On kinesiology / kinanthropology as a science:
modeling motor abilities as theoretical concepts
and components of performance
Petr Blahuš
Charles University
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport
Department of Kinanthropology
Division of Methodology
Prague, The Czech Republic
A - Why “kinanthropology” in the Czech academe - part 1
B - Some signs of a well-founded behavioral science about
motor activity - needs for its recognition
C - Weak associative measurement - latent variable modeling of
motor abilities as concept formation
D - Latent variable models for athletic performance
E - More on why “kinanthropology” - part 2
Option after , for the interested:
Video about Prague and the country
Why not „physical education“ :
teaching subject vs. scientific and academic branch
In the Czech Republic and Central-Europe,
especially German speaking:
„Kinesiology“ understood as branch that is:
- medical,
- physiotherapeutical,
- chiropractic nature,
or sometimes as a part of
- functional anatomy.
So, as an area of rather medical ! expertise.
Further history and comments at the end
Some signs of a “well-founded” science - needs for its recognition
- standardized empirical-observable variables,
motor tests, indicators of training, ...
- theory with explanatory laws working with theoretical concepts -
fitness, motor coordination, endurance, power, ...
and most motor abilities
Formal recognition by the Czech Academy of Sciences mostly due to monographs
by Professor Stanislav Celikovsky on
motor abilities as scientific concepts
Motor abilities often conceptualized as quantitative theoretical attributes:
‘level’ of motor coordination,
‘amount’ of endurance capacity, ...
Temperature T is indirectly observed through
associative measurement
by variables of different content :
T1 - liquid non-metal extendability (spirit),
T2 - solid metal differential extension (bimetalic),
T3 - electrical current (el. resistance thermometer),
T4 - change of color (colorimetric thermometer),
it is “believed” that
specificity of each of different thermometers is zero (???)
making their mutual differences random ( !!!)
Different observed Ti = Common true T + Errors
GAUSSIAN MODEL of random measurement errors
If T1, T2, T3, T4
motor tests with different ‘movement content’,
of the same concept of ‘motor coordination’:
Different Ti = Common T + Specific Si + Errors.
 weaker models than the GAUSSIAN: latent variables
“weak associative measurement” by
- common factor model, covariance structures / SEM
- latent trait models (including Rasch),
etc.
Concept formation by latent variable modeling
“in principle” not inferior.
Structural Equation Models (SEM) with
latent variables and theories of athletic performance
1. Static simultaneous combination
of manifest indicators of training:
multiple regression model
2. Static simultaneous combination
of motor abilities and concepts:
common latent factor model
3. Static but sequential combination ordering
of motor abilities and concepts:
path analysis with latent variables
4. Dynamic sequence and combination:
VARMA for longitudinal analysis
of longitudinal training documentation
Practice /
training
Training
indicator
indicator11
Composite manifest prediction
multiple regression
Practice /
training
indicator 2
Practice /
training
indicator 3
Performance
Control
test 1
Control
test 2
This composition
of training
should produce
That
performance
Combination of theoretical
concepts / abilities
Test 1
Test 2
Endurance
F1
latent common factors model
Test 3
Test 4
Test 5
Performance
Y
Power
F2
Speed ability
F3
Test 6
w1 F1 + w2 F2 + w3 F3
Weighted combination
of abilities / concepts
=
Y
Performance
produces
Test 4,1
Practice
method 4
Test 4,2
Practice
method 2
Level of ability
F4
Practice
method 3
path analysis
Test 2,1
Test 2,2
Level of ability
F2
Starting
level of ability
F1
Test 1,1 Test 1,2
Sequential ordering and
combination
Level of ability
F3
Performance
Test 3,1
Test 3,2
Practice
method 5
Level of ability
F5
Test 5,1
Test 5,2
Test 1
Test 2
F1
Vector Autoregressive Moving Averages
VARMA model
Test 1
Practice
method 1
F2
Test 3
Test 4
Test 2
F1
F2
Practice
method 2
Test 3
F1
Test 1
Test 2
Test 4
F2
Performance
Practice
method 3
Test 3
F1
Test 4
T
I
Performance
M
E
F2
Final
performance
The Czech departure from ”Physical Education” :
- 60’s: effort of Prof. Celikovsky, Belgian ”Kinanthropologie”
-1967 an attempt to separate formally from the “educations”,
teaching subjects as “music education”, “art education”, ...
-1970 “Anthropomotorics” - PhDs in the frame of ”Pedagogy”.
Recently still a sub-discipline of Kinanthropology.
Compare: ”Antropomotoryka” in Poland
-1989 Department of Kinanthropology at Charles University
-1990 name “Kinanthropology” supported by:
- Dept. of Social Anthropology, Charles University
- Dept. of Anthropology, Charles University
- Anthropological Society, Academy of Sciences
- 1991 Departments of Kinanthropology at
- Palacký University, Olomouc
- Comenius University, Bratislava
-1992 Kinanthropology accredited for
PhD, and Professorship
-1993 Scientific Society for Kinanthropology,
under Academy of Sciences
JOURNALS:
-1993 Acta Universitatis Carolinae Kinanthropologica, in English
-1997 Ceská kinantropologie - under Academy of Sciences
- 2000 Studia Kinanthropologica - of South-Czech University
Some names in Europe and elsewhere
- The ”SPORT” family of names:
Sport Science,
Exercise Science,
Sportwissenschaft
sounds non-academic, narrow, specific, applied only
- In Germany and Austria also
-“Bewegungslehre” in Germany (Meinel)
- ”Motologie” at present as a Department at the
Universitat Marburg,
too in Austria,
as a part of
”Psychomotorik”
“Kinanthropology”
(e.g. Renson 1990)
in Canada: - University of Sherbrooke
- University of Quebec
in Belgium : - University of Leuven
- Department of Kinanthropology
- Department of Clinical Kinanthropology
Also (cf. Brasier-Razor 1989) :
- Human Kinetics,
- Physical Activity Science,
- Human Movement Science,
- Anthropokinetics, . . .
“ Kinesiology”
in 80´s recommended by that time
American Academy of Physical Education,
but some still find
“this term too narrow a connotation”
(Schutz, early 90’s - UBC, Vancouver)