NON-VERBAL INTELLIGENCE NONVERBAL AND MOTOR FITNESS LEVEL IN CHILDREN AGED 7-14 YEARS
Journal Title: Antropomotoryka. Journal of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences - Year 2016, Vol 26, Issue 74
Abstract
Introduction. The issue related the importance of mental processes (including non-verbal intelligence) in the determination of physical fitness and its structure is not new. It has been solved in different ways, but most often, the basis for interpretation of results was the issue of statistical significance of linear correlation between indicators of intelligence and motor components of physical fitness. In our own study, we also applied the statistical to solve the undertaken research problem. In developing the concept of research, we based it on the S-O-R teleological neobehaviourism model by E.S. Tolman and dynamic psychology introduced by R.S. Woodworth. In such an approach, we assessed the indirect affect of non-verbal intelligence (O) on - physical fitness and its components (R) being the reverse side of a certain level of physical activity (S), shaped under the influence of mental processes, which in our study included non-verbal intelligence.Hipotheses: 1. The high level of statistically significant coefficients of linear correlation between physical fitness and non-verbal intelligence can be confirmed by the phenomenon of people having higher intelligence, greater motivation to stay healthy, the dimension of which can be motor components recognized under the American concept of health (H-R-F). 2. Biological factors of the organism [O], included in the eclectic model of dynamic psychology by S.R. Woodworth: S-O-R, such as age, sex and status of residence (a large or small city, a village) should not affect the differentiation of the pace of mental and motor development in children, nor the strength of correlations between the level of non-verbal intelligence and physical fitness.Material and methods. Observations included children of both sexes aged 7-14 from three Malopolska cities: Krakow (big city), Slawkow (small town), Barcice (village). Basic somatic features (body height and mass) were measured by methods used in somatometry. To measure speed and strength abilities, we used the Denisiuk test. Non-verbal intelligence was evaluated using the J. C. Raven test. The collected material was elaborated using two methods: descriptive statistics (calculated mean and standard deviations that were needed to characterize the kinetics and dynamics of development of somatic, motor and mental indicators) and mathematical statistics (determined the strength of the relationship between intelligence and non-verbal indicators of somatic and motor development).Results. Comparative analysis of the kinetics and dynamics of physical, motor and mental development helped to confirm the hypothesis assuming that social gradients become equalized in the development of children from different residence backgrounds: village, small town, big city. After eliminating the issue of spurious correlations and basing the correlation analysis on materials guaranteeing penetration into the material nature of developmental phenomena, it was found that, in most of the analyzed cases, the relationships were insignificant or small, and were statistically insignificant. On this basis, we did not undertake verification of the consecutive hypotheses that assumed the influence of intermediary variables (age, gender, living environment) on the relationship between intelligence and non-verbal indicators of biological development, including motor fitness components. Therefore, our findings do not allow a positive answer to the question: is a smarter child more physically fit? From the pedagogical point of view, the negative result of our own research forces us to reflect on the existing situation and the reasons for not using the potential of students in achieving the directional objectives of physical education.Conclusions. 1. Despite the still noticeable repercussions of social stratification existing in the past, the results of our study obtained using anthropological methods document the existence of a positive trend of change in the biological and psychological development of children in Malopolska, which consists of equalizing the distances between the development of the children from rural and urban areas. 2. Approaching the issue of using statistical methods to study the phenomena of development should be done with caution. Pure mathematical analysis can lead to erroneous conclusions, as in the example of the spurious-correlation found in the present study. 3. The disclosed very poor strength of correlations between intellectual potential and physical fitness of children from Malopolska encourages to take measures to change the unfavorable situation by creating conditions and facilitating teaching in schools allowing effective exploitation of the intellectual potential of students to shape pro-health attitudes during physical education classes.
Authors and Affiliations
Edward Mleczko, Jan Blecharz, Agnieszka Płatek, Joanna Gradek, Elżbieta Szymańska, Renata Nieroda
Keywords
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