Thesis (M Sport Sc (Sport Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in mean VMRT between top-level men and women participating in selected ball sports compared to either a normative sample or to a non-athlete sample. VMRT was measured using a new 40-light protocol on the Sport Vision Trainer (SVT). The SVT is a board consisting 80 circular lights controlled by a computer program. The SVT is designed to test visual-motor response time in participants. Data from top-level ball sport players were collected for both men (rugby and cricket) and women (netball and hockey). No significant differences in VMRT were found between the rugby players (n=24) and either the normal sample (n=81) or the non-athlete men (n=24). No significant difference in VMRT were found between the cricket players (n=10) and the non-athlete men. However, the cricket players were found to have significantly slower VMRT than the normal sample of men (n=81). No significant differences in VMRT were found between the netball players (n=19), the hockey players (n=14) and either the normal sample of women (n=84) or the non-athlete women (n=26). The conclusions drawn from this study support the position that VMRT may not be a key performance indicator in top-level ball sport performance and that the expert advantage may be located in other variables, such as anticipation and visual search. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om the ondesoek of daar verkille was in die gemiddelde visuele-motoriese reaksie tyd (VMRT) tussen top-vlak bal sport atlete en òf „n normale steekproef òf „n steekproef van nie-atlete. VMRT was gemeet met „ nuwe 40-lig protokol op die Sport Vision Trainer. Inligting van die top-vlak bal sport atlete was ingesamel vir beide mans (rugby en krieket) en dames (netabl en hokkkie) Geen statisties beduidende verskille was gevind vir VMRT tussen die rugby spelers (n=24) en beide van die normale (n=81) of nie-atleet mans steekproef (n=24). Geen statisties beduidende verskille was gevind tussen die krieket spelers (n=10) en die nie-atleet mans nie. Alhoewel die krieket spelers het „n statistie beduidende stadiger VMRT as die normale steekproef mans gehad (n=81). Geen beduidende verskille in VMRT was gevind tussen die netbal spelers (n=19), die hokkie spelers (n=14) en beide van die normale steekproef dames (n=84) of die nie-atletiese dames nie (n=26). Die gevolgtrekking wat gemaak kan word uit die studie ondersteun die standpunt dat VMRT nie „n sleutel prestasie voorspeller in top-vlak bal sportsport prestasie is nie en dat die topvlak speler voordeel deur ander visuele veranderlikes soos antispiasie en “visual search” ondersoek kan word.

Title: The physical load on the body as a factor influencing perceptual cognitive functions. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the size of the physical load and the visual-motor response time and the accuracy of the decision-making by junior soccer players. Methods: The fourty two respondents (in an average age of 19 ± 1.2 years) participated in the study. It was the single factor quasiexperimental, multilevel and intragroup in which we tried to reveal the causal relationship between the visual-motor response time and the accuracy of the decision-making depending on the size of the previous physical load. We proposed a diagnostic instrument containing the video of the offensive game situations which would allow simultaneous evaluation of the visual-motor response time (using Dartfish software program) and the accuracy of the decision-making (through experts assessment). Results and discussion: The diagnostic instrument contains sixteen video clips of the offensive game situations according to the highest degree of conformity of the panelists. I used polychoric correlation matrix to express dependencies between each game situation within each group comprising four video clips of the offensive game situations. The results of the matrix (range -0.437 to 0.306)...

Title: The physical load on the body as a factor influencing perceptual cognitive functions. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the size of the physical load and the visual-motor response time and the accuracy of the decision-making by junior soccer players. Methods: The fourty two respondents (in an average age of 19 ± 1.2 years) participated in the study. It was the single factor quasiexperimental, multilevel and intragroup in which we tried to reveal the causal relationship between the visual-motor response time and the accuracy of the decision-making depending on the size of the previous physical load. We proposed a diagnostic instrument containing the video of the offensive game situations which would allow simultaneous evaluation of the visual-motor response time (using Dartfish software program) and the accuracy of the decision-making (through experts assessment). Results and discussion: The diagnostic instrument contains sixteen video clips of the offensive game situations according to the highest degree of conformity of the panelists. I used polychoric correlation matrix to express dependencies between each game situation within each group comprising four video clips of the offensive game situations. The results of the matrix (range -0.437 to 0.306)...