On kinesiology / kinanthropology as a science: modeling motor abilities as theoretical concepts and components of performance Petr Blahuš Charles University Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Department of Kinanthropology Division of Methodology Prague, The Czech Republic

A - Why “kinanthropology” in the Czech academe - part 1 B - Some signs of a well-founded behavioral science about motor activity - needs for its recognition C - Weak associative measurement - latent variable modeling of motor abilities as concept formation D - Latent variable models for athletic performance E - More on why “kinanthropology” - part 2 Option after, for the interested: Video about Prague and the country

Why not „physical education“ : teaching subject vs. scientific and academic branch In the Czech Republic and Central-Europe, especially German speaking: „Kinesiology“ understood as branch that is: - medical, - physiotherapeutical, - chiropractic nature, or sometimes as a part of - functional anatomy. So, as an area of rather medical ! expertise. Further history and comments at the end

Some signs of a “well-founded” science - needs for its recognition - standardized empirical-observable variables, motor tests, indicators of training,... - theory with explanatory laws working with theoretical concepts - fitness, motor coordination, endurance, power,... and most motor abilities Formal recognition by the Czech Academy of Sciences mostly due to monographs by Professor Stanislav Celikovsky on motor abilities as scientific concepts Motor abilities often conceptualized as quantitative theoretical attributes : ‘ level’ of motor coordination, ‘amount’ of endurance capacity,...

Temperature T is indirectly observed through associative measurement by variables of different content : T 1 - liquid non-metal extendability (spirit), T 2 - solid metal differential extension (bimetalic), T 3 - electrical current (el. resistance thermometer), T 4 - change of color (colorimetric thermometer), it is “believed” that specificity of each of different thermometers is zero (???) making their mutual differences random ( !!!) Different observed T i = Common true T + E rrors GAUSSIAN MODEL of random measurement errors

If T1, T2, T3, T4 motor tests with different ‘movement content’, of the same concept of ‘motor coordination’ : Different T i = Common T + Specific S i + E rrors.  weaker models than the GAUSSIAN: latent variables “weak associative measurement” by - common factor model, covariance structures / SEM - latent trait models (including Rasch), etc. Concept formation by latent variable modeling “in principle” not inferior.

Structural Equation Models (SEM) with latent variables and theories of athletic performance 1. Static simultaneous combination of manifest indicators of training: multiple regression model 2. Static simultaneous combination of motor abilities and concepts: common latent factor model 3. Static but sequential combination ordering of motor abilities and concepts: path analysis with latent variables 4. Dynamic sequence and combination: VARMA for longitudinal analysis of longitudinal training documentation

Training indicator 1 Practice / training indicator 2 Practice / training indicator 3 Practice / training indicator 1 Control test 1 Control test 2 Performance This composition of training should produce That performance Composite manifest prediction multiple regression

Endurance F1 Power F2 Speed ability F3 Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 Test 5 Test 6 Performance Y Combination of theoretical concepts / abilities latent common factors model w1 F1 + w2 F2 + w3 F3 = Y Weighted combination Performance of abilities / concepts produces

Sequential ordering and combination Level of ability F4 Practice method 4 Test 4,1 Test 4,2 Starting level of ability F1 Level of ability F3 Level of ability F2 Level of ability F5 Practice method 3 Test 3,1 Test 3,2 Test 5,1 Test 5,2 Test 2,1 Test 2,2 Performance Practice method 2 Practice method 5 Test 1, 1 Test 1,2 path analysis

F1F1 T est 1 Practice method 1 T est 2 Practice method 2 Final performance Practice method 3 F2F2 F1F1 F2F2 F2F2 F1F1 F1F1 F2F2 T est 4 T est 3 T est 1 T est 2 T est 3 T est 4 Performance T I M E Vector Autoregressive Moving Averages VARMA model

The Czech departure from ”Physical Education” : - 60’s: effort of Prof. Celikovsky, Belgian ”Kinanthropologie” an attempt to separate formally from the “educations”, teaching subjects as “music education”, “art education”, “Anthropomotorics” - PhDs in the frame of ”Pedagogy”. Recently still a sub-discipline of Kinanthropology. Compare: ”Antropomotoryka” in Poland Department of Kinanthropology at Charles University name “Kinanthropology” supported by: - Dept. of Social Anthropology, Charles University - Dept. of Anthropology, Charles University - Anthropological Society, Academy of Sciences

Departments of Kinanthropology at - Palacký University, Olomouc - Comenius University, Bratislava Kinanthropology accredited for PhD, and Professorship Scientific Society for Kinanthropology, under Academy of Sciences JOURNALS: Acta Universitatis Carolinae Kinanthropologica, in English Ceská kinantropologie - under Academy of Sciences Studia Kinanthropologica - of South-Czech University

Some names in Europe and elsewhere - The ”SPORT” family of names: Sport Science, Exercise Science, Sportwissenschaft sounds non-academic, narrow, specific, applied only - In Germany and Austria also -“Bewegungslehre” in Germany (Meinel) - ”Motologie” at present as a Department at the Universitat Marburg, too in Austria, as a part of ”Psychomotorik”

“Kinanthropology” (e.g. Renson 1990) in Canada: - University of Sherbrooke - University of Quebec in Belgium : - University of Leuven - Department of Kinanthropology - Department of Clinical Kinanthropology Also (cf. Brasier-Razor 1989) : - Human Kinetics, - Physical Activity Science, - Human Movement Science, - Anthropokinetics,... “ Kinesiology” in 80´s recommended by that time American Academy of Physical Education, but some still find “this term too narrow a connotation” (Schutz, early 90’s - UBC, Vancouver)