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INFLUENCE OF SELECTED VARIABLES UPON SKINFOLD MEASUREMENTS PERFORMED BY INEXPERIENCED TESTERS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of instructional methods, selected skinfold calipers, somatotypes, and skinfold sites on the testing experience necessary for inexperienced testers to obtain consistent skinfold measurements. Sixty-four undergraduate physical education majors who possessed no prior skinfold measurement experience performed skinfold measurements at the triceps and subscapular sites on five subjects representing endomorph, endomorph-mesomorph, mesomorph, mesomorph-ectomorph, and ectomorph somatotypes. The inexperienced testers were taught the skinfold measurement technique by one of five instructional methods: (a) manual; (b) marked site; (c) poster; (d) video-tape; and, (e) supervision, while utilizing the Lange, the Fat-O-Meter, or the Fat Control skinfold calipers. Five experienced testers also performed measurements on all the somatotypes at each of the sites with each caliper. The number of trials to acquire consistency and the actual measurements at this consistency were utilized in the analysis. Two weeks later, the inexperienced testers performed one trial of measurements at each of the sites on every somatotype. Comparisons were made among the inexperienced testers on the number of trials to consistency and the test-retest measurements. Additionally, comparisons were computed between the measurements of the inexperienced and experienced testers at each skinfold site. The data were analyzed by the use of analysis of variance, t tests, and Dunnett's t. Significant differences were indicated among the instructional methods and skinfold calipers on the number of trials to consistency. The endomorph somatotype required a significantly greater number of trials than the other somatotypes to reach consistency while there was no significant difference between the two skinfold sites. The video-tape and supervision / instructional methods had fewer significant differences between the inexperienced and experienced testers on the test occasions of the various skinfold measurements than the remaining three methods. The Lange caliper resulted in fewer significant differences between inexperienced and experienced testers on the various skinfold measurements at consistency whereas on the second test occasion, none of the three calipers were superior. The test-retest comparison indicated no supremacy of instructional method, skinfold caliper, somatotype, or skinfold site as the vast majority of comparisons resulted in no significant differences. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-02, Section: A, page: 0395. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74759
ContributorsISHEE, JIMMY HAROLD., Florida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText
Format148 p.
RightsOn campus use only.
RelationDissertation Abstracts International

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