No abstract

This study was designed to examine the perceptual and attentional processes associated with the effects of administering a cost-benefit precuing paradigm to intermediate and advance-level baseball batters. Psychophysiological and performance data obtained from 10 advanced and 10 intermediate-level players were compared. A total of 400 pitches (200 fastballs, 200 curveballs) was randomly presented via a large projection screen, and participants pressed one of two buttons to indicate the type of pitch thrown. Verbal precues were given for 300 of the pitches. Of those, 75% were valid, and 25% were invalid. Electroencephalographic data collected from the P location was used to assess the latency and amplitude of P300. Analysis of variance (Skill Level x Precue x Pitch) for P300 and reaction time (RT) indicated that intermediate batters produced shorter P300 latencies, larger P300 amplitudes, longer RTs, and less correct responses than the advanced batters; the effects were more pronounced for the curveballs. These results suggest that intermediate batters are less efficient in their perceptual decision-making processes due to greater limitations in attentional capacity when compared with advanced batters.

Self-controlled feedback on a variety of tasks are well established as effective means of facilitating motor skill learning. This study assessed the effects of self-controlled feedback on the performance of a serial motor skill. The task was to learn the sequence of 18 movements that make up the Taekwondo Poomsae Taegeuk first, which is the first beginner's practice form learned in this martial art. Twenty-four novice female participants (M age=27.2 yr., SD=1.8) were divided into two groups. All participants performed 16 trials in 4 blocks of the acquisition phase and 20 hr. later, 8 trials in 2 blocks of the retention phase. The self-controlled feedback group had significantly higher performance compared to the yoked-feedback group with regard to acquisition and retention. The results of this study may contribute to the literature regarding feedback by extending the usefulness of self-controlled feedback for learning a serial skill.

The effects of two types of bandwidth (BW) knowledge of results (KR) were investigated on the acquisition and immediate retention of a timing task. Traditional and reversed BW KR groups were compared with two yoked control groups. Forty-eight randomly assigned subjects completed 60 acquisition trials and 20 no-KR retention trials. Acquisition analysis indicated a greater timing accuracy for the traditional BW group in comparison to the reversed BW group. During retention, less absolute constant error was found for both BW groups than for their yoked controls. Absolute performance changes were analyzed to further differentiate the contributions of quantitative and qualitative KR available in both types of BW conditions. This analysis revealed a significant KR x Trial Type interaction. Reliable changes in performance were observed after quantitative trials for the traditional BW group, whereas for the reversed BW group, reliable changes were observed after qualitative trials. This reversed BW group finding, along with the retention accuracy findings, indicated that the qualitative information was used to learn the timing task.

The primary purpose of this study was to examine adolescents' energy cost in a marching band. High school marching band participants (N=15) completed five 3-min. stages of treadmill marching, using a 57.2-cm stride length (typical standard of eight steps per five yards) as follows: without instruments at 75 m x min.(-1) and 132 steps x min.(-1) (Stage 1): without instruments at 91 m x min.(-1) and 160 steps x min.(-1) (Stage 2); carrying instruments at 75 m x min.(-1) and 132 steps x min.(-1) (Stage 3); carrying instruments at 91 m x min.(-1) and 160 steps x min.(-1) (Stage 4); and playing instruments at 75 m x min.(-1) and 132 steps x min.(-1) (Stage 5). Mean heart-rate response to an actual parade performance was similar to the mean Stage 5 treadmill heart rate (n=6). With regard to a high school marching band, these results suggest that energy demand for marching cadences approximates 4.5 and 6.0 metabolic equivalents for moderate and fast paces, respectively.