Psychology of Movement Commons^™

Effects Of Positive Feedback On Oxygen Consumption And Heart Rate During A 3-Minute Step Test, Leighann Dewitt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The positive effects of enhanced expectancies on motor performance and learning have been demonstrated by numerous studies. A more recent study by Stoate, Wulf, and Lewthwaite (2012) showed than enhancing one's expectancy by giving positive feedback increased movement efficiency and decreased oxygen consumption in experienced runners during a 20 minute running test at 75% of max oxygen consumption, compared to those who received no feedback. The purpose of the present study was to test if enhancing expectancies can improve movement efficiency (i.e., reduce oxygen consumption) during a sub-maximal exercise test. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups, enhanced …

Effects Of Controlling Versus Autonomy-Supportive Language On Learning A Novel Motor Skill And Cortisol Release, Andrew Mcmahon Hooyman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to compare how different types of instruction effect the learning of a novel motor skill and how salivary cortisol correlates to learning differences. Participants (N = 44), average age 22.3 years (standard deviation 2.37), were randomly assigned to an autonomy-supportive, controlling-language or neutral language group which was manipulated via instructional video. Saliva was collected before and after each session, and questionnaires were given after pitching was completed during each day. Results showed that there was a significant difference among groups in throwing accuracy on performance and retention. Questionnaire results also showed significant group differences …

“It Was Fight Or Flight...And Flight Was Not An Option”: An Existential Phenomenological Investigation Of Military Service Members’ Experience Of Hand-To-Hand Combat, Peter Richard Jensen

Doctoral Dissertations

Hand-to-hand combat is one of the more psychologically challenging performance environments for those in the military (Grossman, 1995). Even with the technological advances of modern warfare military leaders still believe hand-to-hand combat is an important and relevant challenge for service members (Blanton, 2007; Clark, 2009; Collins, 2007; Wojdakowski, 2007; Wood & Micaelson, 2000). Despite its importance, the hand-to-hand combat experience has, to date, attracted very little research attention. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore military service members’ experiences of hand-to-hand combat. To accomplish this objective, phenomenological interviews were conducted with 17 male military service members. Each participant …

Systematic Observation Of Coach Feedback In Elite Youth Volleyball, Mark David Mann

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to understand the relationship of coach feedback during time-outs to the performance of 16-18 year old volleyball players in competitive match play situations. The systematic observation of coach feedback during 89 time-outs was recorded using the Coach Time-Out Observation Instrument (CTOOI). Out of the 879 feedback statements that were made during the 89 time-outs, the CTOOI categorized coach feedback for technical feedback (with an internal or an external focus), tactical feedback (referring to our team or the opponent), and psychological feedback (as either encouraging or discouraging remarks). Data from the Game Performance Assessment Instrument …

The Effect Of An Acute Bout Of Exercise On Smoking Topography, Terri L. Schneider

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This pilot study aimed to examine the effect of an acute bout of exercise on smoking behavior (topography) subsequent to a temporary period of smoking abstinence. Forty-three adult smokers (female = 34, M_age = 43.14), who had been smoking for an average of 23.90 years, were randomized to either an exercise (n = 21) or passive sitting group. Thirty-one smokers completed the study. The primary outcome variables included: puff count, puff volume, puff duration, inter-puff interval (IPI), and total cigarette duration. The effect of exercise on smoking topography was non-significant. Overall, the effectiveness of exercise as an additional …

Assessing Mental Skill And Technique Use In Applied Interventions: Recognizing And Minimizing Threats To The Psychometric Properties Of The Tops, Charlottee Woodcock, Joan L. Duda, Jennifer Cumming, Lee-Ann Sharp, Mark J. G. Holland

Jennifer Cumming

Drawing from the experiences of the authors in developing, conducting, and evaluating sport psychology interventions, several considerations are highlighted and recommendations offered for effective psychometric assessment. Using the Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS; Thomas, Murphy, & Hardy, 1999) as a working example, opportunities for bias to undermine a measure’s validity and reliability are discussed with reference to a respondent’s four cognitive processes: (a) comprehension, (b) retrieval, (c) decision-making, and (d) response generation. Further threats to an instrument’s psychometric properties are highlighted in the form of demand characteristics athletes perceive in the environment. With these concerns in mind, several recommendations are …

Further Validation And Development Of The Movement Imagery Questionnaire, Sarah E. Williams, Jennifer Cumming, Nikos Ntoumanis, Sanna M. Nordin-Bates, Richard Ramsey, Craig Hall

Jennifer Cumming

This research validated and extended the Movement Imagery Questionnaire- Revised (MIQ-R; Hall & Martin, 1997). Study 1 (N = 400) examined the MIQ-R’s factor structure via multitrait-multimethod confirmatory factor analysis. The questionnaire was then modified in Study 2 (N = 370) to separately assess the ease of imaging external visual imagery and internal visual imagery, as well as kinesthetic imagery (termed the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3; MIQ-3). Both Studies 1 and 2 found that a correlated-traits correlated-uniqueness model provided the best fit to the data, while displaying gender invariance and no significant differences in latent mean scores across gender. Study 3 …

The Effects Of Symmetric And Asymmetric Foot Placements On Sit-To-Stand Joint Moments, Jason C. Gillette, C. A. Stevermer

Jason C Gillette

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of symmetric and asymmetric foot placements on joint moments during sit-to-stand movements. Three symmetric (foot-neutral, foot-back, and foot-intermediate) and three asymmetric foot placements (preferred stagger, nonpreferred stagger, and intermediate stagger) were tested. Standard (46 cm) and low (41 cm) seat heights were chosen to represent an average public seat height and a 10% lower seat height. Using inverse dynamics, maximum ankle plantarflexion, knee extension, hip extension, and hip abduction moments were calculated. Hip extension moments were significantly increased when using foot-neutral as compared to foot-back. Ankle plantarflexion and knee extension …

A Positive Correlation Between Imagery And Athletic Performance, Erik Lee Foor

Theses Digitization Project

The main purpose of this project was to present to other athletes and coaches an unconventional form of practice; the utilization of imagery and how it can lead to improved athletic performance in many different sports including tennis, golf, cross-country, basketball, track & field gymnastics, diving, soccer and weight-lifting. This project analyzed multiple studies in which the use of imagery was tested among a number of athletes during different sports activities. The data was evaluated to show the positive effects of imagery and visual motor behavior rehearsal (VMBR) as a whole on athletes. A total of 25 peer-reviewed articles were …

Physical Activity: The Forgotten Tool For Type 2 Diabetes Management, Sheri R. Colberg

Human Movement Sciences Faculty Publications

Individuals who are currently sedentary, unfit, or overweight can benefit metabolically from simply taking breaks from sitting. Since avoidance of sedentary behavior appears to have a large impact on glycemic management, all individuals with type 2 diabetes should be encouraged to minimally engage in greater daily movement to better manage their diabetes and body weight. In addition, engaging in physical activity of any intensity (including low-intensity ones) likely positively impacts insulin action and blood glucose control acutely. Moreover, as long as total caloric expenditure during exercise is matched (i.e., total exercise dose), daily exercise may be done every other day …

Hospitality Students Perceptions About High Risk Behaviors In Relation To Destructive Behaviors And Decision Making, Boris A. Roslov

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated hospitality students' perceptions regarding alcohol consumption and personal actions related to high risk behaviors. Those behaviors included: sexual encounters and binge drinking, and their effect on academic tasks and performance. The study investigated whether the hospitality student who is employed full time consumes alcohol at a higher level than a hospitality student does that is not employed full time.

Effect Of A Work Site Exercise Program On Selected Fitness And Psychological Parameters, Kristen Ann Christiansen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The increasing rates of obesity continue to threaten the vitality of our nation. Health care costs are soaring and chronic diseases are reaching even the youngest populations. Physical activity is an integral component in reversing the obesity epidemic and improving the health of today's workforce. The present study sought to determine the effect of a work site exercise program on select fitness and psychological parameters. Five female employees participated in a six-week exercise program utilizing HealthBeat(TM) outdoor exercise equipment in a circuit fashion for 30 minutes, 2 days per week. Eighty percent of participants were categorized as sedentary or low-active …

Foam Rolling As A Warm-Up: The Effect On Lower Extremity Flexibility Compared To Aerobic And Stretching Protocols, Jeremy Ray Bushong

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Foam rolling has recently become popular in the realms of athletic training, strength and conditioning, and fitness enthusiasts as a means to decrease stiffness, improve flexibility, and manage pain . However, little is known about the physiological effects of foam rolling or its role in improving flexibility pre- or post-exercise. The purpose of this project is to examine and compare the effects of foam rolling, aerobic cycling, and stretching on lower extremity flexibility. Nineteen participants (10 female, 9 male) volunteered to test sit-and-reach flexibility after performing four different warm-up protocols on different days. The warm-up protocols were: Foam Rolling for …

Differences In The Mechanics Between The Dominant And Non-Dominant Plant Limb During Instep Soccer Kicking, Cassidy M. Berlin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Over the past 15 years, participation in women’s soccer has increased drastically and with that comes increased exposure to injury. When athletes perform deceleration tasks, such as planting the limb during a kick, there is an increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Low knee flexion angles at contact, high posterior ground reaction force (GRF), increased lateral trunk lean, high knee abduction angle, and high knee external rotation of the knee have all been identified as potential mechanisms of ACL injury during deceleration tasks. At higher levels of competition, a soccer player becomes more valuable if they are …

Investigation Of C-Reactive Protein And Leptin As Biomarkers Of Obesity With Potential Clinical Utility, Rachel Ann Friedman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Obesity and its subsequent disease states are major health problems in the United States. In many ways, obesity can be considered a “disease state” itself due to the changes it causes on the body. High-intensity exercise also places acute stress the body, putting humans in recovery from exercise in a state that may be analogous to a temporary disease state. The purpose of this study was to examine biomarkers associated with obesity (CRP and Leptin) before and after continuous and intermittent bouts of exercise in an obese but otherwise healthy sample vs. a healthy, non-obese sample. This investigation focused on …

The Effect Of Self-Controlled Practice On Forearm Passing, Motivation, And Affect In Women’S Volleyball Players, Nels Rydberg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Motor learning research has suggested that self-controlled practice (or “autonomy”) leads to more effective learning of motor tasks. Debate continues, however, as to why. Most motor behaviorists maintain the better learning is due to cognitive and information-processing factors. Recently, others have proposed the learning enhancement is due to such psychological factors as motivation and affect. The present study sought to measure motor skill learning, intrinsic motivation, and affect in self-controlled versus externally-controlled (yoked) practice conditions.

Participants, 16 collegiate women’s volleyball student-athletes from two National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I programs, were paired by forearm passing skill level, and one of …

The Self: Your Own Worst Enemy? A Test Of The Self-Invoking Trigger Hypothesis, Bradley J. Mckay

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The self invoking trigger hypothesis was recently proposed by Wulf and Lewthwaite (2010) as the mechanism underlying the robust effects of attentional focus on motor learning and performance. The hypothesis suggests that causing individuals to access their self schema will negatively impact their ability to learn and perform a motor skill. The purpose of the present study was to provide an initial test of this hypothesis by causing one group of participants to activate their self schema in a straightforward manner. Participants (N = 32) were assigned to either a self-activated or control condition and asked to practice a wiffleball …

Choreographic Design And Process Of Dance, Kathleen Higgins

Undergraduate Research Conference

When I began the choreographic process, I was inspired by all of the emotions one might feel at a dance audition. However, with much though and manipulation of my original movement, I realized that the body image a dancer has of herself, and the body image for which she is continuously striving, was the underlying message that I wanted my choreography to communicate.

Can Self-Esteem Protect Against The Deleterious Consequences Of Self-Objectification For Mood And Body Satisfaction In Physically Active Female University Students?, Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Nikos Ntoumanis, Jennifer Cumming, Kimberley J. Bartholomew, Gemma Pearce

Jennifer Cumming

Using objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997), this study tested the interaction between self-objectification, appearance evaluation, and self-esteem in predicting body satisfaction and mood states. Participants (N = 93) were physically active female university students. State self-objectification was manipulated by participants wearing tight revealing exercise attire (experimental condition) or baggy exercise clothes (control condition). Significant interactions emerged predicting depression, anger, fatness, and satisfaction with body shape and size. For participants in the self-objectification condition who had low (as opposed to high) appearance evaluation, low self-esteem was associated with high depression, anger, and fatness and low satisfaction with body shape and …

Imagining Yourself Dancing To Perfection? Correlates Of Perfectionism Among Ballet And Contemporary Dancers, Sanna M. Nordin-Bates, Jennifer Cumming, Danielle Aways, Lucinda Sharp

Jennifer Cumming

The present study investigated perfectionism prevalence and its relationship to imagery and performance anxiety. Two hundred and fifty (N = 250) elite students (66.4% female; Mage = 19.19, SD = 2.66) studying mainly classical ballet or contemporary dance in England, Canada, and Australia completed questionnaires assessing perfectionism, imagery, and performance anxiety. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct cohorts: dancers with perfectionistic tendencies (40.59% of the sample), dancers with moderate perfectionistic tendencies (44.35%), and dancers with no perfectionistic tendencies (15.06%). Notably, these labels are data driven and relative; only eight dancers reported high absolute scores. Dancers with perfectionistic tendencies experienced more debilitative …

Measuring Athlete Imagery Ability: The Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire, Sarah E. Williams, Jennifer Cumming

Jennifer Cumming

This research aimed to develop and provide initial validation of the Sport Imagery Ability Questionnaire (SIAQ). The SIAQ assesses athletes’ ease of imaging different types of imagery content. Following an extensive pilot study, 375 athletes completed a 20-item SIAQ in Study 1. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 4-factor model assessing skill, strategy, goal, and affect imagery ability. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) established this 4-factor structure in Study 2 (N = 363 athletes). In Study 3 (N = 438 athletes), additional items were added to create a fifth mastery imagery subscale that was confirmed through CFA. Study 4 (N = 220 …

Psychological Qualities Of Elite Adolescent Rugby Players: Parents, Coaches, And Sport Administration Staff Perceptions And Supporting Roles, Charlotte Woodcock, Mark J. G. Holland, Joan L. Duda, Jennifer Cumming

Jennifer Cumming

The aim of the current study was to extend previous research by Holland and colleagues (2010) into the required psychological qualities of young talented rugby players by considering the perceptions and supportive role of influential others. Perceptions of players’ parents (n = 17), coaches (n = 7), and sport administration staff (SAS; n = 2) were explored through focus group discussions. Findings show that these influential others considered the same 11 higher order themes for psychological qualities previously identified as desirable by players. Their views on how they assisted in developing these player psychological qualities were classified into three higher-order …

Universal Play Frame Vi, Justin Bazant, Cullen Crackel, Anthony Franceschi

Mechanical Engineering

This design report details the design process utilized by Adaptive Exercise Designs (AED) in creating the sixth design of the Universal Play Frame (UPF). The UPF is an adaptive frame which supports a variety of devices that allows athletes in wheelchairs with limited range of motion to participate in physical activity. The past five frame designs do not meet the needs of the Friday Club due to complications with function and time constraints. To ensure all of Fridays Club's needs were met, the problem was better defined by converting the customer requirements into engineering specifications. The design process our team …

Mental Blocks: The Behavioural Effects And Neural Encoding Of Obstacles When Reaching And Grasping, Craig S. Chapman

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The ability to adeptly interact with a cluttered and dynamic world requires that the brain simultaneously encode multiple objects. Theoretical frameworks of selective visuomotor attention provide evidence for parallel encoding (Baldauf & Deubel, 2010; Cisek & Kalaska, 2010; Duncan, 2006) where concurrent object processing results in neural competition. Since the end goal of object representation is usually action, these frameworks argue that the competitive activity is best characterized as the development of visuomotor biases. While some behavioural and neural evidence has been accumulated in favour of this explanation, one of the most striking, yet deceptively common, demonstrations of this capacity …

A Case Study On The Use Of Athletic Performance Strategies In An Elite Athlete’S Management Of Pancreatic Cancer, Brooke Elisabeth Harris

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In 2007, 11.7 million people in the United States were living with a cancer diagnosis. Specifically, 12 in every 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year. The five year survival rate of pancreatic cancer in the United States is only 5.6% (National Cancer Institute, 2007). In addition to traditional pharmacological treatments, physical activity has been increasingly used to help individuals successfully cope with cancer. One area that has not been studied extensively is the use of sport psychology techniques to help athletes cope with cancer. It is possible that these techniques, learned by elite athletes during their careers, …

The Effect Of Self-Efficacy Manipulation On The Efficiency, Rate Of Perceived Exertion, And Affective State Of Runners, Isabelle Stoate

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objectives: To determine the effect of self-efficacy manipulation on the movement efficiency, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and affective state of runners while running on the treadmill at a constant submaximal pace.

Methods: 20 trained male and female runners were randomly assigned to experimental (self-efficacy manipulation) and control groups. Participants first filled out a pre self-efficacy questionnaire and the positive affect negative affect schedule (PANAS), and then completed a 20 minute run on the treadmill running at 75% of their peak treadmill running speed. After 10 minutes, their oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR), and RPE was recorded. Participants (n=10) …

A Combined Fmri And Dti Examination Of Functional Language Lateralization And Arcuate Fasciculus Structure: Effects Of Degree Versus Direction Of Hand Preference Author Links Open Overlay Panel, Ruth E. Propper, Lauren J. O'Donnell, Stephen Whalen, Yanmei Tie, Isaiah Norton, Ralph O. Suarez, Lilla Zollei, Alireza Radmanesh, Alexandra Golby

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The present study examined the relationship between hand preference degree and direction, functional language lateralization in Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, and structural measures of the arcuate fasciculus. Results revealed an effect of degree of hand preference on arcuate fasciculus structure, such that consistently-handed individuals, regardless of the direction of hand preference, demonstrated the most asymmetric arcuate fasciculus, with larger left versus right arcuate, as measured by DTI. Functional language lateralization in Wernicke’s area, measured via fMRI, was related to arcuate fasciculus volume in consistent-left-handers only, and only in people who were not right hemisphere lateralized for language; given the …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Gymnasts’ Lived Experience Of Imagery, Phillip G. Post

Doctoral Dissertations

Imagery is a mental skill that has been researched extensively over the last 40 years (Weinberg, 2008). Experimental and applied investigations have demonstrated that imagery positively affects sport performance as well as a number of psychological characteristics of athletes (Feltz & Landers, 1983; Morris, Spittle, & Watt, 2005). Studies have also revealed that athletes use imagery for multiple functions (both cognitive and motivational) in a variety of sports (both open and closed) and in and out of competition (Hall, Mack, Paivio, & Hausenblas, 1998; Munroe, Giaccobbi, Hall, & Weinberg, 2000). Prior to the present study, however, research had not examined …

Locus Of Control And The Age Difference In Free Recall From Episodic Memory, Paul Amrhein, Judith K. Bond, Derek Hamilton

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The authors investigated the relation of locus of control (LOC) to age differences in free-recall memory performance. Older and younger participants completed P. C. Duttweiler's (1984) Internal Control Index (ICI) and subsequently performed free-recall memory tasks. Compared with the younger participants, the older participants exhibited poorer recall with more intrusions and uncorrected repetition errors as well as reduced categorical clustering. For the older participants with less internal LOC, recall proportion and item-pair associative recall clustering were lower than for the older participants with more internal LOC. By contrast, the younger participants did not exhibit any LOC effects in their recall …

The Nature Of Motivation: A Question Of ‘Why?’, Eleanor J. Quested, Jennifer Cumming, Joan L. Duda

Jennifer Cumming

No abstract provided.