RESUMO

We found evidence that Army cadets improved their gaze behavior and performance across time under high and low pressure in a shooting task. The purpose of the study was to determine if male and female cadets developed an optimal quiet eye (QE) onset, a longer QE duration, and decreased pupil diameter variability (PDV) over time under low (LP) and high pressure (HP) conditions. The study was carried out over four sessions, with intervals of 4.5 months. During each session, 16 men and 12 women, first-year cadets of The Brazilian Army Academy, performed ten pistol shots under counterbalanced LP and HP conditions. The cadets shot in the upright position and wore an eye-tracker. Shooting accuracy improved and did not differ for men and women in the LP condition, however during HP the women performed more poorly than the men in session 1 but improved to a level similar to the men in session 4. QE duration Pre (aiming) did not differ during LP, while during HP QE Post (execution) increased across the session for men and women. QE onset 2 (execution) occurred earlier for the men than women during LP, while during HP the women improved to a level similar to the men in sessions 3 and 4. PDV declined across sessions for men and women with the lowest values in sessions 3 and 4. The findings are discussed within social facilitation theory, which states the context of training affects the rate at which improvements in motor skills occur. The results show that women cadets can improve their shooting performance, quiet eye duration, quiet eye onset and pupil diameter variability to a level similar to men if three to four LP and HP training sessions are scheduled across approximately 12-18 months.

Assuntos

Fixação Ocular , Militares , Desempenho Psicomotor , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Adulto Jovem , Desempenho Psicomotor/fisiologia , Armas de Fogo , Adulto , Tecnologia de Rastreamento Ocular , Atenção/fisiologia , Pupila/fisiologia , Movimentos Oculares , Destreza Motora/fisiologia , Fatores Sexuais , Brasil

RESUMO

The principle of Fitts' law explains that the difficulty of movement increases when targets are farther away and narrower in width, particularly when touching two parallel targets as quickly as possible. Understanding the differences in motor and gaze behaviors between extroverts and introverts when performing tasks that require speed and accuracy is crucial for the development of sensor-based interfaces for games and rehabilitation. This study aimed to investigate such differences in a computer task that assesses the speed-accuracy trade-off (Fitts' task). Twenty introverts and seventeen extroverts wore an eye tracker and an accelerometer attached to their hand while performing 12 trials through six levels of difficulty presented on a computer screen. The results showed that introverts had longer visual fixations at the higher difficulty levels and reduced pupil diameter variability when difficulty was intermediate, suggesting that their gaze behavior may be different from that of extroverts. However, no significant differences were found in the speed and accuracy performance or kinematic variables between extroverts and introverts. These findings have important implications for the design of interventions that require both speed and accuracy in movement, such as in the development of virtual reality/games for rehabilitation purposes. It is important to consider individual differences in motor and gaze behaviors, particularly in those who may struggle with longer visual fixations, for the design of sensor-based applications and to promote successful interventions and recovery.

Assuntos

Extroversão Psicológica , Desempenho Psicomotor , Movimento , Personalidade , Computadores

RESUMO

This study investigated relationships between state anxiety and leisure-domain physical activity levels during Covid-19 pandemic. We used frequency, duration, and intensity as key variables of physical activity. Trait anxiety, state anxiety before pandemic, age, gender, and education level were also included in the analysis. Our general hypothesis was that participants who declared doing more physical activity levels would exhibit lower levels of anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic. A convenient sample of 571 volunteer adults (mean age 39 ± 14 years) was drawn mainly from São Paulo State (89.2% of the sample), the epicenter of Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil. To obtain the participants' levels of anxiety (trait, state before pandemic, and state during pandemic) we used a validated short-version of the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory. Levels of physical activity were measured via questions from VIGITEL, a validated questionnaire about the individual's habits on risk factors. Answers were given regarding the first week of March 2020 (before pandemic) and at the very moment the participant was filling in the electronic form (June 2020). Data analyses were conducted through descriptive and inferential techniques, with the use of non-parametric tests and linear regression models. Overall, participants' responses indicate that anxiety levels were higher during the pandemic compared to the period that preceded the pandemic, and that frequent and long physical activity in the leisure-domain reduced anxiety, regardless its intensity. The regression models revealed an inverse relationship between physical activity and anxiety (the more physical activity, the less anxiety) and independent of gender, age, education level, trait anxiety, and physical activity before pandemic.