Kinesiology, Vol. 35. No. 1., 2003.
Original scientific paper
Latent structure of agility obtained by a battery of tests
Metikoš Dušan
; Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Goran Marković
; Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Franjo Prot
; Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Igor Jukić
; Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The aim of the research was to analyse the latent structure of agility obtained by a battery of motor tests aimed at assessing agility. A comprehensive battery of 32 motor tests was designed, including most tests already used in investigations of motor phenomena and/or in sports training practice, as well as a certain number of original tests, created particularly for this research. A sample of 152 freshmen (male PE teacher students, aged 20.2 ± 0.8 yrs) from the Faculty of Hinesiology University of Zagreb, Croatia, participated in the study. Seven significant principal components were extracted from the factorized matrix of intercorrelations among the agility tests. These dimensions were then transformed into two oblique parsimonic solutions by means of the promax and orthoblique factor solutions. Both analyses resulted in numerically simple and very similar solutions, which additionally enhanced the reliability of the isolated dimensions. Out of the seven isolated factors, the first five were sensibly interpretable. The obtained latent dimensions were named in descending order as: 1) agility in the multiple changes of movement directions within a small space; 2) agility in simple frontal and lateral movements; 3) agility in twist movements; 4) agility in frontal and lateral movements with changes of direction of up to 90°; 5) agility in frontal movements with changes of direction over 90°. The study revealed that the space of agility is far more complex than it is commonly regarded among experts in the area of motor phenomena, i.e. kinesiologists or sport scientists. Therefore, the space of agility should be further and more profoundly investigated. The anticipated findings may be very useful not only to researchers in the area of general motor abilities, but to researchers and practitioners in all disciplines of applied kinesiology as well, especially those in which agility is an important component of performance and sport achievement.
Keywords
agility; motor tests; factor analysis; latent dimensions
Hrčak ID:
226247
URI
Publication date:
24.10.2003.
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