Which cognitive and perceptual skills best discriminate elite female handball players

Authors

  • Paula Biscaia Secondary School of Adolfo Portela, Águeda, Portugal
  • Eduarda Coelho Research Centre in Sport, Health and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal Portugal; University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
  • Paulo João Vicente Research Centre in Sport, Health and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal Portugal; University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
  • Diogo Monteiro Research Centre in Sport, Health and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal Portugal; ESECS—Polytechnique of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7179-6814
  • António Hernández Mendo Málaga University, Málaga, Spain
  • José Alves University Institute of Health Science, Gandra, Portugal

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify which cognitive and perceptual skills best discriminate elite female handball players according to the age group to which they belong to. The sample consisted of 73 Portuguese national teams’ female handball players, aged between 11 and 29 years, with an average of 7.5 (3.7) years of practice. The following tests were applied: Thurstone Identical Figures Test, Toulouse-Piéron Concentrated Attention Test, and the Nideffer Attentional and Interpersonal Style Inventory to evaluate perceptual skills, the polyreactiometer for Windows – PRWin to evaluate information processing, and an evaluation protocol for precision in anticipation using the temporal occlusion paradigm. The interpretation of the obtained discriminant function was based on the structure of the coefficients greater than |0.30|. The Seniors’ age group is discriminated from that of Talents by their better reaction, perception, and attention times, namely, by the ability to integrate several stimuli simultaneously and by a better capacity to anticipate future events more accurately. This discriminating model can help coaches recruit players as well as improve psychological training programmes.

Key words: team handball, information processing, discriminant function, perceptual skills, expertise,
adults, juniors

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Published

2021-05-19

How to Cite

Biscaia, P., Coelho, E., Vicente, P. J., Monteiro, D., Mendo, A. H., & Alves, J. (2021). Which cognitive and perceptual skills best discriminate elite female handball players. Kinesiology, 53(1), 104–112. Retrieved from https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/kinesiology/article/view/8349

Issue

Vol. 53 No. 1 (2021)

Section

Articles

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