St Andrews Research Repository

St Andrews University Home
View Item 
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Psychology & Neuroscience (School of)
  • Psychology & Neuroscience
  • Psychology & Neuroscience Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Psychology & Neuroscience (School of)
  • Psychology & Neuroscience
  • Psychology & Neuroscience Theses
  • View Item
  •   St Andrews Research Repository
  • Psychology & Neuroscience (School of)
  • Psychology & Neuroscience
  • Psychology & Neuroscience Theses
  • View Item
  • Login
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

An investigation into the nature of perceptual style and body awareness in relation to perceptual-motor abilities

Thumbnail
View/Open
AndrewHeadPhDThesis.pdf (32.22Mb)
Date
1988
Author
Head, Andrew S.
Supervisor
Perrett, David
Metadata
Show full item record
Altmetrics Handle Statistics
Abstract
The thesis is an account of an investigative study into the nature of perceptual-motor abilities. Part one considers Witkin's construct of cognitive style, using it to predict the relationships between three tests of perceptual functioning from widely varying areas of psychology and sports science. To some extent the results were as predicted; that is, those people demonstrating high levels of perceptual acuity on one test also showed similar acuity on one or more of the other perceptual tests. These results, however, only applied to the male subjects and then only when the opposite poles of one test-dimension were partitioned out and compared. The female subjects demonstrated no significant relationships between the three tests. As a result, it was proposed that the tests were indeed linked but by an array of underlying perceptual abilities rather than by a single, overlying cognitive or perceptual style. In the ensuing search for these abilities, 76 measures of perceptual and perceptual-motor skills were factor analysed to reveal 8 oblique perceptual-motor factors of which one was interpreted as being perceptual style. The nature of perceptual-motor abilities is discussed both in relation to clumsiness and to sports training with the emphasis being on whether such abilities are amenable to alteration. The thesis puts forward the proposal that an upper limit to each ability is fixed for each individual in early childhood but that this potential may be maximised through relevant training. The Perceptual-Motor Ability Profile was devised as a tool with which to indicate the aptitude a person evidenced for a particular sport or physical activity and was used in demonstration to describe the group abilities of four dancers with respect to the requirements of their chosen activity. Finally, a model of perceptual-motor functioning, relating the eight factors extracted, is suggested.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Collections
  • Psychology & Neuroscience Theses
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/14683

Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Advanced Search

Browse

All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunderThis CollectionBy Issue DateNamesTitlesSubjectsClassificationTypeFunder

My Account

Login

Open Access

To find out how you can benefit from open access to research, see our library web pages and Open Access blog. For open access help contact: openaccess@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Accessibility

Read our Accessibility statement.

How to submit research papers

The full text of research papers can be submitted to the repository via Pure, the University's research information system. For help see our guide: How to deposit in Pure.

Electronic thesis deposit

Help with deposit.

Repository help

For repository help contact: Digital-Repository@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Give Feedback

Cookie policy

This site may use cookies. Please see Terms and Conditions.

Usage statistics

COUNTER-compliant statistics on downloads from the repository are available from the IRUS-UK Service. Contact us for information.

© University of St Andrews Library

University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter