The effect of slow versus normal motion films in conjunction with mental practice upon the speed of learning a gross motor skill

Includes bibliographical references (pages 57-61)The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are any differences in the rate of learning while viewing slow motion film of a gross motor skill as compared to viewing normal motion film of the same skill. Sixty male subjects ranging in age from 18 to 21 years were used in the study. The subjects were student volunteers taken exclusively from the Physical Education Classes at Los Angeles Valley College.\ud This investigation was designed to test the following research hypothesis: There will be a significant difference (.05 level) in the speed of learning a novel gross motor skill, between groups who view the filmed task at normal speed and groups who view the film in slow motion.\ud The subjects were randomly divided into four experimental groups of equal number. Group I viewed the novel gross motor skill once in normal motion (photographed at 18 frames per second), Group II viewed the same skill three times in normal motion (18 frames per second), Group III viewed the skill once in slow motion (photographed at 54 frames per second), and Group IV viewed the same skill three times in slow motion (54 frames per second) before each attempt to perform the filmed gross motor skill. All film loops were shown at normal transport speed (18 frames per second). The four groups were permitted as many viewings and subsequent trials as were required by each student to learn the gross motor task. The number of trials required by each subject to learn the gross motor skill was recorded.\ud An F-test was subsequently conducted, which indicated that there were significant differences in the number of trials required to learn the gross motor skill among the four experimental groups (.01 level of confidence). A post hoc test (modified Neuman-Keuls) was administered to determine where the differences existed among the groups. The tests revealed that there was a significant difference (.01 level) between each of the four groups, except between Groups III and IV.\ud The findings require a rejection of the null hypothesis. Within the scope and limitations of this study it was concluded that viewing slow motion films results in a positive effect on the rate of learning of a novel gross motor skill, when compared to viewing normal motion films