Aprendizagem motora em crianças e adolescentes: efeitos aditivos da autonomia, expectativa aumentada para o desempenho e foco de atenção

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the additive effects of autonomy, enhanced performance expectancy, and an external focus of attention on learning the golf putting task in children and adolescents. A total of 60 children (10–12 years old) and 60 adolescents (15–17 years old) participated and were randomly assigned to four groups: OPTIMAL children group, Control children group, OPTIMAL adolescents group, and Control adolescents group (G4). The study was divided into four phases: pre-test (10 trials), acquisition (60 trials), retention, and transfer (10 trials each, conducted 24 hours after acquisition). During the acquisition phase, the OPTIMAL groups received external focus instructions, autonomy support through ball choice, and positive social-comparative feedback, whereas the control groups practiced without these manipulations. Performance was assessed using radial error. Intrinsic motivation was measured after the pre-test and acquisition phases, and self-efficacy was assessed throughout practice and prior to the learning tests. The results indicated performance improvement during acquisition across all groups. In the retention test, adolescents in the OPTIMAL group demonstrated superior performance compared to the control group, whereas no significant differences were observed between the children’s groups. Additionally, the OPTIMAL groups showed higher levels of selfefficacy. It is concluded that the effects of the variables proposed by OPTIMAL Theory on motor learning appear to be age-dependent, being more evident in adolescents.