scholarly journals Study of Differences in Motor Reactions and Performances in Professional Ice Hockey Players and not Experienced Participants Using Virtual Reality (VR) Technology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Polikanova ◽  
Anastasiya Yakushina ◽  
Sergey Leonov ◽  
Anna Kruchinina ◽  
Victor Chertopolokhov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
Training Experience ◽  
Hip Joints ◽  
Motor Responses ◽  
Hockey Players ◽  
Professional Hockey ◽  
Difficult Situations ◽  
Different Levels

The efficiency of performance in various sports has the development of certain specific skills at its core. In ice hockey, both the technical aspects (techniques, stance) and the cognitive ones (keeping attention on the puck, game strategy, etc.) are highly important. This study is aimed at the identification of specific features that determine the performance efficiency of professional hockey players. We used virtual reality (VR) to study the differences between professional ice hockey players and novices in terms of motor responses to the puck’s presentation on different levels of difficulty. The study involved 22 participants, 13 of them being professional ice hockey players (Mage=20±2.9; mean age of training experience М=14.18±3.8) and 9 being not experienced participants (Mage=20±1.4). The study showed that the stick response time of professional hockey players is significantly higher (0.98 ms vs 1.5 ms, p≤0.05) in more difficult situations close to a real game. Moreover, professionals proved to have more stable movement patterns of the knee and hip joints. They also make fewer head movements as a response to stimuli during all runs (0.66 vs 1.25, p≤0.05). Therefore, the results indicate specific spatial-temporal, technical and tactical, and energetic determinants, that ensure higher performance efficiency in hockey players

Berufskarrieren von ehemaligen NLA-Eishockey­spielern in der Schweiz – Zum Einfluss der Sportkarriere auf die Berufskarriere

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Cohort Analysis ◽  
Working Life ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Sport Training ◽  
Hockey Players ◽  
High Investment ◽  
Professional Hockey

A career in elite sports requires a significant investment of time. Professional sportsmen, such as Swiss ice hockey players, are intensively involved in the system of high-performance sports. From junior years through to the end of a professional career, a high investment of time is necessary to develop the appropriate sporting achievements. Building an ice hockey career occurs at the same time as the school phase of vocational training. The high time-demand of sport training can affect the choices and occupational opportunities offered at this time. After the end of the professional career and hockey players are forced to enter ’normal’ working life. How do the careers of professional ice hockey players develop and what influence does their high-performance sports career have on their following working life. This question is investigated examining the hockey and professional careers of 76 former players of the National League A (NLA) who have ended their careers between 1990 and 2005. As part of a quantitative-oriented cohort analysis, the former NLA players were surveyed about their careers and the possible influence of high performance sport. In comparison to the total population of Switzerland, the former NLA players, despite the time commitment to hockey, often reach the first level of secondary school and often achieve higher qualifications. Their training certificates, however, are in part below average, which may be related to the burden of professional hockey. However, this is often compensated by institutional support measures, which have also been expanded in recent decades. The former NLA players stand out in comparison to the total population, and especially to their brothers, with above-average professional positions. They tend to use their prominence and related networks to develop opportunities to work in the professional hockey field, and along with their financial situation, have positive influences on their professional career.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Os Styloideum in National Hockey League Players

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 469-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry G. Greditzer ◽  
Ian D. Hutchinson ◽  
Christian S. Geannette ◽  
Robert N. Hotchkiss ◽  
Bryan T. Kelly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Bone Marrow Edema ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
National Hockey League ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Hockey Players ◽  
Bone Marrow Edema Pattern ◽  
Professional Hockey

Background: Os styloideum describes an accessory carpal ossicle between the trapezoid, the capitate, and the second and third metacarpals. Injuries to this tissue have been described as part of the carpal boss syndrome. While the etiology of os styloideum remains uncertain, it may represent a physiologic response to altered loading forces in the wrist, similar to the development of cam-type deformity in the hips of ice hockey players or the Bennett lesion in the shoulders of baseball pitchers. Hypothesis: Professional hockey players will have a higher prevalence of os styloideum compared with the general population. Study Design: Case series. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: A retrospective review of 16 professional hockey players from 4 different National Hockey League (NHL) teams who underwent unilateral imaging of the wrist was performed. Seventeen wrists were reviewed for the presence of os styloideum. Results: Thirteen of 16 players (81%) had an os styloideum, representing an increased prevalence compared with the general population. Previous clinical and cadaveric studies estimated a general prevalence of up to 19% ( P < 0.001). For the 10 players who had their leading wrist scanned, 9 had an os styloideum (90%). Ten of 11 (91%) players demonstrated a bone marrow edema pattern within the metacarpal and the os styloideum on magnetic resonance imaging. There was no significant association between the presence of an os styloideum and the player’s position, leading wrist, or years in the league. Conclusion: There appears to be an increased prevalence of os styloideum among NHL players, and team physicians should consider this finding while formulating a differential diagnosis for dorsal wrist pain. Clinical Relevance: This study identified NHL players as having an increased prevalence of os styloideum compared with the general population. By doing so, these findings represent an opportunity to enhance our understanding of the etiology, clinical significance, and treatment of os styloideum.

scholarly journals In your face: facial metrics predict aggressive behaviour in the laboratory and in varsity and professional hockey players

2008 ◽  
Vol 275 (1651) ◽  
pp. 2651-2656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin M Carré ◽  
Cheryl M McCormick
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Honest Signal ◽  
Height Ratio ◽  
Hockey Players ◽  
Naturalistic Setting ◽  
Professional Hockey ◽  
Important Basis

Facial characteristics are an important basis for judgements about gender, emotion, personality, motivational states and behavioural dispositions. Based on a recent finding of a sexual dimorphism in facial metrics that is independent of body size, we conducted three studies to examine the extent to which individual differences in the facial width-to-height ratio were associated with trait dominance (using a questionnaire) and aggression during a behavioural task and in a naturalistic setting (varsity and professional ice hockey). In study 1, men had a larger facial width-to-height ratio, higher scores of trait dominance, and were more reactively aggressive compared with women. Individual differences in the facial width-to-height ratio predicted reactive aggression in men, but not in women (predicted 15% of variance). In studies 2 (male varsity hockey players) and 3 (male professional hockey players), individual differences in the facial width-to-height ratio were positively related to aggressive behaviour as measured by the number of penalty minutes per game obtained over a season (predicted 29 and 9% of the variance, respectively). Together, these findings suggest that the sexually dimorphic facial width-to-height ratio may be an ‘honest signal’ of propensity for aggressive behaviour.

scholarly journals Knowledge and attitudes towards concussion in UK-based male ice hockey players: A need for attitude change?

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Hutchinson ◽  
Paul Ellison ◽  
Andrew Levy ◽  
David Marchant
Keyword(s):  
Attitude Change ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
Accurate Knowledge ◽  
Hockey Players ◽  
Sport Concussion ◽  
Concussion History ◽  
Concussion Knowledge ◽  
The Uk

Objective Concussion is a common injury in ice hockey, and previous research suggests some misconceptions and unsafe attitudes amongst players. The purpose of this study was to assess sport concussion knowledge, attitudes and the effect of sport concussion history in UK-based male ice hockey players across three levels of competition: professional, semi-professional and amateur. Methods Sixty-one participants across a number of UK ice hockey teams completed the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey and reviewed a series of statements to assess knowledge (concussion knowledge index), attitudes (concussion attitude index) and misconceptions of concussion. Results Level of competition and concussion history had no significant effect on concussion knowledge index or concussion attitude index. A positive significant relationship exists between playing experience and concussion knowledge index and concussion attitude index. Statements identified common misconceptions and areas of accurate knowledge regarding concussion symptoms suggesting that male ice hockey players have a higher level knowledge compared to a sample of the UK general public. Playing experience was associated with increased knowledge and increasingly safe attitudes towards concussion. Conclusion Despite knowledge relating to loss of consciousness and correct management of symptoms being generally accurate, there are worryingly unsafe attitudes regarding aspects of concussion. Such attitudes may well pose significant threats to players’ safety and long-term health.

scholarly journals Gamification and Hazard Communication in Virtual Reality: A Qualitative Study

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 4663
Author(s):  
Janaina Cavalcanti ◽  
Victor Valls ◽  
Manuel Contero ◽  
David Fonseca
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Training Environment ◽  
Hazard Communication ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
Compliance Behavior ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Recorded Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Levels

An effective warning attracts attention, elicits knowledge, and enables compliance behavior. Game mechanics, which are directly linked to human desires, stand out as training, evaluation, and improvement tools. Immersive virtual reality (VR) facilitates training without risk to participants, evaluates the impact of an incorrect action/decision, and creates a smart training environment. The present study analyzes the user experience in a gamified virtual environment of risks using the HTC Vive head-mounted display. The game was developed in the Unreal game engine and consisted of a walk-through maze composed of evident dangers and different signaling variables while user action data were recorded. To demonstrate which aspects provide better interaction, experience, perception and memory, three different warning configurations (dynamic, static and smart) and two different levels of danger (low and high) were presented. To properly assess the impact of the experience, we conducted a survey about personality and knowledge before and after using the game. We proceeded with the qualitative approach by using questions in a bipolar laddering assessment that was compared with the recorded data during the game. The findings indicate that when users are engaged in VR, they tend to test the consequences of their actions rather than maintaining safety. The results also reveal that textual signal variables are not accessed when users are faced with the stress factor of time. Progress is needed in implementing new technologies for warnings and advance notifications to improve the evaluation of human behavior in virtual environments of high-risk surroundings.

scholarly journals Towards estimating affective states in Virtual Reality based on behavioral data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentin Holzwarth ◽  
Johannes Schneider ◽  
Joshua Handali ◽  
Joy Gisler ◽  
Christian Hirt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
User Study ◽  
Affective State ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Physical Demand ◽  
Perceived Performance ◽  
Sequential Administration ◽  
Better Than

AbstractInferring users’ perceptions of Virtual Environments (VEs) is essential for Virtual Reality (VR) research. Traditionally, this is achieved through assessing users’ affective states before and after being exposed to a VE, based on standardized, self-assessment questionnaires. The main disadvantage of questionnaires is their sequential administration, i.e., a user’s affective state is measured asynchronously to its generation within the VE. A synchronous measurement of users’ affective states would be highly favorable, e.g., in the context of adaptive systems. Drawing from nonverbal behavior research, we argue that behavioral measures could be a powerful approach to assess users’ affective states in VR. In this paper, we contribute by providing methods and measures evaluated in a user study involving 42 participants to assess a users’ affective states by measuring head movements during VR exposure. We show that head yaw significantly correlates with presence, mental and physical demand, perceived performance, and system usability. We also exploit the identified relationships for two practical tasks that are based on head yaw: (1) predicting a user’s affective state, and (2) detecting manipulated questionnaire answers, i.e., answers that are possibly non-truthful. We found that affective states can be predicted significantly better than a naive estimate for mental demand, physical demand, perceived performance, and usability. Further, manipulated or non-truthful answers can also be estimated significantly better than by a naive approach. These findings mark an initial step in the development of novel methods to assess user perception of VEs.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document