Recreation Participation Of Pennsylvanians With Disabilities, Elizabeth H. Weybright, Alan R. Graefe, Andrew J. Mowen, Nate E. Trauntvein

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Approximately 16% of United States residents report having some sort of physical disability that limits their recreation participation. Many of these individuals may have an abundance of free time due to unemployment, part-time work status, or retirement, and therefore recreation and leisure have the potential to provide great meaning in their lives. Qualitative and quantitative data from a State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan was used to better understand the outdoor recreation habits and perceptions of Pennsylvania residents with disabilities. Using descriptive, chi square, and ANOVA statistics, results indicate that these individuals perceive fewer benefits from outdoor activities, experience different types …

Visitor Perceptions Of Benefits Of Local Park, Deborah L. Kerstetter, Andrew J. Mowen, Nate E. Trauntvein, Toni Liechty, Nuno Rubiero

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Recent research regarding the perceived benets of local parks has been limited, posing a problem for recreation and park directors who must promote the value of and gain support for aging park facilities. To collect evidence concerning the value of local parks and the impact of park upgrades, we conducted a study with one local park to (a) document behavioral changes that have occurred as a result of renovation, and (b) determine the perceived benets of having a community park. Two-thirds of respondents reported visiting the park more frequently since renovations were completed. When asked why they visit the park …