The Main and Interaction Effects of Some Demographic Variables on the Speed of Motor Response in Students

Abstract

This research aimed to uncover the primary effects and interactions among three independent demographic and organisational factors: gender (male and female students), academic level (first/second year), and study schedule (morning/evening), on the velocity of the transitional motor response, a vital dependent variable for students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at Muthanna University. To accomplish this, the investigator employed an experimental approach utilising factorial experiments and a repeated measures design (GLM_4) in accordance with a composite factor distribution (2 × 2 × 2), involving a proportional random stratified sample of 24 male and female students, evenly allocated into eight experimental groups with three participants each. The Nelson test for the transitional motor response served as the primary instrument for data acquisition following the validation of its markers of integrity, reliability, and standardised objectivity within the academic setting. Statistical analysis conducted using IBM SPSS v27 and factor variance assessment of duplicate measurements revealed a significant impact of the trait variable (F = 12.862, p = 0.002) favouring male students regarding response speed, alongside a substantial and direct influence of the school stage variable (F = 28.811, p = 0.000) with a high effect size (\eta^2 = 0.643) benefiting second-stage students, thereby demonstrating the efficacy of accumulated motor experience and practical curricula, whereas the study type variable exhibited no statistically significant effect (F = 0.559, p = 0.465), indicating complete equivalence between morning and evening education. The findings revealed a notable binary interaction between (trait × school stage) (F = 6.643, p = 0.020), indicating a diminishing motor disparity between genders as academic advancement occurs, while no evidence was found for other bilateral interactions or the composite tripartite interaction. The researcher deduced from the data that educational background and physical attributes are pivotal in shaping motor responses, advocating for the development of qualitative training programs for first-stage students to enhance neuromotor skills, while also promoting the implementation of composite factor designs in sports science investigations.