Sex Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics, Motor and Cognitive Functioning in Preschool Children at the Time of School Enrolment

The study included a sample of 333 preschool children (162 male and 171 female) at the time of school enrolment. Study subjects were recruited from the population of children in kindergartens in the cities of Novi Sad, Sombor, Sremska Mitrovica and Ba~ka Palanka (Province of Voivodina, Serbia). Eight anthropometric variables, seven motor variables and one cognitive variable were analyzed to identify quantitative and qualitative sex differences in anthropometric characteristics, motor and cognitive functioning. Study results showed statistically significant sex differences in anthropometric characteristics and motor abilities in favor of male children, whereas no such difference was recorded in cognitive functioning. Sex differences found in morphological and motor spaces contributed to structuring proper general factors according to space and sex. Somewhat stronger structures were observed in male children. The cognitive aspect of functioning yielded better correlation with motor functioning in female than in male children. Motor functioning correlated better with morphological growth and development in male children, whereas cognitive functioning was relatively independent. These results are not fully in accordance with the current concept of general conditions in preschool children, nor they fully confirm the theory of integral development of children, hence they should be re-examined in future studies. Although these study results cannot be applied to sports practice in general, since we believe that it is too early for preschool children to take up sports and sport competitions, they are relevant for pointing to the need of developing general motor ability and motor behavior in preschool children

Hypothetical Model in Testing Integrated Development of Preschool Children

This paper provides systematic presentation of the issues related to methodology, and offers some possible solutions for analysis of different aspects of child development, especially preschool age. These issues are related to the definition, acceptance and preparation of the existing theories on development, which include analysis of the whole child’s self, his/her surroundings, and his/her activities. In addition, this analysis also includes some methodological problems related to sexual dimorphism, heritage-bound and surroundings-bound development, definition of the model of constructs affecting the selection of variables for evaluation of integral development, definition of the population and selection of the subject sample, determination of manifest characteristics and abilities, selection or construction of measuring instruments for their evaluation, appropriateness of the model and method of data analysis, as well as the possibility of designing the potential model of integrated development of preschool children

Relationships between Cognitive and Motor Abilities in Female Children Aged 10–14 Years

The aim of the study was to determine cognitive and motor status factors in female children aged 10–14 years and to identify developmental and/or integration functions according to age. The study included a sample of 162 female schoolchildren aged 10–14 years divided into two groups: 84 girls aged 10–12 (X 11.26, SD 0.68) years and 78 girls aged 13–14 (X 13.52, SD 0.63) years. Study results showed a statistically significant between-group difference in the overall system of variables (MANOVA), with the level of significance determined for each individual variable (ANOVA). The older group of subjects showed significantly superior results in comparison with the younger group in the motor tests assessing flexibility, agility, psychomotor speed, explosive strength of throwing type and repetitive strength of the trunk, as well as in the test assessing cognitive functioning. Qualitative differences between the two age groups (prepubertal and pubertal) were determined by use of the matrix of variable inter-correlations factorized by the procedure of principal components that were then transformed to promax solution. The results thus obtained indicated cognitive functioning to take significant part in the motor efficacy of girls aged 10–14 years. In the younger age group (10–12 years), cognitive functioning was related to the motor system that integrates muscle tone regulation and agility/coordination. In the older age group (13–14 years), cognitive functioning was involved in the formation of the first and third factor isolated, i.e. in the factor regulating coordination and intensity of energy mobilization of lower extremities (general motor efficiency) and, to a lesser extent, in third factor regulation the intensity of energy mobilization of upper extremities and trunk strength

Die Wirkung von aktiven und passiven Verbalisierung Methoden beim Lernen motorischer Übungen unter den Vorschulkindern

Active and passive verbalization, as well as the standard method of motor learning of gymnastic floor exercises and compositions, was applied on three groups of pre-school children. Learning was practiced one hour a week for two months. On the basis of the results of canonical discriminant analysis of motor and gymnastic variables, it was confirmed that the active verbalization group hada significantly better success in learning than both the passive verbalization group and the control group of pre-school children. Also, the results showed, and the regression analysis confirmed, that the level of motor abilities did not affect the quality of learning gymnastic compositions.Aktive und passive Verbalisierung, sowie die Standardmethode des motorischen Lernens bodengymnastischer Übungen und Kompositionen wurde auf drei Gruppen der Vorschulkinder angewandt. Zwei Monate lang hatten sie eine Lernstunde pro Woche. Auf Grund der Ergebnisse der kanonischen Diskriminanzanalyse motorischer und gymnastischer Variablen wurde es bestätigt, dass die Gruppe mit aktiver Verbalisierung bedeutend erfolgreicher beim Lernen war, als beide andere Gruppen: diejenige mit passiver Verbalisierung sowie, die Kontrolgruppe der Vorschulkinder. Die Ergebnisse zeigten und die Regressionsanalyse bestätigte es auch, dass der Grad motorischer Fähigkeiten keinen Einfluss auf die Qualität des Lernens gymnastischer Kompositionen hatte

Die Wirkung von aktiven und passiven Verbalisierung Methoden beim Lernen motorischer Übungen unter den Vorschulkindern

Active and passive verbalization, as well as the standard method of motor learning of gymnastic floor exercises and compositions, was applied on three groups of pre-school children. Learning was practiced one hour a week for two months. On the basis of the results of canonical discriminant analysis of motor and gymnastic variables, it was confirmed that the active verbalization group hada significantly better success in learning than both the passive verbalization group and the control group of pre-school children. Also, the results showed, and the regression analysis confirmed, that the level of motor abilities did not affect the quality of learning gymnastic compositions.Aktive und passive Verbalisierung, sowie die Standardmethode des motorischen Lernens bodengymnastischer Übungen und Kompositionen wurde auf drei Gruppen der Vorschulkinder angewandt. Zwei Monate lang hatten sie eine Lernstunde pro Woche. Auf Grund der Ergebnisse der kanonischen Diskriminanzanalyse motorischer und gymnastischer Variablen wurde es bestätigt, dass die Gruppe mit aktiver Verbalisierung bedeutend erfolgreicher beim Lernen war, als beide andere Gruppen: diejenige mit passiver Verbalisierung sowie, die Kontrolgruppe der Vorschulkinder. Die Ergebnisse zeigten und die Regressionsanalyse bestätigte es auch, dass der Grad motorischer Fähigkeiten keinen Einfluss auf die Qualität des Lernens gymnastischer Kompositionen hatte

Anthropometric and Motor Features of Young Judoists in Vojvodina

The aim of the study was to identify differences between trained and untrained subjects with respect to body composition and motor abilities. Two groups of subjects participated in the study: young judoists (110 boys and 56 girls) and their untrained mates (115 boys and 60 girls), aged 11 to 16 years, all from the Province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Young male judoists proved significantly better than their untrained mates in repetitive and static strength exercises, running speed, whole-body coordination, and had lower subcutaneous fat tissue of the upper arm. Young female judoists were significantly better in repetitive strength, whole-body coordination and plate tapping, chest girth and stretched upper arm, and also had lower subcutaneous fat tissue of the upper arm and back

Effects of Kindergarten Period on School Readiness and Motor Abilities

A battery of 4 school-readiness tests and 16 motor tests were administered in a sample of 660 preschool children (333 male and 327 female) just about to enroll in the first grade, in order to analyze the effects of kindergarten period on school readiness and motor abilities. The sample of children was divided into six groups according to sex and duration kindergarten attendance (kindergarten period of 5 years, 3 years and 8–9 months). Study results showed the entire education and motor activities in kindergarten to contribute significantly to school-readiness and motor abilities of children. The highest school readiness was found in the children that attended kindergarten for the longest period, whereas lowest school readiness was recorded in children that attended kindergarten for only one academic year or less before enrolling in the first grade

Primer primenenija dvih kriteriev dlja opredelenija čisla dosotvernyh glavnyh komponentov

Analiziran je prostor normalnih konativnih dimenzija i primarnih socijalnih stavova. Primjenom kriterija da su karakteristični korijenovi matrice interkorelacija manifestnih varijabli veći ili jednaki 1.00 i kriterija da je najmanji broj karakterističnih korijenova određen sumom koeficijenta determinacije manifestnihj varijabli dobijene su značajne glavne komponente. Izvršena je analiza dobijenih latentnih dimenzija i data je prednost drugom kriteriju.Normal conative dimension and primary social attitudes were analysed. Using criterion that characteristics roots of intercorrelation matrix were greater of equal 1.0 and anotherone where the smallest number of characteristic roots was determined by the sum of determinationcoefficients of manifest variables significant principal components were calculated. The analysis of given latent dimensions showed that the second criterion was superior to the first one

Morphological, Motor and Technical Determinants of Fighting Efficiency of Croatian Female Cadet Age Karate Athletes

The aim of this research was to determine the significance of morphological factors, factors of basic motor and spe- cific motor abilities, and the factors of technical efficiency, on the karate fight success in Croatian female cadet karate athletes. With this purpose, the group of 18 anthropometric measures, 10 basic motor tests, 5 situational karate motor tests, the group of 8 evaluations of 6 basic karate techniques, and 2 karate kata performances was applied on the sample of 101 Croatian karateka aged 14 to 16. Inside the morphological area, the factor analysis isolated: Body mass and volume factor, Subcutaneous fat tissue factor, Longitudinal skeleton dimensionality factor, and Transversal fist dimensionality factor; in the basic motor area: General motor efficiency factor; in the situational motor area: General specific mo- tor efficiency factor; in the area of karate technique performance evaluation: General technical efficiency factor. After that, the application of canonical discriminative analysis determined the differences between high and lower quality ka- rate athletes in the overall area of the isolated factors. The discriminative function showed that high quality female ka- rate athletes compared to those of lower quality differ the most in higher technical efficiency, higher basic and specific motor efficiency, while having somewhat less fat tissue and somewhat wider wrist and fist diameter

Gender Differentiations of Cognitive-Motor Functioning in Prepubertal and Pubertal Children

The aim of this study was to determine cognitive and motor status factors in female and male children aged 10–14, as well as developmental and/or integration functions according to gender. The study included 162 girls and 134 boys aged 10–14, divided into four groups: 84 girls aged 10–12 (mean age 11.26, SD 0.68), 84 boys aged 10–12 (mean age 11.41, SD 0.50), 78 girls aged 13–14 (mean age 13.52, SD 0.63) and 50 boys aged 13–14 (mean age 13.21, SD 0.53). The significance of quantitative differences between boys and girls in the overall system of variables was defined based on the results of canonic discriminant analysis of variance, and within each variable based on the results on univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA). In the younger age group (10–12 years), girls were superior to boys in a test assessing flexibility (Seated straddle stretch), whereas, compared to girls, boys had greater strength of the trunk (Crossed-arm sit-ups), greater explosive strength of jump and sprint type (Standing broad jump and 20 m dash), and coordination (Obstacle course backwards and Steps laterally). In the older age group (13–14 years) differences in flexibility were even more prominent in favor of girls, whereas the differences in explosive strength increased in favor of boys, especially of the throwing type with better agility (Steps laterally), balance (Board balance) and greater static strength of arms and shoulders (Bent-arm hang). In order to determine qualitative differences between pubertal and prepubertal girls and boys, the matrix of variable inter-correlations was factorized by the procedure of principal components procedure, that were then transformed to promax solution. The results showed that cognitive functioning had a significant role in the motor efficacy of girls and boys aged 10 to 14. In the age group of 10–12 years, in females, cognitive functioning is related to the motor system which integrates the regulation of muscle tone with agility/coordination, whereas in males there is a relation between cognitive abilities and the regulator of speed of upper extremities movement frequency. In the age group of 13–14 years, in females, cognitive functioning is involved in forming the factors for regulation of coordination and the intensity of energy mobilization in lower extremities, and to some degree, in the factor for regulation of intensity of energymobilization in upper extremities and strength of the trunk, whereas in males the integration of synergetic regulation of movement in terms of balance and agility in terms of speed of direction change is carried out with significant involvement of cognitive abilities