The Effect of Attentional and Balance Skills on the Cycling Performance of 8-12-Year-Old Children

Hochschild, Kim (2025) The Effect of Attentional and Balance Skills on the Cycling Performance of 8-12-Year-Old Children. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Children decreasingly participate in physical activities, which is related to childhood obesity. Without the necessary motor and cognitive skills, children might not have the opportunity to develop cycling skills. Little research has focused on (dis)mounting and cycling in children and how attention and balance might be related to it. In this study, the (dis)mounting strategies were analyzed, and the relationship between attention and balance with cycling performance was examined. Lastly, the relationship between items on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and cycling ability was examined. Children between 8 and 12 years completed part of the TEACH, the MABC2, and the y-balance test. Then they cycled three times along a narrow path, and their (dis)mounting strategies and cycling performance were assessed using mean SDLP and mean percentage in the middle. Results showed that children used different mounting and the sitting dismounting strategy most often. Significant relationships were found between selective attention and both mean SDLP and percentage of cycling in the middle. Switching attention was also associated with cycling, and MABC2 balance was negatively correlated with mean SDLP. Items on the SDQ were not significantly related to cycling performance, but the total problem score was. Both attention measures and the MABC2 score explained 18.4% of variance in mean SDLP and 23.2% of variance in mean percentage. Attention was a better predictor of cycling performance than balance. Most children used a stable (dis)mounting strategy. Thus, interventions ideally target children’s attention skills to improve cycling performance. Keywords: cycling performance, selective attention, switching attention, balance, Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, TEA-Ch, MABC2, Y-balance

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Jelsma, L.D.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	08 Jul 2025 09:17
Last Modified:	08 Jul 2025 09:17
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5356

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