published_or_final_version / abstract / Human Performance / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Sports Science / Master / Master of Science in Sports Science

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M.S.)--Wisconsin. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-102).

Thesis--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-155).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005.

The problem was to ascertain the effect of proprioceptive feedback developed from an initial movement; and the effect of time delay between the termination of the initial movement and the beginning of the following motor response on the temporal accuracy and consistency of that response. Thirty male Ss were randomly assigned, three to each of the ten experimental conditions composed of two levels of proprioceptive feedback (small and large) and five levels of time delay (0.3, 0.6, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 seconds). In the minimal proprioceptive feedback condition, the proprioceptive feedback was manipulated in the right index finger of the S by the press-release of a response-button whereas in the proprioceptive feedback condition, it was manipulated in the right arm of the S by a passively induced and consistent movement of that limb. Both, of these sources of proprioceptive feedback ended immediately prior to the beginning of the time delay interval. It was the task of the S to lift his left index finger from the response-button after the delay interval under which he was timing had elapsed. Each S was given 50 trials with knowledge of results (his exact response time in milliseconds) on each trial and with an intertrial interval of 30 seconds. The results of the analyses showed the following: one, that the Ss learned to time the motor response within the first ten trials under the influence of knowledge of results; two, that proprioceptive feedback had no effect on the accuracy and consistency of the timing of the motor response; and last, that the time delay interval had a highly significant effect on the accuracy and consistency of the timing of the motor response where the accuracy and consistency of the timing of the motor response appear to be similar power functions of the time delay interval. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

The main purpose of this study was to determine the generality of the closed-loop theory and the preprogramming theory as an explanation for the learning and maintenance of performance in a highly practiced self-paced and ballistic response. The methodology used to investigate this problem involved comparing performance, following the withdrawal of knowledge of results, under changed or interrupted feedback conditions to a control condition in which feedback was the same as that in acquisition. Subsidiary problems involved 1) examining the effects of changing or interrupting feedback during KR withdrawal following low practice in acquisition and, 2) examining the differential effects of low and high practice in acquisition on performance in each response type during KR withdrawal under each of the three feedback conditions. The experimental task involved learning to move a cursor on a track from one end of the track to the other in 1.0 seconds. Two types of responses were used: 1) self-paced, in which the subject was permitted to hold on to the cursor for the entire length of the track and, 2) ballistic, in which the subject had to release the cursor after he moved it only about one sixth of the track distance. Sixty students of the University of British Columbia served as subjects. The results indicated that the preprogramming theory explained the learning and maintenance of performance in a highly practiced ballistic response, while the closed-loop theory was most applicable to the highly practiced self-paced response. Secondly, after 15 trials of practice in acquisition both response types were dependent on feedback, but the amount of feedback necessary was much less in the ballistic response than in the self-paced response. Thirdly, in the ballistic response, a comparison of performance in KR withdrawal following a small amount of practice in acquisition with that following a large amount of practice indicated that there was a transition from a primitive preprogramming mechanism which was somewhat dependent on feedback to a well developed preprogrammed mechanism which was not dependent on feedback. Finally, a closed-loop mechanism was suggested for the self-paced response following both small and large amounts of practice in acquisition. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

The California Test of Mental Maturity - Long Form Level 2 and the Iowa-Brace Test of Motor Educability were administered to 112 girls from grade five classes in seven randomly selected city schools of Vancouver, British Columbia. The scores obtained on both tests were slightly higher than those expected in the normal population. A small positive relationship (0.30) was found between total Iowa-Brace scores and total IQ. The correlation of the Non-Language Section IQ of the California Test of Mental Maturity with Iowa-Brace total score was significantly (0.02) higher than that obtained when the Language section IQ was correlated with total Iowa-Brace. Principal component analysis of the Iowa-Brace Test isolated five factors accounting for 6.7 per cent of the test variance. Only one of these factors showed any relationship to the five factors of the California Test of Mental Maturity. Factor V showed low positive correlations with the Logical Reasoning and Spatial Relations factors. No practically useful relationship seems to exist between the Iowa-Brace Motor Educability Test and the California Test of Mental Maturity. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

This study examined the effects of Instruction in transfer of children's Pursuit Rotor motor learning. In addition, the validity of the schema theory was examined. Two learning variables were employed during the learning activities: Instruction with two treatment levels (LTI vs. LIO), and Task Variability with three types of task variations (SPV vs. SV vs. PV). The performance of the learners were measured in terms of the Amount of Time on Target and the Number of Hits on Pursuit Rotor. A 2 (Instruction) by 3 (Task) by 4 (blocks) repeated measure design was adopted for analysing data of the learning activities. Two additional moderator variables of Rest Interval (5 minutes vs. 30 seconds) and Shift of Hands (shifted vs. not-shifted) were included in the design for evaluating transfer effects. The effects of learning and moderator variables were examined. The LTI treatment groups performed the transfer task significantly better than the LIO. There was no significant main effect for the task variability. Only the interaction of Task, Rest, and Shift of Hands was statistically significant. It means that the predicted effect of the task variability is observable only under the limiting condition of 30 seconds period and with hand not shifted (i.e., unilateral transfer). It is concluded that the observed effects of Instruction and Task Variability can be explained by the schema theory. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate