The effect of teachers trained in a fundamental movement skills programme on children’s self-perceptions and motor competence

Perceived and actual motor competence are hypothesized to have potential links to children and young people’s physical activity (PA) levels with a potential consequential link to long-term health. In this cross-sectional study, Harter’s (1985, Manual for the Self-perception Profile for Children. Denver, CO: University of Denver) Competency Motivation-based framework was used to explore whether a group of children taught, during curriculum time, by teachers trained in the Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) programme, scored higher on self-perception and on core motor competencies when compared to children whose teachers had not been so trained. One hundred and seventy seven children aged 7–8 years participated in the study. One hundred and seven were taught by FMS-trained teachers (FMS) and the remaining 70 were taught by teachers not trained in the programme (non-FMS). The Harter Self-Perception Profile for Children assessed athletic competence, scholastic competence, global self-worth and social acceptance. Three core components of motor competence (body management, object control and locomotor skills) were assessed via child observation. The FMS group scored higher on all the self-perception domains (p < 0.05). Statistically significant differences were found between the schools on all of the motor tasks (p < 0.05). The relationships between motor performance and self-perception were generally weak and non-significant. Future research in schools and with teachers should explore the FMS programme’s effect on children’s motor competence via a longitudinal approach.

The Secret Life of Oilbirds: New Insights into the Movement Ecology of a Unique Avian Frugivore

Background: Steatornis caripensis (the oilbird) is a very unusual bird. It supposedly never sees daylight, roosting in huge aggregations in caves during the day and bringing back fruit to the cave at night. As a consequence a large number of the seeds from the fruit they feed upon germinate in the cave and spoil.

Echolocation signals and pinnae movement in the fruitbat Rousettus aegyptiacus

The fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus has highly mobile pinnae. Little is known about the role that such movements play in sound localisation however and whether they interact with the process of echolocation in this species. Here we report the correspondence of echolocation signals in free flight with the downward wingbeat and forward movement of the pinnae, and demonstrate that the ears have a greater sensitivity to click stimuli in front of the animal when directed forwards than when back and to the side. The potential significance of the production of echolocation signals whilst the ears are moving from their least sensitive to their most sensitive position is discussed.

The Costs of Taking It Slowly Fast and Slow Movement Timing in Older Age

We investigated adult age differences in timing control of fast vs slow repetitive movements using a dual task approach Twenty two young (M = 24 23 yr) and 22 older adults (M = 66 64 yr) performed three cognitive tasks differing in working memory load and response production demands and they tapped series of 550 ms or 2100 ms target Intervals Single task timing was comparable in both groups Dual task timing was characterized by shortening of produced intervals and increases in drift and variability Dual task costs for both cognitive and timing performances were pronounced at slower tapping tempos an effect exacerbated in older adults Our findings implicate attention and working memory processes as critical components of slow movement timing and sources of specific challenges thereof for older adults

PicSOr - An objective test of perceptual skill that predicts laparoscopic technical skill in three initial studies of laparoscopic performance

Background: Laparoscopic surgery requires surgeons to infer the shape of 3-D structures, such as the internal organs of patients, from 2-D displays on a video monitor. Recent evidence indicates that the issue is not resolved by the use of contemporary 3-D camera systems. It is therefore crucial to find ways of measuring differences in aptitude for recovering 3-D structure from 2-D images, and assessing its impact on performance. Our aim was to test empirically for a relationship between laparoscopic ability and the perceptual skill of recovering information about 3-D structures from 2-D monitor displays.

Motor Skills in Children Aged 7–10 Years, Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study used the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC2) to assess the level of motor skill in children aged 7-10 years with autism (n=18) and compared their performance to two groups of age-matched typically developing children; a receptive vocabulary matched group (n=19) and a nonverbal IQ matched group (n=22). Although the results support previous work, as indicated by a significant general motor impairment in the group with autism, a sub-analysis of the M-ABC2 revealed that there were only 2 out of 8 subcomponent skills which showed universally significant specific deficits for the autism group; namely catching a ball and static balance. These results suggest that motor skill deficits associated with autism may not be pervasive but more apparent in activities demanding complex, interceptive actions or core balance ability.