Effects of Modeling and Goal-Setting on the Jumping Performance of Primary-Grade Children

Abstract

This research investigated the effects of two prepractice factors on the jumping performance of children. It was hypothesized that modeling and goal-setting as well as the combination of these two factors would significantly influence children's performance of a rope-jumping task. Subjects were 52 children (33 boys, 19 girls) whose ages ranged from 5.0 to 7.0 yr. Children were randomly assigned to four practice conditions: modeling, goal-setting, modeling-goal-setting, and control. One trial of the experimental task consisted of jumping a horizontally rotating bar for 20 sec. Each child performed one baseline trial followed by 2 three-trial blocks of learning trials and 1 three-trial block of test trials. A one-factor analysis of variance with three covariates—age (mo.), baseline jumping scores, and response speed—was applied to the three blocks of data. The major findings were that the Goal-setting and Modeling-Goal-setting Groups performed the jumping task at a significantly higher level than the Control Group during the last half of learning (Block 2) and on the final test (Block 3). In contrast, the Modeling Group performed at a level only slightly better than the Controls. One conclusion was that goal-setting had a significant effect on primary-grade children's ability to perform the rope-jumping task. It may have motivated children to persist at a rather difficult task. Another conclusion was that goal-setting may be a more important practice factor than modeling especially for young children. Since this is one of the first investigations of these two prepractice factors and children's acquisition of jumping skill, additional research is warranted.