Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under CC BY-NC 4.0 license
Authors
1 Department of Motor behavior and sport psychology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University ,Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Motor Behavior and Sport Psychology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran , Iran.
3 Department of Sport Sciences, Physical Education and Sport Sciences Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.
4 Department of sport science ,SR.C., Islamic Azad University ,Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction:Observational learning is one of the important approaches in teaching motor skills and can lead to performance improvement by directing attention and optimizing visual strategies. One of the key indicators in this field is the quiet eye, which plays a critical role in the accuracy of aiming-based skills. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effect of demonstration angle on learning the mini-basketball free throw and quiet eye duration in girls aged 10 to 12 years.
Methods: This study was semi‑experimental in design and is classified as cross‑sectional and applied. The statistical population consisted of female elementary school students from District 1 of Tehran. Participants were assigned to two observational modeling groups: one with a sagittal (side) viewing perspective and the other with a frontal viewing perspective. Quiet eye duration was recorded using a binocular eye‑tracking system (Pupil Labs Core). After confirming data normality, the data were analyzed using mixed‑design analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc tests.
Results: The findings indicated that the main effect of measurement stage on free‑throw accuracy and quiet eye duration was significant, whereas the main effect of group and the interaction between group and stage were not significant. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in free‑throw performance and quiet eye duration from the pre‑test to the retention test.
Conclusion: The results suggest that observational learning, regardless of demonstration angle, leads to stable improvements in motor performance and visual‑perceptual indices. Moreover, first‑person and third‑person perspectives appear to have comparable effectiveness in motor modeling among children.
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