This study examined the effect of feedback with simultaneous skilled model observation and self-modeling on volleyball skill acquisition. 53 pupils 12 to 15 years old formed two experimental groups and one control group who followed an intervention program with 12 practice sessions for acquisition and retention of how to receive a ball. Groups received different types of feedback before and in the middle of each practice session. Reception performance outcome (score) and technique in every group were assessed before and at the end of the intervention program and during the retention phase. A 3 (Group) x 3 (Measurement Period) multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures was applied to investigate differences. Results showed equivalent improvement in all three groups at the end of the intervention program. In conclusion, types of augmented feedback from the physical education teacher are effective in acquisition and retention of the skill for reception in volleyball.

The aim of the study was to investigate the differentiation, if any, of young children's rhythmic ability that movement frequency (tempo), sex, and age produce. Rhythmic ability was analyzed into its two components, namely, rhythmic accuracy and rhythmic maintenance. The study compared the effect of two tempos, sex, and age on rhythmic accuracy and rhythmic maintenance and examined the association between them. The sample was 170 children (85 boys and 85 girls) between 6 to 9 years old (M= 7.9, SD= 0.9), who were attending the first three grades of public elementary schools in Athens, Greece, and had no extracurricular sports experience. There were no significant differences in performance on rhythmic accuracy and rhythmic maintenance between boys and girls for fast and slow tempos, while age was a significant differentiating factor at the slow tempo but not at the fast tempo. Rhythmic and rhythmic maintenance performances were better at the fast tempo than at the slow one. Rhythmic accuracy performance was better than rhythmic maintenance performance at both tempos. These findings lead to the conclusion that further examination of rhythmic ability performance is required, focusing on aspects of rhythmic maintenance under different tempos and across all children's ages, with varying motor experience.

BACKGROUND:The way people interpret reality is influenced by their mental constructions, their cognitive abilities and their beliefs. Physical Education (PE) students have a wide range of formed beliefs concerning the purposes of PE, which cannot be easily modified, even during undergraduate studies. OBJECTIVE: This study validated the scores from a previously constructed questionnaire and investigated the Physical Education students' belief systems toward the Greek curricular outcome goals. METHODS: Students (N = 483; males = 259, females = 224) from a Greek Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science shared their beliefs about curricular outcomes. They completed the Greek version of the four factor instrument "Attitudes/beliefs toward curriculum in physical education". A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for the validation of the instrument and MANOVAs followed in order to control for group differences. Finally, a profile analysis was run in order to determine if PE students considered each goal to be equally important. RESULTS: The validation of the instrument confirmed the proposed four factors dependant model. Both internal consistency and the confirmatory factor analysis fit indices produced valid and reliable scores. The profile analysis was significant, indicating that students did not view the outcome goals as equally important. The leading goal was physical activity and fitness, followed by self-actualization, social development and motor skill development. MANO-VA results for comparisons between sub-groups revealed significant differences only between genders. CONCLUSIONS: Between groups similarities and differences are discussed, focusing on the classification of the four important outcome goals. Currently, Greek Physical Education students consider physical activity and fitness outcome goal as the most important, while motor skill development is considered the least important one.

ABSTRACT

This study examined differences in interpersonal attraction between starters and nonstarters of elite male volleyball teams and the correlation between interpersonal attraction and teams' final place. 106 players from 10 teams of the A1 Greek National Volleyball League completed by a sociometric method an especially developed questionnaire. Subjects were classified as starters and nonstarters by means of a protocol of players' starting status administered to teams' coaches. Analysis showed that the task and the social dimension of interpersonal attraction differed significantly between starters and nonstarters. Starters scored higher than nonstarters on both dimensions of interpersonal attraction. Starters' task dimension of interpersonal attraction was positively correlated with the team's task dimension. Also, the teams' task dimension was positively correlated with teams' final placing, suggesting that, when starters are attracted to each other with regard to the common competitive goal, the team's performance is enhanced and leads to higher scoring.