Chapter 11
Measuring
Psychomotor Performance
and Sports Skills
Taxonomy of Motor Performance
• An ordering of information about human
movement ability
• A hierarchy:
– Each successive movement or ability builds
on the ones beneath it
• A basis for setting performance
expectations
• A way to devise strategies for teaching,
coaching, and advising
Taxonomy of the
Psychomotor Domain
(adapted from Harrow, 1972)
Items in a Taxonomy
for Physical Performance
• Range from most basic, lowest level of
physical function—reflexes—to nonverbal
communication through purposeful body
movements—communicative movement.
• Range from subconscious, instinctual
movements to skilled movement requiring
instruction, practice, and ability.
Your Viewpoint
• Think of your favorite physical activity.
Where—on what level of the taxonomy of
the psychomotor domain—is your skill
level?
• What could you do to move to the next
higher level?
Measuring Performance Based
on the Psychomotor Taxonomy
• Measuring reflexes:
– For example, to determine the degree of a
spinal cord injury or concussion.
• Measuring basic intentional movements:
– To identify problems and develop strategies
for overcoming psychomotor difficulties.
– Balance test
– Hand steadiness
(continued)
Measuring Performance
(continued)
• Measuring sensory ability and response
to environmental challenges:
– Two-point touch test
• Measuring basic physical skills:
– To measure the components of physical
fitness as well as additional abilities (i.e.,
agility and balance)
(continued)
Measuring Performance
(continued)
• Measuring skills movements:
– To measure a person’s skill in isolation and
in context of competition
• Measuring communicative movement:
– To evaluate athletes/movement at the
highest skill level
– Evaluators, as well as subjects being tested,
need to have expert knowledge of the sport
– Involves rubrics
Testing Hand Steadiness
Tests of Basic Physical Skills
• Margaria Kalamen test:
– Power (watts) = body mass * vertical distance
* 9.8) / time
• Wingate Anaerobic Power test:
– Peak power (PP) = force  distance/time
Ergometer Used in the Wingate
Anaerobic Power Test
Rubrics
• A ranked set of descriptors that specifies the
components of a skill.
– High end: The desired level of performance.
– Low end: The lowest level of performance
imaginable.
– In between: Every variety of performance one
might ever view.
• Types:
– Holistic
– Primary trait
Sample Rubrics for Basketball
• Holistic rubric:
– A single large rubric with one global score for
all skills demonstrated while playing.
• Primary trait rubric:
– May be broken down into offense/defense
type plays.
– May be broken down into different types of
shots.
– Has greater reliability and objectivity than a
holistic rubric.
Development and Application
of a Rubric
•
•
•
•
•
Define what is to be measured
Establish levels and write the rubric
Weight the rubric
Score the rubric
Create a judging form or sheet
– Should be based on the rubric, so as to
determine scores
• Select judges
Sample Primary Trait Rubric
for a Cheerleader’s Voice
and Projection Skill
Adaptation of a Cheerleader
Scoring Sheet
Cheerleader Scoring Sheet
(continued)
Issues in Measuring
Human Performance
• External validity:
– Can results be generalized to the real
world?
• Ecological validity:
– Was data gathered in an environment
that is similar to that in which results will
be applied?
• Interfering variables
(continued)
More Issues
in Measuring Performance
•
•
•
•
Using test batteries
Overtesting
Misleading testing
Resolving deficiencies in the test
takers and in the test itself
• Discrimination among skill levels
• Nonteaching applications
Variables That May Interfere
with Measurement
• Body fatness
• Experience
– Learning effect: Those who have taken
a test several times may learn how to
achieve a higher score.
• Cheating and carelessness
Administering
Psychomotor Skills Tests
• Anticipate dangers; safety is of utmost
importance
• Prepare ahead of time:
– Equipment
– Scoring sheets
– Trained assistants
• Take notes to help with test preparation
the next time.
Questions to Ask During/After
Test Administration
• What worked? What
didn’t?
• Is it practical?
• Does it have validity?
• What could be done to
enhance validity,
reliability, and
objectivity?
• How could it be
modified?
• What can be done to
speed up test
administration?
• What can be done to
simplify test
administration?
• Is the length
appropriate? What
could be cut?
• Are there any issues
with objectivity?
Designing Psychomotor
Skills Tests
• Define the motor skill; what does it entail?
• Research to find out what others have
done.
• Design the test to fit circumstances/ability
levels being measured.
• Conduct trial run.
• Evaluate trial run.
• Modify the test and repeat the process.
Your Viewpoint
• When you were in school, did you take any
skills tests in PE class? What do you
remember about how those tests were
administered?
• Did you feel they were fair and objective?
• Were the scoring and evaluation accurate?
• If you were asked to improve this year’s
version of the test, what would you change?