A Study on the Ability measured by Motor Performance Test

Abstract

Performance tests are designed to determine motor ability by measuring the demonstrated performances in various motor tasks. In order to examine the domains of motor ability as determined by performance tests, with special reference to the inter-correlations among such domains and the changes associated with the growth of the subjects, factor analytic technique was applied to the test results of junior highschool girls. The domains of motor ability as measured by each test item were expressed in tree-diagrams. Seventeen factors, which equalled to the number of the test variables included, were extracted to explain 100% of the total variance. Starting from the factors showing the largest eigen value, orthogonal rotation with normal varimax criterion was performed. Adding the factor showing the next largest eigen value, the same procedure was repeated in turn until all seventeen factors were added and rotated. At each rotation, the test items showing high factor loading were identified and the domain to which the factor may be belonged was considered. The tree-diagram showing the domains of motor ability as measured by each test item was constructed. The results indicated that the test items such as stature, weight, back strength and grip strength appeared to measure the ability belongs to common domain, whereas the ability measured by 50m dash, running broad jump, vertical jump, handball throw and so on belongs to another domain. The domain of ability measured by 2000m run seemed to vary from one age to another.