A LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON GENERAL INTELECTUAL DEVELOPMENT AND
ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH SELECTED MOTOR PERFORMANCE VARIABLES
THROUGH 10 TO 13 YEAR OLD BOYS.
Saikot Chatterjee*, Alok K Banerjee** & Samir Ranjan Adhikary***
* Asst. Prof. Department of Physical Education, University of Kalyani, W.B.
** Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Kalyani, W.B.
*** Asst. Prof. Sachidananda College of Education, Simurali, W.B.
Corresponding author: Saikot Chatterjee
Abstract
The relationship between physical activity and intelligence has often been a matter of great
debate in sport psychology circles. Though there is existence of numerous studies conducted with
the view of establishing a relationship between intelligence and sporting performance, it is
somehow felt by the author that investigations related to the development of intelligence through
a few years and its relationship with motor tasks during the very crucial period of growth and
development is truly rare. The child growth and development includes an interrelated expression
of physical, cognitive, social psychological size of the whole body or any of its parts. Since the
earliest times intellectualism (the pure mental processed and athleticism the physical activities
involving strength speed etc.) have been though erroneously considered as two poles widely
apart. Hence the author premeditated to conduct a longitudinal study through 10 to 13 years to
locate the normal intellectual development of boys and enumerate its relationship with the
physical fitness variables. The researcher selected 30 boys randomly from a school and
conducted the AAHPERD Youth Fitness test battery as the measure of Physical Fitness and
Revan’s test of Progressive Matrices for assessment of intelligence. For data analysis he
computed descriptive statistics and paired sample t test. On the basis of data analysis the author
concluded that intelligence was found to develop significantly through the ages of growth and
development incorporated but there was no significant correlation between intelligence and the
selected motor performance or physical fitness variables.
Key words: Longitudinal, Intellectual Development, Motor Performance.
*******
Background
The child growth and development includes an interrelated expression of physical, cognitive,
social psychological size of the whole body or any of its parts. Since the earliest times
intellectualism (the pure mental processed and athleticism the physical activities involving
strength speed etc.) have been though erroneously considered as two poles widely apart. The
scenario is fast changing because intelligence is being viewed not simply as augment of nonobservation cerebral function but a vast and multifaceted spectrum of cognitive effective and
motor processes and activities that are impeccably interrelated and unbelievably inter-dependant.
What use in the individual who thinks correctly, but acts clumsily and vice versa. Research in
psychophysiology indicates that neurons and nerves which are the basic instrument of
intelligence – derive their verve and vigor from the action potential of the muscles which are the
instruments of observable and non-observation activity of the organism. The more efficiently are
the muscles exercised the more efficiently do they help in nourishing other parts of the body,
more specifically the brain and the nervous system, which cause intelligent behaviour.
The relationship between physical activity and intelligence has often been a matter of great
debate in sport psychology circles. Exercise athletic sports etc. are complex skilled activities. All
of them derive the inspiration and strength from the motor abilities (inherited or acquired), which
develop as the child proceeds chronologically. Since all skilled behaviour is intelligent
behaviour, relationship between athleticism and intelligence cannot be denied.
There are numerous studies wherein the relationship between physical dynamics (exercise and
sport) and intellectual attributes (intelligence I. Q. scores) has either been reported very low or
no existent at all. As explained above much has been depended upon the variables investigated
into and the methodologies used.
Though there is existence of numerous studies conducted with the view of establishing a
relationship between intelligence and sporting performance, it is somehow felt by the author that
investigations related to the development of intelligence through a few years and its relationship
with motor tasks during the very crucial period of growth and development is truly rare. The
researcher with an innovative mental makeup strived to conduct a study in a longitudinal fashion
to locate the gradual development pattern of intelligence and draw relationship between selected
motor performance variables through 10 to 13 years aged boys.
Methodology
Participants of the present study were selected from a High School (Dist. Burdwan, West
Bengal). There were 150 students of this age group (10½ years) in that school’s student
population of 2000. All the students of the required age group were asked to take part as a
volunteer in the study. On a specified day all the students were present in the play ground and
they were asked to collect a number ranging from 1–150 by drawing lots. Those students getting
the numbers 1–30 were thus randomly selected to act as volunteer for the study.
Criterion measure
The investigator preferred the AAHPERD youth fitness test battery composed of 50 mts. Dash,
60 mts. Run and Walk, Pull-up, Push-up, Sit-up and Shuttle run, as the fitness gram for inferring
data related to motor performance and adopted the Revan’s test of progressive matrices as the
means to figure out development of intelligence. The longitudinal study was framed to collect
data bi-annually i.e., at an interval of six months, as shown below in the chart.
Number of Stages
Month / Week &Year
1st stage
1st week of January (2006)
2nd stage
1st week of July(2006)
3rd stage
1st week of January(2007)
4th stage
1st week of July(2007)
5th stage
1st week of January(2008)
Table – 1: Motor Performance Tests, Objectives with the Measuring Units
Sl. No.
Motor Performance Tests
Objectives
Measuring Units
1.
50 yard dash
Speed
1/100 sec.
2.
600 yard run and walk
Cardio-respiratory endurance
1/100 sec.
3.
Shuttle run
Agility
1/100 sec.
4.
Pull ups
Arm strength
Number / min.
5.
Sit ups
Abdominal strength
Number / min.
6.
Standing broad jump
Leg explosive strength
Cms.
For intelligence measure Raven’s Intelligence Test of Progressive Matrices was used in this
study. The battery consisted of 5 sets of problems. The problems were displayed and answers
were sought in tick marks. Evaluation was made with the key for the test.
Statistical Procedure
Standard Statistical Procedures have been adopted for analysis and interpretation of data
collected. Firstly, mean and S.D. were calculated and further Pearson’s Product Moment
Correlation was computed to locate the relationship between the independent and the dependent
variables.
Result and Discussion
The data collected from the previously mentioned tests and measurements have been statically
analyzed adopting the methods mentioned above.
At first as a part of descriptive statistics the Mean and S.D. of both the motor performance
variables and development of intelligence at the different stages of the study i.e. 10.5-12.5 years
were computed followed by paired sample t test to locate the degree of difference.
The mean and S.D. for the motor performance variables are presented in table no. 2 and
simultaneously the mean and S.D. for intelligence are presented in table no. 3 respectively.
Table 2: Mean and S.D of Motor Performance Variables at different stages of growth
Variables
1st Stage
(Cm.)
Mean
50
2nd Stage
3rd Stage
4th Stage
5th Stage
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
1.27
9.44
0.79
9.06
0.81
8.95
0.83
8.89
0.81
0.19
2.03
0.19
1.95
0.22
1.82
0.19
1.72
0.19
up 18.23
9.09
19.40
8.62
24.53
8.12
27.33
7.86
29.07
7.39
up 1.93
1.76
4.17
2.98
5.07
3.57
5.40
3.72
5.47
3.43
0.83
11.62
0.735 12.14
0.89
12.32
0.86
12.61
1.02
Yard 9.47
Dash (Sec)
600
Yard 2.13
Dash (Sec)
Sit
(No.)
Pull
(No.)
Shuttle
11.57
Run (Sec.)
Standing
128.47 13.50 137.47 13.76 149.37 19.40 159.33 18.09 163.43 20.23
Broad
Jump (cm)
According to table no.2 it appears that except the motor performance in shuttle run all the other
variables developed through the years under consideration. According to paired sample t test the
degrees of difference were also significant in most of the cases. Similarly, from table no. 3 it
appears that the level of intelligence improved gradually with the advancement of age, which has
been presented with the help of a column chart presented in Figure 1. The paired samples in this
case also showed that degree of difference between the means were significant in all the stages.
But, as the sole intention of the author was to establish the relationship between the motor
performance variables and intelligence correlations studies have been computed to establish their
relationship, presented in the tables 4 to 8.
Figure 1. Development of Intelligence through 10 to 13 years
intelligence
10.5 yrs 11 yrs 11.5 yrs 12 yrs 12.5 yrs
Table 3: Showing the Results of Paired Samples Test in Different Sessions of Measurement
of Intelligence
Pair
Variable
Correlation
Paired Differences
Mean
t
Sig.
Std.
Deviation
Pair 1 Intelligence 1st – Intelligence 2nd 0.855*
-2.100
4.196
-2.741 0.010
Pair 2 Intelligence 2nd - Intelligence 3rd 0.948*
-1.767
2.459
-3.935 0.000
Pair 3 Intelligence 3rd - Intelligence 4th 0.947*
-2.167
2.614
-4.540 0.000
Pair 4 Intelligence 4th – Intelligence 5th
-2.400
1.831
-7.180 0.000
0.980*
According to Table no. 3 it is clear that intelligence developed thoroughly at the different stages
of the study and the levels of development were statistically significant.
Table 4:
Showing the Descriptive Statistics in Different Sessions of Measurement of
Intelligence
1st Session
2nd Session
3rd Session
4th Session
5th Session
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
Mean
S.D.
Intelligence 15.63
7.88
17.73
7.71
19.50
7.51
21.67
8.10
24.07
8.80
Variables
Correlation between Intelligence and Motor Performance
The tables concerned with the correlation studies have been presented in the tables below:
Table 5: Correlation between Intelligence and Motor Performance (age 10.5 years)
Motor performance
50
Intelligence
yard 600
yard Sit ups
dash
run & walk
0.111
–0.041
Pull ups
Shuttle
S. B. J.
Run
0.192
0.421*
–0.179
0.202
* Significant at 0.05 level
Table 6: Correlation between Intelligence and Motor Performance (age 11 years)
Motor Quality Variables
50 yard dash 600 yard run & walk Sit ups Pull ups Shuttle
S. B. J.
Run
Intelligence 0.244
0.189
–0.066 0.051
0.222
0.079
Table 7: Correlation between Intelligence and Motor Performance (age 11.5 years)
Motor Quality Variables
50 yard dash 600 yard run & walk Sit ups Pull ups Shuttle
S. B. J.
Run
Intelligence 0.287
0.243
0.195
0.271
0.260
0.124
Table 8: Correlation between Intelligence and Motor Performance (age 12 years)
Motor Quality Variables
50 yard dash 600 yard run & walk Sit ups Pull ups Shuttle
S. B. J.
Run
Intelligence 0.008
0.155
0.126
0.385*
0.089
0.191
Table 9: Correlation between Intelligence and Motor Performance (age 12.5 years)
Motor Quality Variables
50 yard dash 600 yard run & walk Sit ups Pull ups Shuttle
S. B. J.
Run
Intelligence –0.005
0.197
0.215
0.146
0.152
0.183
From the data analysis presented in the above tables it is somehow clear that at all the stages of
the study i.e. from 10 through 13 years no significant relationship exists between the independent
variable Intelligence and its dependent counterpart the motor performance variables.
The
findings of this study were found to be in close proximity with the findings of other leading
researchers for eg. Tuckman (1999) summarized the results of several studies and concluded that
chronic exercise training has little impact on children’s intelligence or cognitive skills, but it
does facilitate creativity. Strong support for the executive function hypothesis has been provided
through research conducted with older adults. Corder (1966) used the Wechsler Intelligence
Scale for Children (WISC) in a study conducted to evaluate the effects of 20 days of physical
fitness training on boys ranging between 12 to 16 years of age who were diagnosed with
moderate mental retardation (Mean IQ=66). Twenty-four children, matched on IQ, were
randomly assigned either to a 60-min exercise intervention comprised of calisthenics, sprint runs,
and 400-yard runs, an activity-control condition that involved recording the daily training
performance of children in the exercise group, or a non-exercise group. Compared to children in
the non-exercise condition, physical activity resulted in improvements in the children’s WISC
Full Scale IQs (exercise ES1=0.92; non-exercise ES=0.30) and Verbal Scale (exercise ES=1.22;
non-exercise ES=0.02). There were no group differences in Performance IQ. Importantly, IQ
gains obtained by children who exercised did not differ from gains obtained by children in the
activity control group, suggesting that the attention children obtained, rather than physical
activity per se, led to improved IQ-test performance. Tremblay et.al (2000) reported no relation
between the self-reported physical activity of 6,923 sixth grade Canadian children and their
performance on standardized reading, mathematics, science and writing tests. Kramer et.al.
(1999) assessed the impact of aerobic exercise training on both executive and non-executive
cognitive processes in older adults. Participants in this study were assigned to either a 6-month
aerobic training program or a non-aerobic toning program. A battery of cognitive tests was
administered to participants prior to and following interventions. Clear post-training differences
were observed. Individuals who participated in aerobic exercise training performed tests that
required executive function (i.e., a category switching task, a flanker task, and a countermanding
task) more rapidly and more efficiently than non-exercisers. Importantly, treatments had
negligible influence on older adults’ performance of tasks that did not emphasize executive-type
mental processes.
There are several research studies endeavoured to fetch the training effects or effects of chronic
and acute exercise on brain functioning, executive functioning, intelligence etc. and in many
cases significant relationship could be derived between chronic exercise and intelligence but very
meager research works have been conducted to investigate the relationship between intelligence
and motor performance variables. The author endeavoured to explore this innovative area.
Conclusion
1. The study reveals that in association with other growth and developmental components of
the children the cognitive factor or intelligence significantly improved through the years
10-13.
2. No significant relation could be established between intelligence and motor performance
variables through the years incorporated in the study.
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