Basketball Task Research Articles

Influence of Game Space on the Design of Wheelchair Basketball Tasks

The design and organization of the training tasks in Wheelchair Basketball (WB) determine the load to which the players are exposed. Therefore, the aims of the present study were twofold: (a) to identify the existing associations between the pedagogical variables and the game space that define the training tasks by a coach of a professional WB team using the integral analysis system of training tasks (SIATE) tool, and (b) to analyze the self-defined profile of the two coaches. A total of 46 tasks coded during two months of coaching were analyzed. The following questionnaires were used to determine the coaches’ self-defined profile: (i) Coach Orientation Questionnaire; (ii) Coach Knowledge and Skills Questionnaire; (iii) Coach Decision Questionnaire; and (iv) Coach Planning Style Questionnaire. The results reported a relationship between the playing space and the design of the tasks defined by the pedagogical variables. Positional situations in WB are mainly used for 1 × 0 tasks, during warm-up, by means of simple and unopposed application games. In the same way, 1 × 0 tasks are used in midfield game situations. On the other hand, coaches use the round-trip court in more complex game situations, 4 × 4 and 5 × 5, in which attack and defense contents are worked together, by means of specific complex games of numerical equality for the training of collective technical–tactical attacking schemes. Planning and evaluation of the training sessions provide knowledge regarding the evolution of the physical condition and load to which the players are exposed. The WB coaches should handle a wide repertoire of general and specific contents to improve the quality of training sessions, and consequently, the performance in the game.

An Implementation of Actor-Critic Algorithm on Spiking Neural Network Using Temporal Coding Method

Taking advantage of faster speed, less resource consumption and better biological interpretability of spiking neural networks, this paper developed a novel spiking neural network reinforcement learning method using actor-critic architecture and temporal coding. The simple improved leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) model was used to describe the behavior of a spike neuron. Then the actor-critic network structure and the update formulas using temporally encoded information were provided. The current model was finally examined in the decision-making task, the gridworld task, the UAV flying through a window task and the avoiding a flying basketball task. In the 5 × 5 grid map, the value function learned was close to the ideal situation and the quickest way from one state to another was found. A UAV trained by this method was able to fly through the window quickly in simulation. An actual flight test of a UAV avoiding a flying basketball was conducted. With this model, the success rate of the test was 96% and the average decision time was 41.3 ms. The results show the effectiveness and accuracy of the temporal coded spiking neural network RL method. In conclusion, an attempt was made to provide insights into developing spiking neural network reinforcement learning methods for decision-making and autonomous control of unmanned systems.

Quantification Of Limb Loading Asymmetries In Collegiate Basketball Players During Basketball Tasks

Lower extremity biomechanical asymmetries have been previously identified in basketball athletes during individual screening tasks. The amount of asymmetry that occurs during basketball-specific tasks is not as well understood. PURPOSE: To identify the extent of lower limb loading asymmetry, as measured by a wearable sensor, that occurs during basketball-specific tasks and to determine whether sex-differences in loading patterns exist between male and female basketball athletes. METHODS: Fifteen NCAA Division-I men’s (n: 7, height: 187.3 ± 15.2 cm, mass: 91.4 ± 20.9 kg) and women’s (n: 8, height: 175.5 ± 10.9 cm, mass: 73.8 ± 11.6 kg) basketball athletes participated in the study. Each participant wore an inertial measurement unit on the distal medial aspect of each tibia while completing a series of basketball-related tasks (i.e. drop vertical jump, single leg countermovement jump), and eight basketball-specific tasks (e.g. dribbling, shooting, cutting, sprinting) over the course of a 30-minute session. The average intensity of each impact as measured by tibial acceleration and impact load as a function of the number and intensity of impacts were used for analysis. 2 (side) x 2 (gender) repeated measures ANOVA with post-hoc independent t-tests were used to identify side-to-side asymmetries and sex differences in intensity and loading variables (α = 0.05). RESULTS: For all participants, there were no significant differences in average loading intensity (dominant limb (D): 10.4 ± 1.5 g, non-dominant limb (ND): 10.1 ± 1.5 g) or impact load (D: 6007 ± 1245 g, ND: 5720 ± 1033 g) between sides (p > 0.05). There were significant sex differences in the average intensity of loading such that female basketball players exhibited greater average loading than males in the dominant (M: 9.5 ± 1.0 g, F: 11.1 ± 1.5 g; p = 0.04) and non-dominant limb (M: 9.0 ± 0.8 g, F: 11.1 ± 1.4 g; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: No significant loading asymmetries were identified in collegiate basketball players, warranting further study in a natural, non-simulated environment. Significant differences in loading were identified such that female basketball players had higher average loading than male basketball players, potentially due to differences in force attenuation strategies during running, cutting, jumping and landing.

Effects of Cooperation and Competition on Performance, Emotion, and Effort: Goal and Means Interdependence.

Social interdependence theory proposes that task structure influences performance via social interaction. Using this framework, we examined sport performance. Fifty-six males performed a basketball task under four conditions: as an individual (individual, perform your best) and as a member of a team of two (cooperation, where teammates sought to better their individual performance; means independent competition, where two teams competed sequentially to outperform the other team; means interdependent competition, where two teams competed simultaneously to outperform the other team). Task performance (points) was better during means independent competition than other conditions. Anxiety and effort peaked during the competitions and enjoyment was greater during competition and cooperation than during the individual condition. Emotions, effort, and actions are discussed as explanations for the performance effects. Social interdependence theory provides a valuable framework to understand emotion, motivation, and performance. Team competition can be used to promote effort and enhance performance in sport.

Are Subjective Intensities Indicators of Player Load and Heart Rate in Physical Education?

Physical education teachers need valid, low-cost, subjective techniques as an alternative to high-cost new technologies to monitor students’ intensity monitoring. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between both objective and subjective external (eTL) and internal (iTL) intensities. A total of 95 primary education students participated in this study. In this regard, 40 played soccer, and 55 performed basketball tasks, recording a total of 3956 units of analysis. The intensities caused by the different soccer and basketball tasks were measured using objective techniques (inertial devices and heart rate monitors) and subjective techniques (a sheet of task analysis and ratings of perceived exertion). Matrix scatter plots were made to show the values of two variables for a dataset. In this regard, adjustment lines were plotted to determine the trend of the correlations. Then, Spearman’s correlation was calculated to measure the association between two variables. Despite the low correlation levels obtained, the main results showed significant positive correlations between the intensities. This means that the high intensity values recorded by objective techniques also implied high intensity values recorded by subjective techniques, and vice versa. Negative correlations (r Rho = −0.19; p = 0.00) were only found between the following eTL variables: task eTL per minute (subjective technique) and player load per minute (objective technique). This negative correlation occurred when students played in the same 3 vs. 3 game situation without variability in subjective eTL (M ± SD, 28.00 ± 0.00). Therefore, subjective eTL and iTL techniques could be proposed as a suitable alternative for planning and monitoring the intensities supported by students in physical education classes. Moreover, these subjective techniques are easy to use in schools.

The role of instruction preference in analogy learning: Brain activity and motor performance

This study examined the role of verbal instruction preference when learning motor skills by analogy. During skill learning, analogies are a useful tool for providing knowledge about how to move. It has been argued that analogy instructions reduce reliance on verbal information processes during motor planning, compared to traditional forms of instruction (i.e., explicit rules about how to move). This may be reflected by reduced verbal activity in the brain, measured by EEG alpha power at the temporal region, as well as reduced verbal-motor cross-communication (EEG T7-Fz coherence) during the preparation phase of a movement. Preference for using verbal or visual instructions is likely to influence the efficacy of analogy instructions. This study investigated whether preference for verbal instructions was related to a) changes in performance and b) changes in verbal-cognitive information processing during performance of an adapted basketball task after instruction by analogy. Basketball novices with a high preference for verbal instructions (n = 15) showed significantly decreased activation of verbal brain regions when they used the analogy (high-alpha power), but their performance remained stable. Novices with a low preference for verbal instructions (n = 13) did not show a significant decrease in activation of verbal regions, and their performance deteriorated significantly after introduction of the analogy instruction. It is likely that both cognitive and performance changes after analogy instruction depend on personal aspects of information processing, such as verbal preference.

Hand Preference and Performance in Basketball Tasks.

The aims of this study were to develop and validate an instrument to quantitatively assess the handedness of basketballers in basketball tasks (Basketball Handedness Inventory, BaHI) and to compare it with their handedness in daily activities by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI). The participants were 111 basketballers and 40 controls. All subjects completed the EHI and only basketballers filled in the BaHI. To validate the BaHI, a voluntary subsample of basketballers repeated the BaHI. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor model. Our results show that: (i) Handedness score (R) in daily actions did not differ between basketball players (R by EHI = 69.3 ± 44.6) and the control group (R by EHI = 64.5 ± 58.6); (ii) basketballers more frequently favored performing certain sport tasks with the left hand or mixed hands (as highlighted by R by BaHI = 50.1 ± 47.1), although their choice was primarily the right hand in everyday gestures; and (iii) this preference was especially true for athletes at the highest levels of performance (R by BaHI of A1 league = 38.6 ± 58.3) and for those playing in selected roles (point guard’s R = 29.4 ± 67.4). Our findings suggest that professional training induces handedness changes in basketball tasks. The BaHI provides a valid and reliable measure of the skilled hand in basketball. This will allow coaches to assess mastery of the ball according to the hand used by the athlete in the different tasks and roles.

Percepción emocional de estudiantes universitarios en la asignatura de Baloncesto

Las emociones experimentadas por los estudiantes universitarios en sus asignaturas obligatorias de formación profesional, son una parte fundamental del proceso educativo, las cuales se relacionan con diferentes factores como el bienestar subjetivo, las metas de logro, la motivación intrínseca o la experiencia deportiva. Con la finalidad de abordarlas desde una perspectiva pedagógica, se ha desarrollado un estudio que tuvo por objeto analizar la percepción de las emociones positivas y negativas para el bienestar subjetivo en los estudiantes de la asignatura de Baloncesto del Grado en Ciencias del Deporte, en función de la experiencia deportiva. Su diseño responde al paradigma interpretativo y sus participantes son 19 estudiantes con un rango de edad de 19 a 28 años. Los datos fueron recogidos a través de un diario personal y entrevistas semi-estructuradas. Para el análisis de contenido, se utilizó el programa Atlas.ti 7.5. Los principales resultados indican que los estudiantes atribuyen sus emociones positivas y negativas a motivos similares en función de la experiencia deportiva, pero al mismo tiempo, existen motivos independientes sobre la facilidad de realizar las tareas de baloncesto, la colaboración en la clase, el resultado de los juegos con competencia y el deseo de practicar baloncesto. Por lo tanto, se concluye que para abordar la dimensión afectiva en la asignatura de baloncesto, es preciso diagnosticar el nivel de aprendizaje en baloncesto, los recuerdos afectivos en la práctica de baloncesto y las expectativas en relación a los objetivos de la asignatura.

Transferring Generalizable Motor Primitives From Simulation to Real World

Reinforcement learning provides robots with an autonomous learning framework where a skill can be learned by exploration. Exploration in real world is, however, inherently unsafe and time consuming, and causes wear and tear. To address these, learning policies in simulation and then transferring them to physical systems has been proposed. In this letter, we propose a novel sample-efficient transfer approach, which is agnostic to the dynamics of a simulated system and combines it with incremental learning. Instead of transferring a single control policy, we transfer a generalizable contextual policy generated in simulation using one or few samples from real world to a target global model, which can generate policies across parameterized real-world situations. We studied the generalization capability of the incremental transfer framework using MuJoCo physics engine and KUKA LBR 4+. Experiments with ball-in-a-cup and basketball tasks demonstrated that the target model improved the generalization capability beyond the direct use of the source model indicating the effectiveness of the proposed framework. Experiments also indicated that the transfer capability depends on the generalization capability of the corresponding source model, similarity between source and target environment, and number of samples used for transferring.

Playing Basketball on Wooden and Asphalt Courts-Does Court Surface Affect Foot Loading?

This study aimed to examine the influence of court surface on foot loading when executing typical basketball tasks. Thirteen male basketball players performed three basketball-related tasks: Layup, jump shot, and maximal effort sprint on wooden and asphalt courts. In-shoe plantar loading was recorded during the basketball movements and peak force (normalised to body weight) was extracted from eight-foot regions. Perceptions of discomfort at the ankle, knee, and back were surveyed using a 10-cm visual analogue scale.

The Effects of Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviors on Emotion, Attention, and Performance During a Competitive Basketball Task.

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether prosocial and antisocial teammate behaviors affect emotions (i.e.,happiness, anxiety, anger), attention, and performance. Undergraduate sport and exercise science students (N = 102) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: prosocial behavior, antisocial behavior, and control. They performed a basketball free-throw shooting task for 2min in baseline and experimental phases and completed measures of emotions and attention. Free-throw shooting performance was also recorded. A series of analyses of covariances controlling for baseline scores showed that the prosocial group reported more happiness than the antisocial and control groups. The antisocial group reported more anxiety than the prosocial group and more anger and lower attention than the other 2 groups. The prosocial and antisocial groups performed better than the control group. These findings suggest that prosocial and antisocial teammate behaviors may influence the recipient's emotions, attention, and performance during sport competition.

Perfectionism and training performance: The mediating role of other-approach goals

Recent research found perfectionistic strivings to predict performance in a novel basketball task among novice basketball players. The current study builds on this research by examining whether this is also the case for performance in a familiar basketball training task among experienced basketball players, and whether achievement goals mediated any observed relationships. Perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, and 3 × 2 achievement goals were assessed prior to basketball training performance in 90 basketball players (mean age 20.9 years). Regression analyses showed that perfectionistic strivings predicted better performance. Furthermore, mediation analyses showed that other-approach goals (e.g. beliefs that one should and can outperform others) accounted for this relationship. The findings suggest that perfectionistic strivings may predict better performance in both novel and familiar athletic contexts. In addition, beliefs about the importance and ability to outperform others may explain this relationship.

Most Physically Educated Contest

It is seldom that the accomplishments of secondary physical education students are celebrated. The Most Physically Educated Contest was developed to allow students from several school districts to gather for appropriate competition and to display the characteristics of physical literacy attained from participation in high-quality physical education programs. The purpose of this article is to share with readers the process of developing, organizing and executing a Most Physically Educated Contest so that others can replicate the event in their own setting. Students participated in the following events, with assessments aligned with the National Standards: (1) written essay, (2) PACER test, (3) push-up assessment, (4) badminton task, and (5) basketball task. All of the steps from initial planning to awards, including keys to success, schedule of events, and the awards ceremony, are presented.

Midsole Stiffness Influences Plantar Loading During Double Leg Landings In Basketball Players

Lateral foot (LF) loading has been purported to relate to increased risk of fifth metatarsal fractures in an athletic population. In a basketball population, Jones fractures are a debilitating injury sustained to the LF. Increasing the shoe stiffness or adding custom orthoses have been previously used to help control loading and as an intervention to decrease risk of stress fractures on the fifth metatarsal. Conflicting results on LF loading have been found when increasing stiffness during athletic performance. PURPOSE:To examine the effects of midsole stiffness on lateral plantar loading during a drop vertical jump (DVJ). METHODS:Twenty high school and collegiate basketball players volunteered to participate in the current study (height 185.9 ± 6.2cm, mass 80.6 ± 9.2kg, age 18.0 ± 1.84yrs). Each subject was fitted for the appropriately sized basketball shoe. One pair of shoes was modified with a fiberglass plate placed under the insole to increase midsole stiffness. The shoe conditions were blinded and randomly assigned to each subject. During the DVJ, subjects stood on a 30 cm box and dropped off with both feet leaving the box at the same time. Upon immediate landing, they completed a maximum vertical jump. A flexible in-shoe pressure distribution measuring insole was used in the right side and sampled at 200Hz. Separate repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) determined the relative loading differences in shoe stiffness during the DVJ in 9 foot regions (p<0.05. RESULTS:The control (less stiff) shoe had greater relative loading in the central forefoot (control: 15.2 ± 4.2%, stiff: 13.9 ± 4%, p=0.04) and lesser toes (control: 12.6 ± 4.1%, stiff: 10.8 ± 3.5%, p=0.01) regions during the landing phase. However, the stiff footwear had greater relative load in the lateral midfoot compared to the control shoe (control: 10.3 ± 5.7%, stiff: 11.7 ± 6.6%, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS:The results indicate that greater shoe stiffness increases plantar loading on the lateral midfoot which coincides with the proximal head of the fifth metatarsal. Increasing shoe stiffness should be done cautiously as increased loading on the LF may exist. Whether this increased loading is present during other basketball tasks should be determined. The authors would like to acknowledge funding support from adidas International, Inc.

The Effect of Audiovisual Integration on Performance Accuracy and Learning in Motor Task

Introduction: Vision is not the only sense providing information to understand the pattern of movement. Hearing is another suitable channel to gather information about the pattern of movement. Hence, this study investigated the effect of audiovisual integration on performance precision and learning in basketball jump shot. Materials and Methods: 30 subjects were selected. The subjects were randomly divided three groups: visual, visual-auditory (single channel) and visual-auditory (two channels). Visual group watched patterns killed basketball player and other groups other groups in addition to watching pattern skilled basketball player, heard Elbow angular velocity (one channel groups) and Elbow and wrist angular velocity (two channel groups) as sonification. Per session practice was including 40 try; and subject participated in four sessions . The acquisition test was done at the end of each session and retention test was performed after 48 hours. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 22. One-way ANOVA and repeated measures ANOVA was used for data analysis. Results: Results showed Visual-auditory group (single channel) had significantly better performance compared to visual group (P = 0.001) and visual-auditory group (two channels) (P = 0.045) inacquisition test. In retention test there was significant difference between auditory groups and visual group in favor of the auditory groups (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: The results are consistent with modality appropriateness hypothesis. This results argues that due to certain temporal adjustments in jump shot basketball task, modality that dominates the perception in the context of this task, is auditory when is presented with visual simultaneously, it provide beneficial results. In this study, positive effect visual-auditory integration on performance and learning was confirmed.

Self-esteem, self-confidence, anxiety and claimed self-handicapping: A mediational analysis

Objectives The purpose of the present study was to examine the mediational role of self-confidence and anxiety in the relationship between self-esteem and claimed self-handicapping in an achievement context. Design To test this mediational role, the three-step procedure advocated by Baron and Kenny (1986) was used. Method After hearing and reading about specific conditions of performing that were intended to favor invoking excuses for future poor performance, 68 competitive basketball players completed measures of self-esteem, anxiety (cognitive and somatic), self-confidence, and claimed self-handicapping. Then, they warmed-up and carried out a basketball task. Results Self-esteem negatively predicted cognitive anxiety and positively predicted self-confidence. In turn, self-confidence negatively predicted claimed self-handicapping and mediated the relationship between self-esteem and claimed self-handicapping. Cognitive and somatic anxieties did not mediate the relationship between self-esteem and claimed self-handicapping. Together, these results suggest that individuals with low self-esteem use more claimed self-handicaps because they have lower self-confidence. Conclusion These findings shed light on the psychological processes that lead people with low self-esteem to use strategies of claimed self-handicaps.

The dark side of visual awareness in sport: Inattentional blindness in a real-world basketball task

Most research in the field of decision making in sports has focused on the bright side of visual attention and has not taken the dark side of visual awareness into account. Understanding the costs of such inattention should be complementary to the study of how attention facilitates perception. In the present study, we provide evidence for the existence of inattentional blindness (IB) in a real-world basketball setting among adults (Experiment 1). In Experiment 2, we found that players with hardly any basketball experience were more likely to experience IB in a real-world basketball setting, as compared with experienced athletes. Improving the ecological validity of the setting by enhancing the perception-action coupling (Experiment 3) and increasing task difficulty (Experiment 4) did not appear to affect the occurrence of IB among experienced athletes. IB can be considered a limitation of the visual system, but it also highlights a critical aspect of visual processing, which allows us to remain focused on the important aspects of the world. But as is shown in the present experiments, it is possible to induce an attentional set--for example, by sport-specific instructions--that leads to players' missing important game-relevant information.

An experimental investigation of the determinants and consequences of self-handicapping strategies across motivational climates

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the use of claimed and behavioural self-handicaps and their correlates differed across experimentally manipulated motivational climates. Fifty-six competitive basketball players participated in the study. A crossover design was used, such that all participants completed the experimental task (i.e. a test of basketball skill) in both mastery and performance climates. Analyses of variance showed that claimed self-handicaps were used more in the performance than the mastery condition but only for the men. In addition, greater behavioural self-handicapping occurred in the performance than the mastery climate. Contrary to expectation, neither type of self-handicap was related to performance on the basketball task in either climate. These findings reinforce the conceptual distinction between claimed and behavioural self-handicaps and suggest that individual and environmental factors may differentially influence each type of handicap.

Effects of Wearing Foot Orthosis With Medial Arch Support on the Fifth Metatarsal Loading and Ankle Inversion Angle in Selected Basketball Tasks

Preintervention and post-intervention, repeated-measures experimental design. The objective was to investigate the effects of foot orthoses with medial arch support on ankle inversion angle and plantar forces and pressures on the fifth metatarsal during landing for a basketball lay-up and during the stance phase of a shuttle run. Proximal fractures of the fifth metatarsal, specifically the Jones fracture, are common in sports. Wearing foot orthoses with medial arch support could increase the ankle inversion angle and the plantar forces and pressure on the fifth metatarsal that may increase the risk for fifth metatarsal fracture, Three-dimensional (3-D) videographic, force plate, and in-shoe plantar force and pressure data were collected during landing after a basketball lay-up and during the stance phase of a shuttle run with and without foot orthoses with medial arch support for 14 male subjects. Two-way ANOVAs with repeated measures were performed to compare ankle inversion angle, maximum forces, and pressure on the fifth metatarsal head and base between conditions and between tasks. The maximum ankle inversion angle and maximum plantar force and pressure on the base of the fifth metatarsal during both tasks as well as the maximum plantar force and pressure on the head of the fifth metatarsal during the stance of the shuttle run were significantly increased (P< or =026) when wearing foot orthoses. No significant differences were found in the maximum vertical ground reaction forces between foot orthotic conditions. Generic use of off-the-shelf foot orthoses with medial arch support causes increased plantar forces and pressures on the fifth metatarsal and may increase the risk for proximal fracture of the fifth metatarsal. Future studies are needed to investigate this risk, acknowledging that the differences noted in our study were small in magnitude and the foot type was not measured.

Individual Differences of Action Orientation for Risk Taking in Sports

The goal of this article is to explain empirical risk-taking behavior in sports from an individual cognitive modeling perspective. A basketball task was used in which participants viewed four video options that varied in the degree of associated risk. The participants were independently classified by scores on the Questionnaire for Assessing Prospective Action Orientation and State Orientation in Success, Failure, and Planning Situations as action-oriented or state-oriented decision makers. The results of the experiment show that action-oriented players shoot faster and more often to the basket and that state-oriented players prefer to pass to a playmaker more often. Four versions of a computational model of decision making, Decision Field Theory, were compared to evaluate whether behavioral differences depend on the focus of attention, the initial preferences, threshold values, or an approach-avoidance interpretation of the task. Different starting preferences explained individual choices and decision times most accurately. Risk taking in basketball shooting behavior can be best explained by different preferences for starting values for risky and safe options caused by different levels of action orientation.