Overweight Stereotype Threat Negatively Impacts the Learning of a Balance Task

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscila Lopes Cardozo ◽  
Suzete Chiviacowsky

Several studies have demonstrated the detrimental effects of stereotype threat on the performance of academic and motor skills, while little attention has been given to the effects of stereotypical conditions on motor learning. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of overweight stereotype threat on women learning a balance task. Participants practiced 10 trials of a dynamic balance task and their learning was observed in a retention test one day later. Before practice, the stereotype threat (ST) group received instructions introducing the task as influenced by individual differences, whereby overweight people usually present worse outcomes. For the reduced stereotype threat group (RST), instructions informed them that the task was not influenced by individual differences. Participants also filled out a questionnaire measuring intrinsic motivation. The results showed that performance and learning, as well as perceived competence, were enhanced for participants of the RST group compared with participants of the ST group. The findings provide evidence that overweight stereotype threat affects the learning of motor skills.

2020 ◽  
pp. 003151252098123
Author(s):  
Takehiro Iwatsuki ◽  
Claude J. Regis

The purpose of this study was to examine whether enhancing success expectation by providing relatively easy criteria for success would, in turn, enhance motor learning outcomes. Thirty university student participants threw soft-golf balls towards a circular target, using their non-dominant arm; they performed seven blocks of 12 trials from a distance of 5.5 meters on Day 1, and one block of 12 trials on separate retention and transfer tests on Day 2. After the first block on Day 1, participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups in which they practiced the remaining six blocks of 12 trials: (a) one with relatively easy success (RES) criteria or (b) one with difficult success (DS) criteria. After the practice, we administered a perceived competence scale, a sub-scale of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI). On Day 2, participants in the RES group outperformed those in the DS group on both the retention and transfer tests, showing enhanced motor learning. The RES group also self-reported higher perceived competence than the DS group, indicating that the mechanism for benefiting from easier success criteria may have been an alteration in participants’ perceived competence.


Psihologija ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 36-36
Author(s):  
Maryam Rabeinia ◽  
Esmaeel Saemi ◽  
Rasool Abedanzadeh

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of overweight stereotype threat on children?s motor learning. Twenty-four children (Mage = 9.25 ? 0.53 years) were conveniently selected and randomly assigned into two groups of stereotype threat (with emphasis on individual characteristics, namely, overweight) and control group. The task consisted of maintaining the balance on the stabilometer during 30-second trials. One trial in the pre-test, 10 trials in the acquisition phase and 5 trials in the retention test were run. The findings revealed lower motor learning among the overweight stereotype group compared to the control group. Therefore, it is suggested that in similar situations, coaches can reduce stereotype threat emphasizing on the ineffectiveness of individual characteristics, i.e., overweight on motor performance of children thereby prevent performance and learning disruptions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 69-95
Author(s):  
Juming Jiang ◽  
Misaki Kusamoto ◽  
Ayumi Tanaka

This study examines the effects of external environmental factors, specifically monetary reward and choice, on intrinsic motivation, and tests whether they are moderated by individual differences in causality orientation. We randomly assigned 103 undergraduates to one of four conditions: reward (reward vs. no reward) × choice (choice vs. no choice). Participants were given puzzles to solve in the experimenters' presence, which they were free to continue tackling when the experimenters left the room. We measured the time spent solving puzzles when free to choose other activities, task enjoyment, and perceived competence as dependent variables. Interest in puzzles was unaffected by receiving a reward in participants with high autonomy orientation but dropped significantly in participants with low autonomy orientation. Choice over the task increased competence in participants with high autonomy orientation but lowered competence in low autonomy orientation. Finally, we found no significant effects on time spent on puzzles. The present study contributes to current literature regarding the causes of differences in performance in various achievement settings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rauscher ◽  
F. Yavari ◽  
G. Batsikadze ◽  
N. Ludolph ◽  
W. Ilg ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is widely considered as a promising non-invasive tool to foster motor performance and learning in health and disease. The results of previous studies, however, are inconsistent. Our group failed to provide evidence for an effect of cerebellar tDCS on learning of a complex whole body dynamic balance task in young and healthy participants. Ceiling effects in the young study population are one possible explanation for the negative findings. Methods In the present study, we therefore tested 40 middle-aged healthy participants between the ages of 50 to 65 years. Participants received either anodal or sham cerebellar tDCS using a double-blinded study design while performing a balance task on a Lafayette Instrument 16,030 stability platform®. Mean platform angle and mean balance time were assessed as outcome measures. Results Significant learning effects were found in all participants. Balancing performance and learning rate was significantly less in the group of middle-aged adults compared to our previous group of young adults. No significant effects of cerebellar tDCS were observed. Conclusions Our findings are in line with other studies that have failed to prove robust effects of cerebellar tDCS on motor learning. The present findings, however, do not exclude cerebellar tDCS effects. tDCS effects may be more prominent after repeated stimulation, using other stimulus parameters, in patient populations, or in other motor learning tasks. Trial registration Not applicable.


2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 824-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Wulf ◽  
Rebecca Lewthwaite ◽  
Priscila Cardozo ◽  
Suzete Chiviacowsky

In the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning [Wulf, G., & Lewthwaite, R. (2016). Optimizing performance through intrinsic motivation and attention for learning: The OPTIMAL theory of motor learning. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 23, 1382-1414], 3 factors are postulated to facilitate learning: enhanced expectancies (EE) for performance, autonomy support (AS), and an external focus (EF) of attention. In 3 recent studies, combinations of 2 of these variables resulted in superior learning relative to the presence of only 1 variable, or none. We examined whether the combination of all 3 factors would enhance learning relative to combinations of 2 factors. Our design included EE–AS, EE–EF, AS–EF, and AS–EE–EF groups. Participants threw balls at a target with their non-dominant arm. In the EE conditions, they received positive social–comparative feedback. In the AS conditions, they were allowed to throw with their dominant arm on trial blocks chosen by them. In the EF conditions, participants were asked to focus on the target. On a delayed retention test, the AS–EE–EF group outperformed all other groups. The findings provide evidence that enhanced expectancies, autonomy support, and an external focus can contribute in an additive fashion to optimize motor learning.


Author(s):  
Nicholas H. K. Lam ◽  
Wai Man Lau ◽  
Tin Lap Lau

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a 6-week core stabilization training program (CSTP) in improving dynamic balance and back-extensor endurance of horse riders; and develop a measurement tool in assessing the dynamic postural stabilization endurance for horse riders. Twelve male horse riders (age: 23.58 ± 1.93 years; height: 165.09 ± 4.60 cm; weight: 56.53 ± 4.75 kg; experience in horse racing: 1.75 ± 0.34 years) completed 12 training sessions in 6 weeks. Subjects performed the CSTP with two progressions. CSTP started with the basic consciousness activation exercises, and then eliminated visual feedback in dynamic balance task on unstable surfaces and finished with switching the center of gravity. Moderate-to-large difference was demonstrated in the Y-Balance test scores for right leg (102.81 ± 8.32 vs 106.471 ± 4.35 cm, d = 0.55, 95% CL 0.00 to 1.08) and left leg (102.04 ± 3.20 vs 106.29 ± 3.62 cm, d = 1.25, 95% CL 0.41 to 2.05) following 6 weeks CSTP. However, trivial to small differences was reported between left and right leg in pre (d = 0.12, 95% CL − 0.49 to 0.73) and post 6-week CSTP (d = 0.04, 95% CL − 0.69 to 0.78). Biering–Sørensen test (BST) shows largely greater performance after 6-week CSTP (98.3 ± 30.1 vs 131.8 ± 19.0 s, d = 1.33, 95% CL 0.54–2.09). A novel measurement, Swiss ball four-point kneeling test was shown to be correlated with the change in BST (r = 0.633).


1995 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Theeboom ◽  
Paul De Knop ◽  
Maureen R. Weiss

Recent research in educational psychology suggests that provision of a mastery motivational climate will maximize enjoyment, perceived competence, and intrinsic motivation in children (Ames, 1992a, 1992b, 1992c). Minimal research has been conducted to test this proposition in the physical domain. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a performance versus mastery oriented teaching program on children’s enjoyment, perceived competence, intrinsic motivation, and motor skill development. Children (N = 119) 8 to 12 years of age were randomly assigned to one of the two programs for 3 weeks during an organized sports program. Results revealed that children in the mastery oriented group reported significantly higher levels of enjoyment and exhibited better motor skills than those in the performance oriented group. In-depth interviews further indicated that children in the mastery program were almost unanimous in reporting high levels of perceived competence and intrinsic motivation, while those from the traditional group showed less pronounced effects. These results provide empirical evidence that a mastery motivational climate can result in more positive experiences for young athletes as they learn new skills.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document