Modelling response time in a mental rotation task by gender, physical activity, and task features.

Mental rotation (MR) is a spatial skill considered to be a key-component of intellectual ability. Studies have suggested that the response time (RT) in a MR task (MRt) might be influenced, with possible gender differences, by the practice of a physical activity (PA) and depending on the plane, direction, degrees of the MR and the frame of reference to perform it. The present study aimed at examining the respective influences of all these variables on the RT by developing a linear mixed-effect model from the RTs varying according to the MR plane, direction, degrees and frame of reference.

Effect of Mental Calculation and Number Comparison on a Manual-Pointing Movement.

The present study aimed at examining the effect of mental calculation and number comparison on motor performance measured as the movement time of a fast manual-pointing movement. Three experiments, involving a total number of 65 undergraduate subjects, examined the effect of mental subtraction (complex) and, respectively, of (a) mental addition (simple or complex), (b) mental multiplication (simple or complex), and (c) the comparison of dot sets and number comparison. Each number was written in Arabic.

Athletes' Social Identities: Their Influence on Precompetitive Group-Based Emotions.

This research studied the influence of multiple social identities on the emotions that athletes felt toward their teammates/partners and opponents. Athletes (N = 714) from individual and team-based sports reported their identification both as athletes of the sport and as athletes of their club before reporting their precompetitive emotions. The results showed that these multiple social identities influenced precompetitive emotions toward different targets, with higher levels of sport identification associated with increased positive and decreased negative emotions toward opponents and higher levels of club identification associated with increased positive and decreased negative emotions toward teammates/partners, although increased club identification was also associated with more positive emotions toward opponents.

Emotions and performance in rugby.

Purpose: This study investigated emotion-performance relationships in rugby union. We identified which emotions rugby players experienced and the extent to which these emotions were associated with performance, considering how emotions unfold over the course of a game, and whether the game was played at home or away.

Methods: Data were gathered from 22 professional male rugby union players using auto-confrontation interviews to help identify situations within games when players experienced intense emotions.

Group-Based Emotions: Evidence for Emotion-Performance Relationships in Team Sports.

Purpose: In team sports, players have to manage personal interests and group goals, emphasizing intricacies between personal and social identities. The focus of this article was to examine the effect of identity mechanisms on appraisal processes, based on the following research question: Does the level of self-abstraction (low [personal identity] versus high [social identity]) lead to group-based emotions and influence performances?

Method: An experimental design was used in which the level of self-abstraction was manipulated through the induction of a self- versus a team-oriented goal. Thirty elite male rugby players (M = 19.

Effects of Age and Task Load on Drivers' Response Accuracy and Reaction Time When Responding to Traffic Lights.

Due to population aging, elderly drivers represent an increasing proportion of car drivers. Yet, how aging alters sensorimotor functions and impacts driving safety remains poorly understood. This paper aimed at assessing to which extent elderly drivers are sensitive to various task loads and how this affects the reaction time (RT) in a driving context.

Disciplinarity and sport science in Europe: A statistical and sociological study of ECSS conference abstracts.

Abstracts of European College of Sports Science conferences (1995-2014) are studied. The number of abstracts has been increasing regularly (+90 per year). This rise is in recent years largely due to extra-European countries.

Reliability of EMG normalisation methods for upper-limb muscles.

The study investigated different electromyographic (EMG) normalisation methods for upper-limb muscles. This assessment aimed at comparing the EMG amplitude and the reliability of EMG values obtained with each method. Eighteen male tennis players completed isometric maximal voluntary contractions and dynamic strength exercises (push-ups and chin-ups) on three separate test sessions over at least 7 days.

Selective influence of circadian modulation and task characteristics on motor imagery time.

In this study, we examined the effect of circadian modulation on motor imagery (MI) time while also considering the effects of task complexity and duration. The ability to imagine in real time was influenced by circadian modulation in a simple walking condition, with longer MI times in the morning and evening sessions. By contrast, there was no effect of circadian rhythm in the complex, short or long walking conditions.

Differences in motor imagery time when predicting task duration in alpine skiers and equestrian riders.

Athletes' ability to use motor imagery (MI) to predict the speed at which they could perform a motor sequence has received little attention. In this study, 21 alpine skiers and 16 equestrian riders performed MI based on a prediction of actual performance time (a) after the course inspection, (b) before the start, and (c) after the actual performance. MI and physical times were similar in expert skiers during each imagery session, while novice skiers and novice and expert riders underestimated the actual course duration.

Relationship between muscle coordination and forehand drive velocity in tennis.

This study aimed at investigating the relationship between trunk and upper limb muscle coordination and stroke velocity during tennis forehand drive. The electromyographic (EMG) activity of ten trunk and dominant upper limb muscles was recorded in 21 male tennis players while performing five series of ten crosscourt forehand drives. The forehand drive velocity ranged from 60% to 100% of individual maximal velocity.

Motor imagery effectiveness for mirror reversed movements.

Physical practice is known to enhance motor adaptation skills, which refer to the individual ability to compensate for environmental changes. So far, it is still unknown whether a similar effect can be observed following motor imagery (MI). Thirty-nine participants were tested during a joystick tracking task under both normal and mirror conditions (i.

Relationship between muscle coordination and racket mass during forehand drive in tennis.

This study aimed at investigating the relationship between the trunk and upper limb muscle coordination and mass of the tennis racket during forehand drive. A total of 15 male tennis players performed seven series of ten crosscourt forehand drives, both with their personal racket and six rackets with increased mass ranging from 6 to 16% (step = 2%) of their personal racket mass. The electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from nine trunk and upper limb muscles.

[Adapted physical activity and patient education in the French diabetes networks].

A thorough questionnaire-based survey of French diabetes networks depicts an accurate description of the services they offer, in particular concerning physical activity. Often considered as less important than medicinal monitoring and dietetics, physical activity is at the core of a new professional dynamic. Practical sessions of adapted physical activity are presently offered in half the networks, as either one-time awareness-raising sessions or a complete series of sessions.

Relationship between spatial abilities, mental rotation and functional anatomy learning.

This study investigated the relationship between visuo-spatial representation, mental rotation (MR) and functional anatomy examination results. A total of 184 students completed the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), Mental Rotation Test (MRT) and Gordon Test of Visual Imagery Control. The time spent on personal assignment was also considered.

Relations between female students' personality traits and reported handicaps to rhythmic gymnastics performance.

The present study evaluated the relative contributions of Self-esteem, Trait anxiety, and Public Self-consciousness to self-handicapping on a sex-typed task, within a specific academic sport context. Prior to the competitive examination used to recruit French Physical Education Teachers, female sport students (N = 74) were asked to list and rate on a 7-point scale handicaps which could be disruptive to their Rhythmic Gymnastics performance. Self-esteem did not account for significant variance in any category of handicaps.

Assessing workload through physiological measurements in bus drivers using an automated system during docking.

The aim of the experiment was to test the effect of an automated system of bus docking on drivers' mental workload. Reduced workload is thought to be brought about by helping the driver to maneuver, as he or she is required only to monitor proper functioning of the system. However, the true impact of the system on drivers must be studied to guarantee good acceptance and minimal distraction from traffic.