This study was designed to determine if differences exist between the personalities of injured and non-injured athletes, injured and non-injured athletes in individual sports, and injured and non-injured athletes in team sports. Subjects were forty-three female athletes selected from six intercollegiate teams. The test instrument was the Cattell Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by the two-way analysis of variance. Alpha was .05. Conclusions of the investigation were that the personality of injured athletes does not differ from the personality of non-injured athletes, that non-injured athletes in individual sports are more self-assured than non-injured athletes in team sports, and that the personality of athletes in team sports does not differ from the personality of athletes in individual sports.

The study was designed to determine the relationship between the psychological constructs of "fear of failure (FOF)" and "fear of success (FOS)" and motor performance in badminton. Forty-three males and fifty-one females in beginning badminton classes were administered the FOF and FOS scales, followed by three independent skills tests and a round-robin singles tournament. Conclusions were that FOF and FOS are two separate performance motives; FOF appears to be the dominant motive for females; both FOF and FOS are related to motor performance in face-to-face competition, while only FOS is related to performance in isolated skills.

This study attempted to determine the relationship between self concept and participation in extra-curricular activity: specifically, whether self concept differentiates between participants and nonparticipants and whether self concept scores differed between male and female participants. Sixty fourth graders were assessed on self concept by the Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale. Participation or non-participation was determined by written parental response. Analysis of variance was used, with level of significance at .05. There was no evidence that participants can be distinguished from non-participants on measures of self concept. Scores on self concept did not differ for males and females.

Comparison kinematic models of the traditional style deadlift are presented. Data was obtained through film and analyzed via computer and computer graphics. The comparison between the models revealed that the greater-skilled: 1. used less trunk flexion from the instant of initial trunk lean to the instant of maximum trunk lean, 2. used less knee extension (in same time interval as 1), and 3. demonstrated a smaller horizontal distance between the body center of mass (CM) and the CM of the bar at the instant the bar left the platform. A trend was also observed in which the greater-skilled subjects demonstrated less thoracic lean than the lesser-skilled group at the time the bar reached knee level.

This study of the relationship between dynamic balance and rhythm tests the hypothesis that a positive relationship exists between these two factors. One hundred fifty-two fifth- and sixth-graders were given the Nelson Balance Test and an adaptation of Ashton's Practical Rhythm Test. The Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation was used in the analysis of the data. The reliability of the tests was very low. The relationship between dynamic balance and rhythm was . 08, an unreliable correlation from which no conclusions could be drawn. It was recommended that improved methods of measuring dynamic balance and rhythm be developed for elementary pupils.

The performance of Uneven Parallel Bar skills by junior high girls is hindered by blister formation on the hands. The problem was to investigate certain measures relative to their value in blister prevention.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different surfaces on lower limb motion and encountered pressures at two locations on the plantar surface of the right foot. Nine females performed five trials for each of four surface conditions. The results provided no evidence for surface-related changes in experienced foot contact pressures. Both asphalt and grass surfaces resulted in the shortest relative time of forefoot immobility. No surface related differences were found for the range of pronation.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of rapid weight loss on wrestlers' efficiency incorporating competitive aspects of the sport into the research procedures. Six subjects were selected from the North Texas State University Wrestling Club. Eight cardiovascular and neuromuscular measurements were taken and recorded before treatment and following treatment. Astrand's bicycle ergometer test was utilized to obtain exhaustive, heart rates. Data were analyzed by a one-tailed t test at the .05 level. Conclusion of the investigation was that following 6.25 per cent rapid loss of body weight, over a period of one week, no loss of efficiency occurred among wrestlers under simulated competitive conditions.

Fifteen three-, four-, and five-year olds were assessed for the amount of time they spent on, off, under, and touching play equipment in an environment with play events and one without (i.e. the platform condition), An ABAB experimental design was used. Treatments lasted 3 days a week for 4 consecutive weeks, with each age group being videotaped 20 minutes each day, Data collected from the videotapes was applied to a 3 x 4 (age x treatments) ANOVA and revealed at the . 05 level (a) significantly more on and touching in the play event conditions; (b) significantly greater off and under in the platform (non play event) conditions; (c) a significant increase in off behavior from the first to second play event condition; (d) three-year-olds spent more time under and touching, and significantly less time on; and (e) significant interactions for on and under which seemed to be caused by the three-year-olds showing an inordinate amount of under behavior in the second platform condition, These results supported the assumption that play events would cause a significant increase inactive child-equipment interaction.

The present study investigated the effects of different goal and feedback conditions on performance of a basketball field goal shooting task and a more complex one-on-one offensive basketball task. Subjects (N = 100) were matched, based on pre-test performance, into one of five conditions: competitive goal, cooperative goal, mastery goal, "do your best" with feedback, and "do your best" without feedback. Results indicated the competitive group was significantly better than the "do your best" without feedback group in one-on-one performance. No other between group differences were significant, although some consistent group trends were present. Subjects' goal orientations were not related to performance in specific goal conditions, with the exception of mastery oriented subjects in the mastery goal condition.

The purposes of the study were (1) to determine if differences exist between the self concepts of female intercollegiate starting and substitute athletes and between members of team and individual sports and (2) to determine if a significant relationship exists between coaches' ratings of an athlete and the athletes' self concepts. Subjects were forty-five college women who met the established criteria. The testing instrument was the Tennessee Self Concept Scale. Data were analyzed by the two-way analysis of variance method and the Spearman Rank Order Correlation. Alpha was .05. Conclusions of the investigation were that (1) the self concepts of athletes in basketball, softball, volleyball, tennis, and badminton are not significantly different, and (2) the coaches' ratings of athletes and athletes' self concept ratings are not significantly related.

Few studies in the sporting realm have been conducted to verify the findings from industrial or organizational settings regarding the strong positive motivational effects of goal setting (Locke et al., 1981). Therefore, the purpose of the present investigation was to determine the effects of three levels of goal difficulty and two levels of feedback on the performance of males undertaking an endurance task. Performance results were analyzed using a 2 x 3 x 2 (feedback x goal difficulty x trials) ANOVA with repeated measures on the last factor. Results indicated a significant goal by trials interaction with both specific difficult goal groups improving from trial one to trial two. The "do best" group showed no significant improvements. It was also found that only the difficult, but not the extremely difficult goal group performed significantly better than the "do best" goal group. No significant differences were found between the two feedback groups. The results are discussed in terms of Locke's (1968) original theory of goal setting.

This study investigated how employees perceived corporate fitness programs as benefits, how fitness programs were ranked with other selected employee benefits and if they would be considered in future career opportunities. A questionnaire was given to employees from five companies with and five companies without fitness programs. The 452 Ss were subdivided into the two sub-groups of employees with and without company fitness programs, and high and low adherers to physical activity. Data were analyzed by Chi- Square and proportional differences. Fitness programs were considered to be significantly important benefits; high/low adherers responses were significant. In N rank ordering of eight selected benefits, fitness programs ranked seventh; high/low adherers had significant rankings of fitness programs; employees with and without fitness programs had significant rankings of sick leave time/pay. The N did not consider fitness programs as significant future recruitment tools; there were significant differences from responses of high/low adherers. Some companies did not emphasize fitness programs as important benefits to employees.

The purpose of the investigation was to determine the interrelationships of strength, speed, power and anthropometric measures in women. Sixty females ranging in ages from 18 to 25 volunteered as subjects. Subjects were measured for strength on the bench press, leg extension and leg curl, power vertical jump, speed--a 40 yard dash, body weight (BW) and fat weight (FW) using a scale and skinfold tests. The correlations for strength and power (.35 to .53), strength and speed (-.37 to -.56) and speed and power (-.45) were significant (p < .01). Partial correlations with (BW) and (FW) held constant were also significant, but were not significantly greater than their zero-order correlations.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of fatigue on force application and resulting movement patterns during the performance of consecutive chin-ups. Special attention was directed toward relating any fatigue effects to upper limb strength dominance. Twenty male adult subjects each performed one trial. Each trial consisted of consecutive chin-ups. Fatigue caused changes in the movement patterns, duration of movement and force applied through the supporting hands. Throughout the performance greater vertical forces were applied through the dominant upper limb segment with the application of these forces resulting in horizontal displacement of the total body center of gravity toward the dominant hand.

Investigators have suggested that opiate peptide hormones released during exercise stress may play an important role in athletic performance or perceived effort. Their enzymatic inactivation in the periphery is of considerable interest since the opiate peptides may be regulated by enkephalin hydrolyzing enzyme (EHA). In this study, the relationship between maximal aerobic capacity (VO_2max) and EHA activity was examined in two distinct fitness groups. When the metabolic capacity was evaluated in whole blood, the unfit subjects metabolized the peptides significantly faster than their fit counterparts. Since the total enzyme activity of the two groups is similar, the difference in metabolism must result from circulating factors in the trained athletes, which slow the rate of peptide inactivation.

The purpose of this study was the design of a curricular model for the undergraduate preparation of Texas high school coaches. The model was based on the perceptions of Texas coaches concerning the adequacy of their professional preparation. The issue of a state certification for coaching was also examined.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of event order on a cycling(C)/running(R) or R/C biathlon. Eight experienced male biathlete/triathletes with a mean age of 24.9 + 4.6 yr formed the sample of the study. Results show no significant interaction effects on oxygen consumption peak, oxygen consumption during steady-state, ventilation, and heart rate when C/R or R/C are performed at 70% oxygen consumption peak for subsequent R and C respectively. These results seem to indicate that the biathlete/triathlete is efficient in both C and R to the extent that event order does not significantly interact with metabolic response in submaximal cycling and running.

The present investigation was designed to examine the effects of the positive manipulation of information on self-efficacy and subsequent performance of 180 female subjects. High, moderate, and low self-efficacy subjects were randomly assigned to a treatment condition in a 3 x 4 x 3 (preexisting self-efficacy x efficacy information source x trials) factorial design. Information from the three efficacy sources of performance accomplishments, verbal persuasion, and vicarious experience was manipulated towards success after subjects completed a muscular leg endurance task. The results supported self-efficacy theory with high self-efficacy subjects extending their legs significantly longer than moderate and low self-efficacy subjects. However, subjects did not differentially [sic] respond to the manipulation of the efficacy information. Results are discussed in terms of efficacy as a mediator of performance on an endurance task as well as the lack of differential changes in efficacy based on the source from which that information is derived.

In this study, the relationship between maximal aerobic capacity (VO₂max) and left ventricular function was examined in two distinct age groups. A young group (20 - 30 years of age) and an elderly group (over 60 years of age) were compared. Left ventricular function was examined over wide variations in preload accomplished by 5º head-down tilt (TILT) for ninety minutes and lower body negative pressure (LBNP) to -40 mm Hg. with two-dimensional echocardiography. A greater response to an increase in preload (TILT) was related to high VO₂max levels in the young subjects but not in the elderly groups of subjects, suggesting that lower VO₂max levels of the elderly population affected the mechanism of response to the increased levels of preload. Additionally, in the elderly, greater reductions in ventricular volume reflected increased peripheral pooling due to decreased venous tone and/or increased venous compliance during LBNP and were related to increased VO₂max. In the young, VO₂max does not appear to affect the response to reduced preload.

The use of concurrent Information Feedback (IF) through counting seconds verbally as the subject ran a 75 yard dash was tested. Forty-six ten and eleven year old boys and girls (boys = 20, girls = 26) were given two trials under four IF conditions: No IF; Terminal/Concurrent IF; Terminal IF; IF Removal. The counting occurred under Condition 2 and was combined with a final time given at the end of the dash. Significant main effects were found for sex and for conditions, with interaction effects between sex and conditions, and between conditions and trials, p4 .05. Results supported the combined IF condition with counting as maintaining subjects' level of performance, probably through motivation. Males performed well under Conditions 1, 2, and 3, while girls performed best under Conditions 1 and 2. Trial scores under Conditions 2 and 3 for all subjects were much more similar than under Conditions 1 and 4, indicating more consistent performance when IF was provided,

The purpose of the study was to examine selected mechanical factors involved in hitting a baseball to the same and opposite fields. Special emphasis was placed on an identification of those factors which distinguish players of different hitting abilities. Twenty male college level baseball players, ten in each of two groups, hit six pitched baseballs, three each to two assigned areas of the playing field. The movement patterns for the opposite field and same field batting swings appeared to be similar in form with differences between the two swings due to (a) differences in the angular displacements at the left wrist and left elbow joints and (b) differences in the temporal characteristics.

This investigation was designed to determine whether or not a significant relationship existed between personality and the selection of a required physical education activity and whether or not personality traits exhibited by freshman women were related to specific type activities. Sources of data were 107 freshman women enrolled in activity classes at North Texas State University, 1974-75. The Cattell 16 Personality Factor Inventory, Form A and an information sheet were the instruments utilized in the study. An analysis of variance was calculated to ascertain whether or not differences existed among the four groups in personality scores. This study concluded that no significant relationship appeared to exist between personality and the selection of specific physical activities.

This study analyzed the relationships present between grip strength, wrist flexion, arm length, partial and total, and throwing velocity. Thirty-one subjects were tested to obtain the data on these variables. A multiple linear regression equation produced a significant F ratio for the relationship between grip strength and throwing velocity. Neither wrist flexion nor arm length obtained a significant F ratio to throwing velocity. A stepwise multiple regression equation again displayed a significant F ratio for grip strength and throwing velocity. Wrist flexion and arm length did not produce a significant F ratio for their relationships to throwing velocity. This study concludes that of the variables tested, only grip strength displayed a significant relationship to throwing velocity. This study indicates that throwing velocity can be predicted at a moderate level from the measurement of grip strength.