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Selçuk Akpinar1, Ozkan Beyaz1

1Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University, Faculty of Education, Department of Physical Education and Sport, Nevsehir, Turkey

Perceptual and Motor Performances between Fencers and Non-Fencers

Sport Mont 2018, 16(3), 3-7 | DOI: 10.26773/smj.181001

Abstract

Sports participation can improve many cognitive and physical performances. It is important to test different sports in different perceptual and motor tests in order to expose the demands of sports. Thus, in this study, we investigated if there are some perceptual and motor performance differences between fencers and aged match sedentary group. Nineteen fencers and nineteen non-fencers performed choice reaction time in an aiming task. Reaction time (RT), accuracy, and velocity of the movements were measured. Results displayed that fencers had significantly faster RT, better accuracy with faster movements compared to non-fencers. These findings suggest that participating a sport requiring fast and accurate pointing movements can modify perceptual and motor performance parameters. Thus, it could be better to select participants who have better perceptual and motor performances. Moreover, speed-accuracy trade off proposed by Fitts (1954) can be altered through long-term sport participation.

Keywords

accuracy, speed, trade-off, motor performance, reaction time



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