Department of Sport Science, Tourism & Leisure

MSPMD2PMC: Perceptual and Motor Skills in Sport in Sport Coaching

Portfolio Assessment(Laboratory Report)

Written report

(2800 words)

Task

You must write up the outlined experiment in a coherent laboratory report including the appropriate sections, as outlined in the Research Report Guidelines document. You MUST include ABSTRACT, LITERATURE REVIEW, METHOD, RESULTS, & DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION sections. In addition, the data analysis and any relevant materials must appear in the appendix. This assignment must be within the set word limit (2800 +/- 10%), and must be handed in VIA Turnitin by April28^th, 2017 before 4:00pm. https://precisionessays.com/in/project/create

Example Method

INCLUDE A MORE DETAILED VERSION OF THIS SECTION IN THE MAIN SECTION OF YOUR LABORATORY REPORT

Participants:

Year 2 Sport Science, Tourism & Leisure Students (N= input number from SPSS results).

Procedure:

Participants will form pairs and each will watch 44 video sequences of a variety of table tennis shots in turn. Each sequence is followed by a 5 SECOND period within which the participant makes a response on the scale drawing of half a table tennis table. The required response is a cross, marking the position which the participant estimates the ball would have bounced on their side of the table based upon the information offered from the video sequence. When the participant has responded to a trial, it is the job of the other person in the pairing to place a number next to the cross just marked, in a sequence, starting from 1 and finishing with 45. THIS IS REQUIRED TO ENSURE AN ANALYSIS CAN TAKE PLACE.

Error will be calculated by placing an acetate grid detailing the actual landing positions of the shots over the scale drawing of the tennis table. This will allow a comparison of where the participants estimated the shots would bounce and where they actually did. Both DEPTH AND WIDTH errors will be calculated for each experimental trial. Mean depth and width error for each of the temporal occlusion conditions will be calculated.

Statistical Analysis:

An appropriate statistical test will be performed on the data to allow differences to be highlighted between the temporal occlusion conditions.

YOU NEED TO OUTLINE THE TYPE OF STATISTICAL TESTS USED IN THIS PART OF THE METHOD SECTION.

Guidelines for producing a research article in

Sport & Exercise Psychology & Motor Skill Acquisition

The research process is of vital significance in sport & exercise science & forms an integral part of your undergraduate course. The purpose of carrying out an investigation is to learn from your own findings and communicate your knowledge to other interested parties. From this it is possible to develop & improve techniques & strategies which are valid and reliable to assist and optimise sport performance & health. The most common form of recorded information is the written word & therefore great importance is attached to presenting scientific information in this manner. The following guidelines are intended to assist you in the writing of your research article.

The purpose of the research Article

i) To communicate clearly and precisely the findings of a particular investigation.
ii) To facilitate the assessment of the above.

Your research article must contain the following sections:

1. Title page layout

The title page should contain the following information:

The title of the Department of Study & of the course; the name of the course tutor; the title of the research article, the author, the word count & the date – all in CAPITAL LETTERS, e.g.:

CANTERBURYCHRISTCHURCHUNIVERSITY

SECTION OF SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCE

2^nd YEAR

Perceptual and Motor Skills in Sport Coaching

COURSE TUTOR: JONATHAN SWAIN

TITLE.

N. OTHER

28^th April, 2017

The report must be:-

i) in English with UK English spellings
ii) must be typed or word-processed

iii) double spaced throughout

iv) size 12 Times New Roman or Times Roman font throughout

vii) each page must be numbered at the centre of the bottom of the page

vii) figures and tables that appear in the main body of the report must be embedded within the text

All reports must be submitted on A4 loose paper within an A4 folder (paper punched). A single transparent A4 sleeve is allowed if work is stapled together. You must complete the report within the acceptable limits for the number of words allowed, acceptable limits are ± 10% of the report. For instance if the word limit is 2800 words you must complete your report within ± 10% of this number, which in this case is ± 280 words.The word limit does not include the REFERENCES sections of the report.

Section Headings

The sections listed below form the structure & content of a research article:

Abstract
Introduction & Literature Review (To include:Aim(s) and experimental hypothesis).
Method (apparatus, methodological procedures, method of data analysis)
Results (data collected, analysis of experimental data and derived results)
Discussion/Conclusion(s)
References

Requirements of each section

1. Abstract

The abstract should normally contain between 100 & 200 words. It should be written only when every other section of the report has been completed. Students sometimes find it difficult to accept that a statement should be made in an abstract format knowing that an identical or similar statement appears in the body of the report. The abstract should be regarded as an independent section which is meaningful when read in isolation from the remainder of the report. References should not be cited in the abstract.

In writing an abstract students should look at each completed section of the report extract key statements & present them as concisely as possible. It is important to include in the abstract any experimentally determined value, the determination of which is a major feature of the investigation. (For examples refer to journal articles in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology & The Sport Psychologist in the library).

2. Introduction & Literature Review

Aim(s) & objective(s) of the investigation

This contains a full & concise statement of the aims & objectives of the investigation. The aim of the investigation is what you intend to do & the objective is how you intend to do it.

For example:

What is the specific aim of the study?

The aim of the study was to determine if the accuracy of prediction of table tennis ball landing position was influenced by advanced cue utilisation.

Objectives = How are you going to realise the aim ?

The objective of the study was to measure table tennis ball landing prediction accuracy i) with no advance cues & no ball flight information; ii) with advance cues & no ball flight information & iii) with advance cues & with ball flight information.

Theory & Research

Justify the need for the report i.e. why are you doing what you are doing? What have other researchers found? This section of the report must include a review of the available literature which is directly relevant to your investigation. Start with the available theories that support your aims and objectives, then highlight KEY research findings.

Experimental Hypothesis

Experimental Hypothesis must be stated at the end of your literature review e.g. it was hypothesised that foot size would correlate with mathematics ability. This hypothesis should link directly from the theory and research you have already stated, there should be no surprises for the reader as to the question you are going to investigate!

3. Method

Participants

Participants should be described in this section (including number, gender, age & any other such characteristics deemed important to the study). Means & standard deviations of descriptive data should be provided (e.g., in the case of age). Characteristics of participants not considered for participation should be outlined (e.g., injured performers). A statement concerning informed consent should also be included.

Apparatus

This section contains important and relevant details of all the apparatus used in the experiment. Equipment is described as the item used, & in parenthesis the brand name of the item used, manufacturer, the place of manufacture & the country of manufacture.

For example:

Heart rate was recorded using a telemetric pulse meter (Sport Tester PE4000, Polar, Kempele, Finland).

Also, diagrams which provide a schematic representation of the experimental procedure or type of equipment used in the procedure or adapted equipment used in the experiment can be usefully employed in this section. The title of the diagram (all diagrams are identified as a figure) is positioned directly below the diagram & provides a clear description of what it represents.

Measures

Any psychological inventories, physiological tests used in the investigation must be described in this section together with any other measures used.

Procedure

This section of the report contains concise details of how the investigation was conducted, mentioning factors which are of special significance. It is particularly useful to refer to special precautions taken in the execution of the investigation. It is important that you describe the methodological procedure in chronological order i.e. the order that they occurred during the experiment. The purpose of this section is to define the experimental techniques employed without ambiguity & in a way which would permit a complete identical “re-test”.

Method of data analysis

EXCEPTION!!!!!!!

This section must contain your own words and contributes to your word limit.

This section provides a clear description of any methods of data analysis used to analyse the data & the computer software package(s) used to perform the analysis.

4. Results

Data collected

This section contains details of the relevant data recorded/collected during the investigation. It is important to ensure that appropriate units are reported. Report data to no more than two significant figures. In presenting a series of results an efficient form of tabulation should be used. (See guidelines on producing tables below).

Analysis of data and derived results

This section contains the processing of the data & its presentation in a concise & clearly understood form, (tabular & graphical). It is unnecessary to include numerous similar calculations. However, a sample calculation can be included to provide a clear example of the method used to analyse the data.

You must describe your results to the reader, do not merely present a series of tables/figures & leave the reader to sort them out for themselves. You must guide the reader through the section, explain the tables and figures and highlight the important points. e.g. The results of the table tennis ball landing position prediction test are shown in Table 1. There was no significant difference between the three conditions (P>0.05). It can be seen from Figure 1 that ….

If you use the words “significant” or “non significant” (not insignificant) you are implying that you have used statistics and must therefore state your P value, i.e. there was a significant difference between variable 1 when compared with variable 2 (P<0.001). If values are significantly different state which is greater. Do not just state that there was a significant difference between the two variables.

Guidelines for the use of tables

Ensure that all tables are titled & given a table number and that the table numbers follow in sequence throughout the report. The title of the table is placed directly above the table. The units should appear at the head of the columns. The use of abbreviations in the table need to be explained below the table, if not already explained in the previous text. Examples of the use of tables can be seen in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology & The Sport Psychologist.

Guidelines for figures

Figures can be used to present a clear representation of the key findings of the experiment. All graphs used in the report are described as figures. Ensure that all figures are titled & given a figure number and that the figure numbers follow in sequence throughout the report, diagrams which may have been included in the methods section of the report are figures and therefore are included in the sequence. Each figure should be clearly described in the legend which is positioned directly below the figure. All figures must be embedded within the text. The axes of a graph (figure) should carry a definition of the quantity & associated unit.

When a number of lines are shown on the same figure it is important to use various line forms to allow the reader to distinguish each line e.g. dotted line, dashed line, etc. An alternative is to use a range of symbols &/or colours for the experimental points for each test condition.

The scales used in a figure which is a graphical representation of the data should be selected to clearly show the relationship between variables. The smallest scale of the division of the graph should roughly correspond with the random error or scatter of the plotted values. Examples of the use of figures can be seen in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology and The Sport Psychologist.

5. Discussion & Conclusion

This section involves an assessment of the results & comparisons with theoretical predictions where appropriate.

Results should not be seen in the discussion. The discussion should refer to the data in the results section. Try to explain the trends or results and relate them to the aim(s) & experimental hypothesis. Where possible state if the results concur with theory and previous research, or if not why not? Do not go overboard with limitations but if you feel they are important bring them to light. An assessment of the significance of the experimental results must be the theme of this section, it is essential that you interpret your results using information gained from background reading. It is the duty of the author to guide the reader towards a sound interpretation of your findings & consequently all significant aspects must be examined & commented upon. Whilst the reader will want to know the author’s opinions, it is the responsibility of the author to present his/her interpretations in a manner which is appropriate & provides the reader with enough information to assess the soundness of the interpretations and if necessary formulate others.

A critical analysis of the whole experiment should be made, without going into excessive detail. Such statements as “…the experiment was successful…” are not sufficient. Possible modifications and/or further work can be suggested.

Your concluding section should provide a brief summary of your main findings & their implications (about two to four sentences). Include recommendations for future research if you have any. The requirement of this section is a concise statement of the results which were sought & obtained, and their significance. This section must correspond closely with the aim(s) set out at the beginning of the report.

6. References

Details concerning the use of this referencing system is provided in your year 2 handbook. Students who show clear evidence of background reading of research papers as well as textbooks will gain extra marks. The use of other work which is not referenced in the text or the list of references is PLAGIARISM.

Literary style

Simple but precise language should be used. Personal pronouns must be avoided at all times, & the report should be written in the past tense. However, the present or future tense may be appropriate in certain cases, especially in the discussion & conclusion(s) sections of the report.

Reference List:

The following references may be useful for tips and advice on writing up research:

Bell, B.P. & Staines, P.J. (2001) Evaluating, Doing and Writing Research in Psychology: A Step-by-Step Guide. London: Sage.

Preece, R. A. (1994) Starting Research: An Introduction to Academic Research and Dissertation Writing. London: Pinter.

Thomas, J. & Nelson, J. (2001) Research Methods in Physical Activity (4^th ed.). Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics

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