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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Movement Science
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1383397
This article is part of the Research Topic Physical Education, Health and Education Innovation-Vol II View all 4 articles

Effects of Fancy Rope-Skipping on Motor Coordination and Selective Attention in Children Aged 7-9 Years: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Provisionally accepted
Libo Deng Libo Deng 1Hua Wu Hua Wu 2*Hui Ruan Hui Ruan 2*Dan Xu Dan Xu 3*Shibo Pang Shibo Pang 4*Min Shi Min Shi 5*
  • 1 Yulin Normal University, Yulin, Shaanxi, China
  • 2 Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
  • 3 Hainan Provincial Sports Academy, Haikou, China
  • 4 Hainan College of Economics and Business, Haikou, Hainan Province, China
  • 5 Hainan College of Software Technology, Qionghai, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Recent studies have emphasized the intricate connection between exercise and cognition, focusing on specific cognitive processes and their correlations with specific motor skills. However, research on the impact of the qualitative aspects of movement on both short- and long-term cognitive performance is limited. In this quasi-experimental study, we investigate the impact of a 10-week fancy rope-skipping intervention on motor coordination and selective attention of 7-9-year-old children. Methods: A total of 60 primary school students from Changbin School in Haikou participated and completed the study from October to December 2022. The 60 participants were divided into a fancy rope-skipping group and a control group. Children’s motor coordination was assessed using the Körperkoordinations Test für Kinder (KTK), while selective attention was evaluated using the d2 Test of Attention. Children were assessed at baseline and after the 10-week intervention. Results: Compared with the control group, the scores for the total KTK and for the hopping for height, jumping sideways, and moving sideways sub-items were significantly higher in the rope-skipping group after the intervention, with a significant interaction effect between time and intervention. Attention concentration improved in the rope-skipping group and had a significant interaction effect between time and intervention compared with the control group; the effects of the intervention on other aspects of selective attention were unclear. Conclusions: Our study suggests that a 10-week fancy rope-skipping intervention may potentially enhance motor coordination and selective attention accuracy in children aged 7–9 years.

    Keywords: Jump rope, primary school children, cognitive skills, Motor Skills, D2 Test of attention, Körperkoordinations Test für Kinder

    Received: 07 Feb 2024; Accepted: 22 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Deng, Wu, Ruan, Xu, Pang and Shi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Hua Wu, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
    Hui Ruan, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
    Dan Xu, Hainan Provincial Sports Academy, Haikou, China
    Shibo Pang, Hainan College of Economics and Business, Haikou, 571127, Hainan Province, China
    Min Shi, Hainan College of Software Technology, Qionghai, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.