scholarly journals EXPRESS: Manual training of mental rotation performance: Visual representation of rotating figures is the main driver for improvements

2021 ◽  
pp. 174702182110394
Author(s):  
Leonardo Jost ◽  
Petra Jansen

Studies have demonstrated that manual and mental rotation show common processes. Training studies have shown that a manual and concurrent visual rotation improves mental rotation performance. In this study, we separated the visual rotation from the manual rotation. 121 participants were randomly assigned to visual training, manual rotation training, or manual training without rotational movement. Before and after the training session of 30 minutes, they had to solve a chronometric mental rotation test. Data were analyzed with linear mixed models and showed an improvement in mental rotation performance for all groups. However, this improvement did not differ between groups. Due to the independence of the form and occurrence of the manual activity, this suggests that it is not the motor activity but the concurrent visual rotation that leads to improvements in mental rotation tasks. Therefore, the visual component in mental rotation tasks has to be investigated in more detail.

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Moreau ◽  
Jérome Clerc ◽  
Annie Mansy-Dannay ◽  
Alain Guerrien

This experiment investigated the relationship between mental rotation and sport training. Undergraduate university students (n = 62) completed the Mental Rotation Test ( Vandenberg & Kuse, 1978 ), before and after a 10-month training in two different sports, which either involved extensive mental rotation ability (wrestling group) or did not (running group). Both groups showed comparable results in the pretest, but the wrestling group outperformed the running group in the posttest. As expected from previous studies, males outperformed women in the pretest and the posttest. Besides, self-reported data gathered after both sessions indicated an increase in adaptive strategies following training in wrestling, but not subsequent to training in running. These findings demonstrate the significant effect of training in particular sports on mental rotation performance, thus showing consistency with the notion of cognitive plasticity induced from motor training involving manipulation of spatial representations. They are discussed within an embodied cognition framework.


Author(s):  
Sunita Ariali ◽  
Bernd Zinn

Virtual Reality (VR) opens new possibilities for the investigation and train-ing of Mental Rotational Ability (MRA), which is an important factor in the development of technical skills in several fields. Adaptive designs of MRA training environments realised by virtual technology could offer promising potentials and is investigated in this study. For the evaluation of effective-ness, the adaptive training environment is compared with the adequate ran-domised environment by assessing mental rotation ability in both conditions before and after training. As a dependent variable, the performance and its improvement in the virtual mental rotation test (VMRT), as well as the cog-nitive load, is measured. In addition, possible gender differences and their in-fluence on the training outcomes are determined. The study described here represents an innovative support option for MRA and provides an expandable empirical basis for VR-based adaptive trainings.


Author(s):  
Nuno Batalha ◽  
Jose A. Parraca ◽  
Daniel A. Marinho ◽  
Ana Conceição ◽  
Hugo Louro ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to analyze the acute effects of a standardized water training session on the shoulder rotators strength and balance in age group swimmers, in order to understand whether a muscle-strengthening workout immediately after the water training is appropriate. A repeated measures design was implemented with two measurements performed before and after a standardized swim session. 127 participants were assembled in male (n = 72; age: 16.28 ± 1.55 years, height: 174.15 ± 7.89 cm, weight: 63.97 ± 6.51 kg) and female (n = 55; age: 15.29 ± 1.28 years, height: 163.03 ± 7.19 cm, weight: 52.72 ± 5.48 kg) cohorts. The isometric torque of the shoulder internal (IR) and external (ER) rotators, as well as the ER/IR ratios, were assessed using a hand-held dynamometer. Paired sample t-tests and effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were used (p ≤ 0.05). No significant differences were found on the shoulder rotators strength or balance in males after training. Females exhibited unchanged strength values after practice, but there was a considerable decrease in the shoulder rotators balance of the non-dominant limb (p < 0.01 d = 0.366). This indicates that a single practice seems not to affect the shoulders strength and balance of adolescent swimmers, but this can be a gender specific phenomenon. While muscle-strengthening workout after the water session may be appropriate for males, it can be questionable regarding females. Swimming coaches should regularly assess shoulder strength levels in order to individually identify swimmers who may or may not be able to practice muscle strengthening after the water training.


Author(s):  
Nafih Cherappurath ◽  
Masilamani Elayaraja ◽  
Dilshith A. Kabeer ◽  
Amila Anjum ◽  
Paris Vogazianos ◽  
...  

AbstractTennis is one of the most popular and widely played sports enjoyed by players of different age groups and genders as a profession as well as a mode of recreation. A novel method, PETTLEP imagery combines both conventional and non-conventional style of training of an athlete and improves one’s performance. This study aimed to analyze the tennis service performance of junior tennis players based on PETTLEP imagery training. Forty-four junior male tennis players (Mage=13.22 years, SD=0.42) were selected for the study. The investigator handed over the MIQ-R questionnaire to all the participants in which they scored 16 and above points as per previous research. The participants were equally divided (n=11) into three experimental groups (E1, E2, and E3) and a control group. The service performance outcomes of all the players were compared before and after a training session. The three experimental groups were assigned with service-specific training, service-specific training combined with PETTLEP imagery training, and PETTLEP imagery training alone, respectively, for three days per week for 12 weeks. They were tested on their service accuracy based on the International tennis number (ITN) manual on-court assessment test. The data were assessed for normality and analyzed using non-parametric methods to reveal main effects (each training method alone) as well as to calculate the combined effect of PETTLEP and service-specific training. Certain significant improvements in tennis service were observed with service-specific training alone. Though it marginally outperformed the PETTLEP imagery method, the most improved services were observed with both PETTLEP and service-specific training utilized together. This implies an additive effect when both methods are used together.


2010 ◽  
pp. 47-63
Author(s):  
Carolina Mega ◽  
Alessia Canella ◽  
Francesca Pazzaglia

La presente ricerca si č proposta di esaminare, su un campione italiano, le relazioni esistenti tra stili cognitivi, abilitŕ immaginative e spaziali, e di verificare l'esistenza di differenze di genere. Hanno partecipato all'indagine 86 studenti (52 femmine e 34 maschi) di un Liceo Scientifico di Padova. Lo stile cognitivo č stato valutato attraverso tre strumenti: Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire (Richardson, 1977), Object-Spatial Imagery Questionnaire (Blajenkova O., Kozhevnikov M. e Motes M.A., 2006a), Questionario sullo Stile Cognitivo (Kozhevnikov, Kosslyn e Shepard, 2005). Le abilitŕ immaginative e spaziali sono state indagate attraverso il Questionario sulla Vividezza delle immagini mentali (Marks, 1973) e il Mental Rotation Test (Vandenberg e Kuse, 1978). I risultati hanno evidenziato l'esistenza di due differenti tipologie di stile cognitivo visualizzatore, che presentano specifiche abilitŕ nell'elaborazione delle informazioni: i soggetti spatial, che preferiscono immagini schematiche delle relazioni spaziali tra oggetti, riescono meglio in compiti di abilitŕ spaziale. I soggetti object, invece, ottengono punteggi piů elevati nelle misure di vividezza delle immagini mentali. Inoltre differenze di genere sono state rinvenute nello stile cognitivo spatial, con punteggi piů elevati dei maschi.


2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (Suppl. 1) ◽  
pp. S44-S48

Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is an important cause that leads to hospital admission and death. Improving lay people’s knowledge and skills in basic life support (BLS) may lead to reduced death associated with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. “BLS NU KKU” is a BLS training program developed from up-to-date literature as a smartphone application used to train lay people in the community. Objective: To evaluate BLS-related knowledge and skills of participants before and after BLS training. Materials and Methods: A one group pretest-posttest design was used to implement the present study in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Participants were 350 individuals age 18 and older. An 8-hour BLS training session was offered to 10 groups of 35 participants over the period of 10 months between November 2018 and August 2019. Self-administered questionnaires were used to assess BLS knowledge and Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills. Results: The mean score for BLS-related knowledge significantly increased after the BLS training (mean = 15.05, SD = 2.51) compared to the scores before the training (mean = 10.47, SD = 3.43) (p<0.05). BLS skills improved from 0% to 100% (p<0.001) will all skills rated with mostly “excellent” and “good”. Satisfaction with the training program was also rated mostly with “excellent” and “good”. Conclusion: The BLS training program effectively improved participants’ knowledge and skills for basic life support. This program should be disseminated to train lay people in other settings. Keywords: Basic life support, Cardiac arrest, Mobile application


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (10) ◽  
pp. 791-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Caruso ◽  
Michael Voor ◽  
Jason Jaggers ◽  
T. Symons ◽  
Jeremy Stith ◽  
...  

AbstractWhile bones and muscles adapt to mechanical loading, it appears that very specific types of stimuli must be applied to achieve osteogenesis. Our study assessed musculoskeletal outcomes to 30 training sessions on an Inertial Exercise Trainer (Newnan, GA). Subjects (n=13) performed workouts with their left leg, while their right served as an untreated control. Workouts entailed three 60-s sets each of knee extension, hip extension and calf press exercises, separated by 90-s rests. Before and after the 30 training sessions, subjects underwent strength tests (knee and ankle extensors of both legs), DEXA scans (hip, knee and ankles of both legs), and blood draws. After 30 training sessions 2×2 ANOVAs showed left leg peak torques rose significantly. 2×2 ANCOVAs, with bone scan area as a covariate, showed significant left leg calcaneal bone mineral content (+29%) and density (+33%) increases after 30 training sessions. A significant decline in C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen, a blood marker of bone resorption, also occurred after 30 training sessions. The Inertial Exercise Trainer’s large volume of training session repetitions elicited high peak force, peak acceleration and impulses that likely provided a mechanical loading stimulus that evoked calcaneal accretion.


Logopedija ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anđela Bučević ◽  
Ana Bonetti ◽  
Luka Bonetti

The aim of this research paper was to examine the voice quality of sports coaches using the objective (acoustic) method. A total of 28 sports coaches (mean age 28.58, SD=5.08), from the City of Zagreb participated in this research. Recordings of the phonation of the vowel /a/ before and after one training session were obtained and analyzed using the PRAAT Program. Mean, minimal and maximal values of fundamental frequency, shimmer, jitter and harmonics-to-noise ratio were observed. The statistical analyses showed no statistically significant difference in acoustic voice quality of male and female coaches before and after the training session, or between male and female coaches. However, intra-individual differences among participants were observed, which may be significant in terms of their potential to affect the quality of their voices in the future.


Author(s):  
Mustafa Aydın ◽  
Mehmet Tuğrul Yılmaz ◽  
Muzaffer Şeker

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the spatial abilities of medical school students and their learning in anatomy. Methods: The spatial abilities of the 120 students (74 females, 46 males) were examined using Mental Rotation Test (MRT). The relationship between the mental rotation scores and the mean scores of their practical and theoretical anatomy examinations was determined in terms of gender. Results: The study revealed that mental rotation skills of female participants were lower than males; however, there was no significant difference in their exam (theoretical and practical anatomy examinations) scores in terms of gender. The spatial ability of the students had a low level significant effect on their anatomy scores, regarding practical applications. Conclusion: The results of the study revealed a significant relationship between students’ spatial ability and their success in practical anatomy examinations. This suggests that improving spatial ability skills may have a significant contribution to practical anatomy learning and may be considered as a part of anatomy education.


2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita M. Rivera-Brown ◽  
Roberto A. De Félix-Dávila

Adolescent judo athletes who train in tropical climates may be in a persistent state of dehydration because they frequently restrict fluids during daily training sessions to maintain or reduce their body weight and are not given enough opportunities to drink.Purpose:Determine the body hydration status of adolescent judo athletes before, immediately after, and 24 h after (24H) a training session and document sweat Na+ loss and symptoms of dehydration.Methods:Body mass and urine color and specific gravity (USG) were measured before, after, and 24 h after a training session in a high-heat-stress environment (29.5 ± 1.0°C; 77.7 ± 6.1% RH) in 24 adolescent athletes. Sweat sodium loss was also determined. A comparison was made between mid-pubertal (MP) and late pubertal (LP) subjects.Results:The majority of the subjects started training with a significant level of dehydration. During the training session, MP subjects lost 1.3 ± 0.8% of their pretraining body mass whereas LP subjects lost 1.9 ± 0.5% (P < .05). Sweat sodium concentration was 44.5 ± 23.3 mmol/L. Fluid intake from a water fountain was minimal. Subjects reported symptoms of dehydration during the session, which in some cases persisted throughout the night and the next day. The 24H USG was 1.028 ± 0.004 and 1.027 ± 0.005 g/mL for MP and LP, respectively.Conclusions:Adolescent judo athletes arrive to practice with a fluid deficit, do not drink enough during training, and experience symptoms of dehydration, which may compromise the quality of training and general well-being.


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