Effects of Tennis Training on Cognitive Control and Visuospatial Skills

Year 2024, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 89 - 99, 29.02.2024

Gökçe Akın İlhan Odabaş Billur Yarsuvat

https://doi.org/10.25307/jssr.1417013

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of accurate shot exercises in tennis on cognitive control and visuospatial skills. 15 sports science faculty student, 6 females and 9 males, aged between 18-22, with an average age of 18.53 were included in the research. Flanker Task and Spatial Visualization Test were applied to evaluate participants’ cognitive control and visuospatial skills. Tennis training was performed once a week, for half an hour, with 500 hits (forehand and backhand) and an average of 2000 hits in four weeks. After performing the normality test and descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was applied to compare the pre-test and post-test. The findings showed that there were significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores in the spatial visualization test (p = 0.019), correct response rate in the flanker task (p = 0.02=), and difference in reaction time between congruent and incongruent conditions in the flanker task (p = 0.02). Consequently, it can be concluded that tennis training significantly improved participants’ cognitive control and visuospatial skills. The fact that tennis is a sport that requires the use of space and uses open skills may improve individuals’ cognitive control and visuospatial skills.

Keywords

Tennis, Cognitive control, Visuospatial skills

Tenis Antrenmanlarının Bilişsel Kontrol ve Görsel Uzamsal Beceriler Üzerindeki Etkisi

Abstract

incelemektir. Araştırmaya 18-22 yaşları arasında, yaş ortalaması 18.53 olan 6 kadın ve 9 erkek olmak üzere 15 spor bilimleri fakültesi öğrencisi dahil edilmiştir. Katılımcıların bilişsel kontrol ve görsel-uzamsal becerilerini değerlendirmek için Flanker Görevi ve Uzamsal Görselleştirme Testi uygulanmıştır. Tenis antrenmanı haftada bir gün, günde yarım saat, 500 vuruş (forehand ve backhand) ve dört haftada ortalama 2000 vuruş ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Normallik testi ve tanımlayıcı istatistikler yapıldıktan sonra, öntest ve sontesti karşılaştırmak için Wilcoxon İşaretli Sıralar Testi uygulanmıştır. Bulgular, uzamsal görselleştirme testinde ön test ve son test puanları arasında (p= 0.019), flanker görevinde doğru tepki oranı (p=0.02), flanker görevinde uyumlu ve uyumsuz koşullar arasındaki tepki süresi farkı (p=0.02) açısından anlamlı farklılıklar olduğunu göstermiştir. Sonuç olarak, teniste isabetli vuruş çalışmalarının katılımcıların bilişsel kontrol ve görsel-uzamsal becerilerini önemli ölçüde geliştirdiği sonucuna varılabilir. Tenisin mekânın kullanımını gerektiren ve açık becerilerin kullanıldığı bir spor olması, bireylerin bilişsel kontrol ve görsel uzamsal becerilerini geliştiriyor olabilir.

Keywords

Tenis, Bilişsel Kontrol, Görsel-Uzamsal Beceriler

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