Yakushina, A.A.

Background. Executive functions are one of the factors that contribute to the balanced development of children and their success in the future. In this regard, the study of factors that may influence the development of executive functions is an urgent task. The study examines the role of the kindergarten attendance duration in the development of working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibition as components of executive functions in preschool children.

Methods. The NEPSY–II battery subtests were used to test the level of development of regulatory functions. Data on the period of children’s kindergarten attendance were collected according to preschool attendance journal.

Sample. The study involved 947 children aged 53 to 86 months (Mage = 70.3; SDage = 4.3), 515 boys and 495 girls from Moscow, Kazan, and Sochi.

Results. As a result of comparison of averages using Welch’s criterion, significant differences were found in the development of regulatory functions in children with different periods of kindergarten attendance. The level of visual and verbal working memory development was significantly higher in children who attended kindergarten for more than two years as compared to children with shorter time of attendance. Physical inhibitory control is significantly lower in children who attend kindergarten for less than a year compared to those who attend kindergarten for longer periods of time. Significant differences were shown in the level of visual working memory development depending on the region and on the duration of attendance.

Conclusion. The study demonstrated significant differences in the level of visual working memory, verbal working memory, and physical inhibitory control in children depending on the duration of kindergarten attendance. The highest scores were found in preschoolers attending kindergarten for more than two years. Thus, the results of the study emphasize the importance of kindergarten educational environment for successful cognitive development of preschoolers.

Relevance: the problem of diagnosing perfectionism in sports activities is relevant for solving a large number of research issues related to the study of emotional states and factors of success in athletes, as well as practical tasks related to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of athletes. In this regard, the design of a method for diagnosing perfectionism in sports activities seems necessary and relevant.

Objective: to test the method “Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale”, and to check the reliability and structural validity of this method.

Methods: testing was carried out on a sample (N=323) of Russian athletes of different kinds of sports. In the process of adapting the questionnaire, a direct and reverse translation of the questionnaire was performed, the factor structure of the questionnaire was checked using exploratory factor analysis, the internal consistency of the questionnaire scales and convergent validity using correlation analysis.

Results: a five-factor model of the method was identified. It included the following scales: “Organization and high personal standards“, “High parental expectations”, “Doubts about actions“, “ Concern over mistakes” and “High coaching expectations". Analysis of the reliability of the scales showed significant internal consistency of each of them. To assess convergent validity, a correlation analysis of the scales of the tested method and the “Three-factor perfectionism questionnaire” by N. G. Garanyan and A. B. Kholmogorova were performed. The results of the analysis showed that the method “Multidimensional perfectionism scale in sports” has the high convergent validity, which indicates a fairly predictive value of this tool.

Conclusions: for the first time in the field of Russian sports psychology, a tool for measuring perfectionism in athletes has been tested, which has shown high structural validity and reliability. In this regard, the method “Multidimensional perfectionism scale in sports” can be used for practical purposes to solve diagnostic and psychotherapeutic problems in the field of professional sports.

Relevance. The relevance of the work due to the lack of a special method that could to assess the ability of young athletes to represent movements in the Russian psychological tools.

Objective. The aim of the work is to test the method “Movement imagery Questionnaire for Children”, which is developed by Canadian researchers (R. Martini and colleagues), on Russian athletes.

Method. The analysis of studies that demonstrate the importance of using mental images in the training process was described. Empirical study of the mental representation of movements in 112 Russian young athletes from age 7 to 12 years with the help of a pre-adapted technique MIQ-C was conducted.

Results. The main types of mental images that are most often used by young athletes have been revealed: first-person visualization, third-person visualization and visualization of muscle performance. The last one (kinesthetic) is the most difficult for children. The highest rates of use of all three methods were noted in children 9-10 years. In the process of the work it was compared the results obtained for the Russian sample, with the results of Canadian researchers. It was revealed that Russian athletes assess their capabilities for visualization higher than young athletes in Canada.

Conclusions. It is necessary to expand a sample, having picked up athletes of those sports which are not presented at this stage of work, and to carry out check of validity of the Russian version of this method on the expanded sample.

Relevance: in the last decade, virtual reality (VR) technologies have been actively introduced into the training process in various types of sprints. At the same time, there are studies showing the inconsistency of VR for the formation of sports skills and their transfer to real conditions. But despite this, the use of VR can be useful for practicing specific motor skills and cognitive functions, for example, anticipation.

Objective: to develop VR-PACE technology (VR Technology for training Puck hitting And HOSKE skill Effectiveness) using virtual reality aimed at diagnosing and analyzing the skill level of a hockey player, as well as their training.

Methods: within the framework of the study, a simulation virtual environment was developed that simulates a hockey field (ice arena in Sochi) and sets four difficulty levels (four blocks) depending on the speed of the puck and the distance to it. The study involved 22 people, 13 of whom were professional hockey players (Mage=20±2.5), and seven were beginners in hockey (Mage=20±1.4).

Results: it was found that professional hockey players have a significantly smaller amplitude of head vibrations during the reflection of pucks, that is, they understand the position of their body well enough during certain actions, and they do not need to observe the full trajectory of the puck. There were also significant differences in the speed of response to the presented washers in the block with the fastest speed of presentation of 2 washers. The results obtained may indicate a better formation of technical and tactical, temporal and spatial factors in professional hockey players.

Conclusions: the adequacy of the developed tools for the analysis of professional skills of hockey players was demonstrated. It was also shown that the skill level of a hockey player is determined by the formation of a set of parameters, including spatial, temporal, technical and tactical abilities. This is manifested in the automation of a number of skills, as well as the optimization of motor responses: 1) higher and more stable amplitude of movements over the entire observation interval and minimization of unnecessary movements; 2) higher reaction speed to more complex pucks (close to real game situations); 3) concentration of attention on significant signals, anticipation.