Games and movement

Videogames give us new bodies able to move through the world with grace and precision. In this conversation session, we explore how the form of dance can follow on from the function of the game's rules.

Three year follow-up of an early childhood intervention : is movement skill sustained?

Background
Movement skill competence (e.g. the ability to throw, run and kick) is a potentially important physical activity determinant. However, little is known about the long-term impact of interventions to improve movement skills in early childhood. This study aimed to determine whether intervention preschool children were still more skill proficient than controls three years after a 10 month movement skill focused intervention: ‘Tooty Fruity Vegie in Preschools’.

Methods
Children from 18 intervention and 13 control preschools in NSW, Australia were assessed at ages four (Time1), five (T2) and eight years (T3) for locomotor (run, gallop, hop, leap, horizontal jump, slide) and object control proficiency (strike, bounce, catch, kick, overhand throw, underhand roll) using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. Multi-level object control and locomotor regression models were fitted with variables time, intervention (yes/no) and a time*intervention interaction. Both models added sex of child and retained if significant, in which case interactions of sex of child with other variables were modelled and retained. SPSS (Version 17.0) was used.

Results
Overall follow-up rate was 29% (163/560). Of the 137 students used in the regression models, 53% were female (n = 73). Intervention girls maintained their object control skill advantage in comparison to controls at T3 (p = .002), but intervention boys did not (p = .591). At T3, there were no longer intervention/control differences in locomotor skill (p = .801).

Conclusion
Early childhood settings should implement movement skill interventions and more intensively target girls and object control skills.

The multifaith movement : global risks and cosmopolitan solutions

This book documents the ultramodern rise of the multifaith movement, as mulitfaith initiatives have been increasingly deployed as cosmopolitan solutions to counter global risks such as terrorism and climate change at the turn of the 21st century. These projects aim to enhance common security, particularly in Western societies following the events of September 11, 2001 and the July 2005 London bombings, where multifaith engagement has been promoted as a strategy to counter violent extremism. The author draws on interviews with 56 leading figures in the field of multifaith relations, including Paul Knitter, Eboo Patel, Marcus Braybrooke, Katherine Marshall, John Voll and Krista Tippett.
Identifying the principle aims of the multifaith movement, the analysis explores the benefits—and challenges—of multifaith engagement, as well as the effectiveness of multifaith initiatives in countering the process of radicalization. Building on notions of cosmopolitanism, the work proposes a new theoretical framework termed ‘Netpeace’, which recognizes the interconnectedness of global problems and their solutions. In doing so, it acknowledges the capacity of multi-actor peacebuilding networks, including religious and state actors, to address the pressing dilemmas of our times. The primary intention of the book is to assist in the formation of new models of activism and governance, founded on a ‘politics of understanding’ modeled by the multifaith movement.

Adolescents' perception of the relationship between movement skills, physical activity and sport

Movement skill competence is important to organised youth physical activity participation, but it is unclear how adolescents view this relationship. The primary aim of this study was to explore adolescents’ perception of the relationship between movement skills, physical activity and sport, and whether their perceptions differed according to extent of participation in organised physical activities. We recruited 33 (17 male) Grade 11 and 12 students (aged 16 to 18) from two secondary schools in Australia. Focus groups were allocated according to whether or not students participated in organised physical activity, where ‘organised activity’ was defined as activity which involved regular classes, training or competition, was reasonably structured or formal, or had a teacher, instructor or coach. There were three all-male ‘organised’ groups, one mixed-gender ‘organised’ group and one all-female ‘not-organised’ group. Students were asked about their attitudes towards physical activity and sport, the relationship between childhood skill proficiency and later physical activity and their perceptions of the appropriate time taken to learn movement skills. Group discussions lasted for approximately 50 minutes, were recorded and were then transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were read using a constant comparison method, in which quotes were continually compared to other quotes. A thematic analysis was conducted in which the transcripts were analysed inductively. Participation in organised sport had no bearing on opinions regarding whether lack of childhood skill development would negatively impact latter participation. It did, however, subtly influence opinions regarding whether skill could be successfully acquired later in life. When asked whether not having well-developed skills as a child would negatively impact on participation in sport/physical activity later in life, the response was mixed, but this was not related to their involvement in organised sport or activities. Students who believed early skill proficiency related to subsequent activity thought this was due to skill ability and motivation. An alternate view was that subsequent activity did not need to be based on skill proficiency; also, one’s environment might change, resulting in differing opportunities/constraints. Students felt skills could be learnt at any time in life (dependent on motivation), but that learning skills at a younger age would be easier and that skills learnt later would not be as developed. Fear of failure was identified as a barrier to learning when older. We conclude that motivation towards participation in sport and physical activity is affected by adolescents’ perception of their own movement skill ability. Therefore, developing children’s actual and perceived movement skills may help to increase adolescent physical activity. Since those with intrinsic achievement orientations were not as inclined towards organised activity, we may also need to provide physical activity options that resonate with intrinsic achievement motivations.

Ocean currents influence the genetic structure of an intertidal mollusc in southeastern Australia – implications for predicting the movement of passive dispersers across a marine biogeographic barrier

Major disjunctions among marine communities in southeastern Australia have been well documented, although explanations for biogeographic structuring remain uncertain. Converging ocean currents, environmental gradients, and habitat discontinuities have been hypothesized as likely drivers of structuring in many species, although the extent to which species are affected appears largely dependent on specific life histories and ecologies. Understanding these relationships is critical to the management of native and invasive species, and the preservation of evolutionary processes that shape biodiversity in this region. In this study we test the direct influence of ocean currents on the genetic structure of a passive disperser across a major biogeographic barrier. Donax deltoides (Veneroida: Donacidae) is an intertidal, soft-sediment mollusc and an ideal surrogate for testing this relationship, given its lack of habitat constraints in this region, and its immense dispersal potential driven by year-long spawning and long-lived planktonic larvae. We assessed allele frequencies at 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci across 11 sample locations spanning the barrier region and identified genetic structure consistent with the major ocean currents of southeastern Australia. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data indicated no evidence of genetic structuring, but signatures of a species range expansion corresponding with historical inundations of the Bassian Isthmus. Our results indicate that ocean currents are likely to be the most influential factor affecting the genetic structure of D. deltoides and a likely physical barrier for passive dispersing marine fauna generally in southeastern Australia.

Movement scaling in children with ADHD-combined type

Objective
The aim of the study was to investigate motor performance in children with ADHD using a size-scaling handwriting task.

Method
In all, 14 male children with ADHD and 14 typically developing (TD) children (age 7-15) wrote 10-mm and 40-mm cursive letter “l.”

Results
Children with ADHD were unable to maintain their writing accurately at 40 mm, falling short by several millimeters; this was not evident in the TD children. Children with ADHD also had slightly faster and more fluent writing than TD children.

Conclusion
It was concluded that children with ADHD have difficulties scaling handwriting movement in the larger 40-mm condition that may reflect poor planning and modulation of movement, despite having faster and more fluent movements.

Brief report: children with ADHA without co-morbid autism do not have impaired motor proficiency on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children

Motor proficiency was investigated in a sample of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Combined type (ADHD-CT) without autism. Accounting for the influence of co-morbid autistic symptoms in ADHD motor studies is vital given that motor impairment has been linked to social–communication symptoms in children who have co-morbid ADHD and autistic-like symptoms. Two groups of children aged between 7–14 years were recruited; children with ADHD-CT (n = 16; mean age 10 years, 7 months [SD = 1 year, 10 months]) and a typically developing (n = 16; mean age 10 years, 6 months [SD = 2 years, 6 months]) group. Motor proficiency was measured using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2nd Edition, ADHD symptoms were measured using the Conner’s Parent Rating Scale. Children with ADHD-CT who had been screened for co-morbid autism did not display motor difficulties on the MABC-2. Higher levels of inattention, but not hyperactivity or impulsivity were associated with poorer motor performance. These findings provide indirect evidence that the motor problems that children with ADHD experience may be related to co-occurring social responsiveness impairments.