In exercise and cognition research, few studies have investigated whether and how the qualitative aspects of physical exercise may impact cognitive performance in the short or long term. This commentary, after recalling the evidence on the “dose-response” relationship, shifts the focus to intersections between different research areas that are proposed to shed light on how qualitative exercise characteristics can be used to obtain cognitive benefits. As concerns the acute exercise area, this commentary highlights the applied relevance of developmental and aging studies investigating the effects of exercise bouts differing in movement task complexity and cognitive demands. As regards the chronic exercise area, potential links to research on cognitive expertise in sport, functional ability in aging, and life skills training during development are discussed. “Gross-motor cognitive training” is proposed as a key concept with relevant implications for intervention strategies in childhood and older adulthood.
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Shifting the Focus From Quantitative to Qualitative Exercise Characteristics in Exercise and Cognition Research
Caterina Pesce
Role of Cognitive Style Constructs Field Dependence-Independence and Reflection-Impulsivity in Skill Acquisition
Stephan Swinnen, Joost Vandenberghe, and Erik Van Assche
This study sought to determine the relationships between the cognitive styles field dependence-independence and reflection-impulsivity and the acquisition of a gross motor skill in an unstructured learning environment. In reference to the first cognitive style construct, it was hypothesized that field-independent subjects perform better than field-dependent subjects because they provide organization when the material to be learned lacks structure, leading them to rely on their analyzing and restructuring ability. The second construct refers to cognitive inhibition required for response uncertainty tasks as well as motor impulse inhibition. Subjects (57 boys, 65 girls) were 13-year-old junior high school students. Several visual perceptual tests were administered and gymnastic performance scores were measured at pretest, during the learning session, and posttest. The hypothesis that field-independent subjects are more successful in an unstructured learning environment than field-dependent subjects was confirmed for boys only. The correlations between the reflection-impulsivity variables and gymnastic performance were generally low, and no support could be found for the hypothesis that reflective subjects are more successful in learning the skill than impulsive subjects.
The Influence of Social Contexts on Motor and Cognitive Performance: Performing Alone, in Front of Others, or Coacting With Others
Christian Kaczmarek, Alexander Schmidt, Anna Sophie Emperle, and Sabine Schaefer
differ in their reliance on conditioning abilities or coordinative abilities. The first study of this article investigates two different motor tasks: a rather difficult fine motor task, stacking cups under time pressure, and a gross motor task that requires strength endurance, planks. CrossFit athletes
Sex Differences in Perceived Motor Competence After the Children’s Health Activity Motor Program Intervention
Leesi George-Komi, Kara K. Palmer, Stephanie A. Palmer, Michael A. Nunu, and Leah E. Robinson
skill assessments, the Test of Gross Motor Development-second edition ( Ulrich, 2000 ). Children are presented with two, 3–6 s of digital clips (one skilled and one unskilled) of a model performing each skill on a small touchscreen tablet (9.5 × 7.3 in.). A research team member sat down with each child
Perceptions of Ability Mediate the Effect of Motor Coordination on Aerobic and Musculoskeletal Exercise Performance in Young Children at Risk for Developmental Coordination Disorder
Tuyen Le, Jeffrey D. Graham, Sara King-Dowling, and John Cairney
are referred to as having Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD; American Psychiatric Association, 2013 ). Children with DCD struggle with activities of daily living, scholastic achievement, and active play due to impairments in fine and/or gross motor control ( Engel-Yeger, 2015 ). Although DCD
Neural Activity During Imagery Supports Three Imagery Abilities as Measured by the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-3
Brian D. Seiler, Eva V. Monsma, Roger Newman-Norlund, and Ryan Sacko
abilities, the questionnaires are unique in three ways: (a) the MIQ focuses on perceived ease/difficulty of generating images, whereas the VMIQ focuses more specifically on the perceived vividness of the imagery experience ; (b) MIQ movements are simple gross motor tasks (e.g., knee lift, bend at the
Evaluative Threat Increases Effort Expenditure in a Cycling Exercise: An Exploratory Study
Leila Selimbegović, Olivier Dupuy, Julie Terache, Yannick Blandin, Laurent Bosquet, and Armand Chatard
output (fine motor skills, such as single pinch or handgrip) but not gross motor skills, such as continuous cycling task. Last, we also extended the work on evaluative threat and the associated physiological responses and complemented the social self-preservation theory by examining behavioral output
North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity Virtual Conference June 11–12, 2020
-designed curricular strategies. Many children, regardless of possessing a documented disability or not, are at-risk for delays with gross motor skills. Executive functioning (EF; e.g., working memory and cognitive flexibility) and locomotor motor skills (LOC) support school readiness. As there is a recursive
North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity
-skill emphasis was conducted by the researchers. The Test of Gross Motor Development (3rd Edition; TGMD-3) was used to measure children’s locomotor and ball skill competence at pre- and post-tests. Raw and scaled scores of the subtests (locomotor and ball skills) and gross motor quotients were used for data
North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity
). We selected gross motor tasks that were suitable for assessment via Zoom Video Communications ™ : 1) walking back and forth along a premeasured space in participants’ homes, 2) performing tandem walking along the same distance, and 3) balancing on one leg. Parents assisted in experimental set-up and
