Bahram Ghafari; Mehdi Shahbazi; Mehdi Aghapour; Elham Shirzad
Abstract
Meta-stability is a relatively stable region in which system components tend to cooperate to reach performance goals of movement while maintaining their separate and flexible characters. Participants were assigned to 3 skill groups: coordination (n=10), coordination control (n=10), and optimized ...
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Meta-stability is a relatively stable region in which system components tend to cooperate to reach performance goals of movement while maintaining their separate and flexible characters. Participants were assigned to 3 skill groups: coordination (n=10), coordination control (n=10), and optimized control (n=10). Each two fencers fought in each group. Results of cluster analysis and empirical density indicated the emergence of a metastable region in coordination control group (between 1.689276- 2.270372), two metastable regions in optimized control group (between 0.9824658- 1.00113699 and 1.843131-2.333738) and no metastable region in coordination group. Moreover, the binomial test showed that the proportion of using modes of actions in metastable regions in coordination control and optimized control groups had no significant difference (P=0.4888). But the extent of metastable region in the coordination control group was significantly greater. Findings of this study showed that fencers' motor system is metastable depending on their skill level and the extent of metastable regions was different in each level. To design learning and organizing practice, sport coaches can lead the athletes to metastable regions to emerge the most functional motor responses.
Hamed Abdolmaleki; Bahram Ghafari
Abstract
Newell's learning stages model is a learning model based on dynamic systems theory which is divided to three stages based on the relationship among learners' degree of freedom. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of attention focus of instruction on learning a simple skill (throwing ...
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Newell's learning stages model is a learning model based on dynamic systems theory which is divided to three stages based on the relationship among learners' degree of freedom. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of attention focus of instruction on learning a simple skill (throwing darts) and a complex skill (non-dominant foot chip shot). Thestudyconsistedoftwoexperiments. In thefirst experiment,24male studentsofUniversity of Tehran were instructed tothrow darts. Participantsweredivided into two groupsbased onpretest scores, and thenone group received internalfocusinstructionsand the otherexternalfocus instruction. Results showed that external attention focus was more beneficial when learning the skill of throwing darts. In the second experiment, 24 male students of University of Tehranwere instructedto perform non-dominant foot chip shot skill. Participants were divided into two groups based on their pretest scores, and thenone groupreceived internalattention focusinstructionsand otherexternalfocus instruction. The results showed that internal focus of attention was more beneficial when learning the non-dominant foot chip shot. Results of this study suggested that it was more useful to adopt an internal focusin skills whose coordinative structures have not yet formed.
Bahram Ghafari; Mehdi Shahbazi
Abstract
The aim of this research was to investigate the ability of arousal control in male and female athletes using mental imagery and biofeedback methods. Participants were 30 male and female athlete students of Tehran University (mean aged 23) who were assigned into two homogeneous groups based on Vividness ...
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The aim of this research was to investigate the ability of arousal control in male and female athletes using mental imagery and biofeedback methods. Participants were 30 male and female athlete students of Tehran University (mean aged 23) who were assigned into two homogeneous groups based on Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire 2. Participants were given acoustic biofeedback during three stages of pretest, posttest, and follow-up test while their scores in arousal indexes such as heart rate, body temperature, and galvanic skin response were recorded. In posttest, they were asked to mentally imagine their performance under competition circumstance and in follow-up test they had to attempt to lower their arousal level using deep breathing and acoustic biofeedback technique. Results of analysis of variance with repeated measures and independent t test indicated that there is a significant difference between groups mean scores in follow-up test in three indexes of heart rate, body temperature, and galvanic skin response (p≤0/05). This finding suggests that male students have higher ability in arousal control compared with female students.