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Biomedical subjects

H T Whiting

Publications and source records attributed to H T Whiting.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Auditory perception and the control of spatially coordinated action of deaf and hearing children.

From birth onwards, auditory stimulation directs and intensifies visual orientation behaviour. In deaf children, by definition, auditory perception cannot take place and cannot, therefore, make a contribution to visual orientation to objects approaching from outside the initial field of view. In experiment 1, a difference in catching ability is demonstrated between deaf and hearing children (10-13 years of age) when the ball approached from the periphery or from outside the field of view. No differences in catching ability between the two groups occurred when the ball approached from within the field of view. A second experiment was conducted in order to determine if differences in catching ability between deaf and hearing children could be attributed to execution of slow orientating movements and/or slow reaction time as a result of the auditory loss. The deaf children showed slower reaction times. No differences were found in movement times between deaf and hearing children. Overall, the findings suggest that a lack of auditory stimulation during development can lead to deficiencies in the coordination of actions such as catching which are both spatially and temporally constrained.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

In defence of discovery learning.

The present paper discusses the influence of different training methods--i.e., knowledge of results, preferred frequency, and the availability of a model--on the learning of a complex motor skill, in this case the learning of slalom ski-type movements on a ski-simulator. Results of three experiments performed on this apparatus showed that, although the training methods used influence the course of learning, none of the methods used was actually superior to discovery learning. It is suggested that discovery learning forces the learner to explore the dynamics of the system in which he or she operates, in an iterative way. Possibilities for cooperative working between prescription and discovery learning are discussed.

Feedback↗
PubMed1989

The effect of video-feedback on the learning of the tennis service by intermediate players.

Effects of video-feedback on improvement of the tennis service were investigated in subjects having at least 2 years of playing experience in tennis. The experiment was carried out in an indoor tennis hall under normal training conditions. Subjects were randomly divided into three groups: a video-feedback training (VFT) group, a traditional training (TT) group and a control group, each consisting of 22 subjects. While the subjects of the control group received no training at all, subjects in both the VFT and TT groups were trained twice weekly during 5 consecutive weeks. Each training session lasted 40 min, of which 30 min was spent on actual practice in training of the service. The remaining 10 min was spent on watching, analysing and discussing video recordings of either their own service performed during the training session (VFT group), or ground strokes and volleys of top level players (TT group). Both the VFT and TT group showed significantly greater improvements in both achievement scores and form (technique) scores than did the control group. No differences, however, could be demonstrated between the VFT and TT group, indicating that the subjects of the former group did not benefit from the video-feedback they received. While form scores correlated significantly (P less than 0.001) with the velocity of the served ball, no such relation between form scores and spatial accuracy was apparent.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Preferred tempo in the learning of a gross cyclical action.

Seventy-five subjects, randomly assigned to one of five training conditions, were required to learn to make large-amplitude, high-tempo, fluent movements on a so-called ski-simulator over a period of four days. Subjects trained under different tempo conditions. In four of the conditions the tempo was prescribed ("preferred", high, low, or increasing), augmented feedback being provided to enable subjects to stay on "target". "Preferred" tempo was based on the weight of the subject and was derived from a regression equation based on previous empirical research. In a fifth condition, subjects trained on "discovery learning" principles, i.e. without the tempo being prescribed. The results obtained on the three parameters (amplitude, frequency, and fluency) during the daily test sessions (in which the tempo was not prescribed) formed the data for the analyses. A learning effect was apparent on all three parameters over the four-day training period. Subjects who trained under the high or the low prescribed tempos, however, were shown to produce significantly smaller amplitude movements than subjects who trained under the other three conditions. Training under the low-tempo condition was also shown to have disadvantageous effects on the parameters tempo and fluency. It was concluded that, for these kinds of action, training at a high or a low tempo--and particularly the latter--has undesirable effects. Such disadvantageous effects, however, were shown to be avoidable if training is begun with the "preferred" tempo of the subject and increased successively by 7% over days.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Isn't there a catch in it somewhere?

The relationship between skill, vision, and proprioception in simple one-handed catching has recently been researched by Fischman and Schneider (1985). The parts of their work addressed to the necessity of being able to see the hand for optimal performance are critically evaluated in the light of earlier published studies, and other methodological and interpretative problems are signalled.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1985

The effect of video-modelling and video-feedback on the learning of the tennis service by novices.

This project is addressed to the effectiveness of video mediated instruction on the learning of the tennis service by novices. The research was carried out in an indoor tennis hall under normal training conditions. Three experimental groups were used: a video-model (VMT), a video-feedback (VFT) and a group with a combination of video modelling and video feedback (VMFT). Two control groups - based on different training periods-were also used: a traditional training group (TT1) which practised for a period of 45 min per training session and a second traditional training group (TT2) which practised for a period of only 30 min per training session. All subjects took part in five successive training sessions. No clear advantages of using video mediated instruction methods in teaching novices the tennis service could be demonstrated. Five sessions of 30 min practical training were shown to be as effective as five sessions of 45 min practical training in producing improvements in both form and achievement scores of novice tennis players. While, in the early stages, form and achievement scores were not shown to be significantly related, after five sessions a significant correlation (P less than 0.05) was shown.

Achievement↗
PubMed1984

Visual perception in hemiplegic patients.

Visual perceptual disturbances have been identified as a complication associated with hemiplegic syndrome that can interfere with rehabilitation progress. In this study a test battery was developed to identify visual perceptual disturbances in stroke patients. Forty-six patients (mean age 49.9 years) were first categorized according to the severity and complexity of their various impairments. This classification revealed a previously unremarked high proportion of patients who had sensorimotor disorders of the nonparetic hand and arm. Patients were subsequently tested for visual perceptual disorders, which were detected in 25 of the 46 patients. No correlations were found between the presence of these disorders and the factors of age, time since cerebrovascular accident, aphasia, and severity of the syndrome. However, significant correlations (p less than 0.01) were revealed between visual perceptual scores and disturbances in function of the nonparetic hand. The nature of the tests used to identify visual perceptual problems meant that this relationship could not be attributed to motor deficits. Possible explanations linked visual and motor systems. Left-side paretic patients performed significantly worse than right-side patients on visual perception tests, which is in accordance with earlier studies. This result was interpreted in terms of hemispheric dominance for specific functions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Dynamic visual acuity: a possible factor in catching performance.

Forty subjects took part in a one-handed catching ask in which the period for which the mechanically projected tennis ball was illuminated in flight was varied systematically. Additionally, they were tested for (a) static visual acuity and (b) dynamic visual acuity, in which angular velocity was varied. As expected, both viewing period in the catching task and angular velocity in the acuity task were significant variables in performance. Correlation and principal-components analyses confirmed the findings of a previous experiment in that the correlated static visual acuity tasks were unrelated to both dynamic visual acuity (even when angular velocity was only 75 degrees /sec) and catching performance. Further, dynamic acuity and catching were related under the majority of the combinations, and most frequently at the highest angular velocity, a fact which suggested that the dynamic element in both tasks is the common factor.

Journal Article↗