Cognitive style and gender differences in children's motor task performance

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Catherine D. Ennis, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: Memory storage capacity and system flexibility of 7 year-old children were examined through performance on a novel ball-intercepting task. Field dependence/independence served as the theoretical base for the study. The task required students in 56) to analyze the speed and direction of a bell rolling down a ramp and adjust their speed and angle of approach to intercept it within a limited space. Data were collected using video cameras positioned behind and to the side of the child's pathway. Data were reduced using a qualitative categorical system and analyzed using a MANOVA. Results indicated that field-independent children used a sharper initial angle of approach than did field-dependent children. Males used both a sharper angle of approach and a more developmentally advanced grasping pattern than did females. Discussion focused on the field-dependent children's modifications of the task to decrease demands on storage capacity and preclude the development of alternative motor pathways or systems.

Additional Information

Publication
Early Child Development and Care, 64, 33-46.
Language: English
Date: 1990
Keywords
Young children, Cognition, Physical activity, Motor skills

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