Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Motor ability; Movement, Psychology of;
Abstract
The present study was designed to investigate the effects of pre-performance routine rhythm on novel motor task success. At the center of the study was the comparison of differing characteristics of two theories of motor control: the dynamical systems theory and the schema theory. It was hypothesized that an even pre-performance routine rhythm would be more advantageous to task success than an uneven preperformance routine rhythm, regardless of the rhythmic characteristic of the task. The results concluded the contrary to be more accurate, and indicated that task success was more likely to occur when the pre-performance routine rhythm was congruent to the rhythm of the task.
Thirty-two right-handed members of the University of Northern Iowa student body volunteered as subjects for this study. Upon arrival, the subjects were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups. Group 1 consisted of execution of an even pre-performance routine rhythm and an even-rhythm task. Group 2 performed an even pre-performance routine rhythm and an uneven-rhythm task. Group 3 performed an uneven pre-performance routine rhythm and an even-rhythm task, and Group 4 executed an uneven pre-performance routine rhythm and an uneven-rhythm task. The preperformance routine consisted of a back and forth tapping motion. The task consisted of a right-handed back-swing, forward movement, and follow through. For both the preperformance routine and the task, times were recorded in ms for the vital movement segments deemed critical for this study. Each subject completed an acquisition phase for both the pre-performance routine and the task, and then immediately was tested. Testing consisted of performing five consecutive repetitions of the pre-performance routine, then one repetition of the task to complete one test trial. Each subject performed three sets of five test trials.
The results indicated that the even pre-performance routine rhythm was not necessarily advantageous to task success, but was beneficial when paired with the even-rhythm task. Furthermore, the data revealed that task success was more likely to occur when the pre-performance routine rhythms and task rhythm were congruent.
Year of Submission
1999
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services
First Advisor
Sue Doody
Second Advisor
Sharon Huddleston
Third Advisor
Nancy Hamilton
Date Original
1999
Object Description
1 PDF file (57 leaves)
Copyright
©1999 Blake Wade Miller
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Miller, Blake Wade, "Pre-performance Routines and Rhythm: A Comparative Study" (1999). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 1730.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/1730
Comments
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