Mental development characteristics of low-fit pubescent children

Introduction

Respecting the individual differences in the mental development characteristics of low-fit and high-fit children, it is possible to plan and optimise their individual physical activity regime [1]. As regards to the school results of children, it is possible to claim that they reflect the general mental level of a child, the psycho-social situation of the family, the style of bringing up children in the family and the education of parents [2]. The objective of study was to examine the relation of mental development characteristics and physical fitness (low and high) in pubescent children.

Methods

The standardised test battery of UNIFITTEST was used for evaluation of physical fitness [3]. The representative group consisted of 247 boys and 262 girls aged 12-13.99. On the basis of all the participants’ test results, we selected: a) individuals with low level of motor performance (total test scores were 1.5 standard deviation below the average value); b) individuals with high level of motor performance (total test scores were 1.5 standard deviation above the average value). The personality dimensions were determined by questionnaire B-J.E.P.I. (extroversion-introversion, neurosis, psychosis, lie-score) [4]. The school results were found out via class register books (total average of marks at school, percentile rank within their class).

Results

The results of the percentile ranks of the individuals within the class/average of their marks at school showed considerably better school results in children from the high-fit samples than by children from the low-fit samples. Calculating the K-W test (40.34 > χ20.01;3), we confirmed the logically significant differences in the total average of school results between the pubescent samples at 0.01 level of significance.

Discussion/Conclusions

We did not find out any significant differences in the values of the personality dimensions between the samples with low and high level of motor performance. We also did not find out any differences between the selected samples and Senka’s population data (1988). On the contrary, as for school results, we found out logically and statistically significant differences at the 0.01 level between the pubescent samples with different motor performance, at both sexes with better results in the samples with very high level of motor performance. These differences in the overall level of school results of selected individuals support the published findings that talented children are very often versatile, both mentally and physically.

References

[1]. Eysenck SBG. (1971). Osobnostní dotazník pro děti JEPI. Bratislava, Psychodiagnostické a didaktické testy.
[2]. Kovář R. (1994). Acta Univ. Carol. Kinanthropol., 30/2, 33-42.
[3]. Měkota K. et al. (1995). Acta Univ. Palac. Olom. Gymn., 1, 3-108.
[4]. Senka J. (1988). B-J.E.P.I. Bratislava, Psychodiagnostické a didaktické testy.