V.A. Moskvin, professor, Dr.Psych.
N.V. Moskvina, associate professor, Ph.D.
N.S. Shumova, senior lecturer, Ph.D.
A.G. Kovalevsky, postgraduate student. Russian state university of physical culture, sport, youth and tourism (SCOLIPC), Moscow    

Key words: sports psychology, functional asymmetries, action control, individual differences.

Abstract. The paper was devoted to the studies of individual differences of action control on the example of sports university students (young boys and girls in the age of 16-17, n = 78) with various features of dominance of cerebral regulative block by A.R. Luria. The components of volitional regulation were revealed using the questionnaire “Action control scale”, resulting in the allocation of individual differences of action control due to functional asymmetries.

Introduction. The researchers of the discretionary process have made multiple attempts to divide it into single functions promoting the reason of ambiguous correlation of motivation and activity characteristics. The contemporary ideas on the multiplicity of mediate processes of volitional regulation resulted in the refuse by J. Kuhl and other psychologists of the concept of “will” and its substitution to the concept of “action control” describing the combination of mediate processes of realization of intention.

In J. Kuhl’s opinion, a full-value intention can be generated in case of a one-to-one association of motive, purpose and methods of pursuing an objective represented to the subject. The subjects called “focused on condition” opposite to the ones “focused on action” are assumed to be more liable to formation of imperfect intentions. The types of orientation were determined by the “NAKEMR-90” questionnaire worked by J. Kuhl. In Soviet psychology the adapted by S.A. Shapkin variant is called “Action control scale”. The questionnaire consists of 36 questions and the following scales: 1) “Action control at planning” (ACp); 2) “Action control at realization” (ACr) and 3) “Action control at failure” (ACf). The indicated subscales reflect three basic components of volitional regulation. High points in each of the scales mean “Action orientation”, whereas low – “Condition orientation” of the subject.

Sports psychology has the information on individual features of risk appetite and impulsion, associated with functional asymmetries. The purpose of the research was to reveal the possible correlation of asymmetry of cerebral regulative block by A.R. Luria and individual features of reflexion, emotional capability and emotional intelligence. 

Methods and organization of research. 78 freshmen of RSUPCSYT in the age of 16-17 (36 males and 42 females) took part in the experiment. Regarding sports mastership the sampling included 4 masters of sport, 20 candidate masters, 21 with 1^st degree, 19  with the 2^nd degree, 12 with the 3^rd degree, 1 – yellow belt in aikido and 1 – D-class in ballroom dances. Most of the testees were from game sports (basketball, volleyball, football, hockey, handball, badminton, tennis, water-polo – 22), 12 representatives of complicated coordination sports (dances, figure-skating, rhythmic gymnastics, synchronous swimming), 17 – cyclic sports (swimming), 15 – combat sports (boxing, powerlifting, taekwondo, fencing, freestyle wrestling, aikido), 12 – athletics (3000-m hurdle race, high jumps, long jumps, triple etc.).

Interhemispheric relations were diagnosed using the indices of partial dominance by A.R. Luria [3, 4], including the arm “cross” test index (ACTI), reflecting partial dominance of contralateral frontal brain divisions by the ECG data (by N. Sakano, 1982) [8] and referring to the third cerebral block responsible for planning, control and regulation of activity [4]. Volitional regulation was revealed using the “Action control scale” questionnaire [6]. Reflection was determined using Karpov test [2], indices of emotional intelligence – by Hall-test [1], emotional capability – by Izard questionnaire of “Basic emotional features” [1]. Statistical processing was made using the Student criterion.

Results and discussion. Whilst analyzing the results of psychodiagnostic test the students were divided into three groups by the ACf subscale – with high points of action control at failure (subgroup H, 8 points and more, 17 persons), average (subgroup A, 4-7 points, 38 persons) and low (subgroup L, 3 and less points, 19 persons). The testees were divided into subgroups by the “arm cross” test indices (ACTI). The right index of arm cross test was revealed in 36 testees out of 78 (corresponding to the left sinistrocerebral dominance), the left one – in 38, no specific dominance was revealed in 4 testees (they were not included in the processing). The variety between the indicated subgroups was determined by two other subscales – “Action control at planning” (ACp) and “Action control at realization” (ACr) [6], along with reflection parameters [2], emotional intelligence [1] and emotional capability [1]. The results were subjected in the table 1 and 2.

According to the data analysis of the distribution of “Arm cross” test indices, presented in the table 1, in the subgroup with the high level of action control at failure most of the testees were mainly with sinistrocerebral activation (the right “Arm cross” test index was equal to 12 out of 17). In the subgroup with the average level of action control at failure, on the contrary, the number of testees with dextocerebral activation (left “Arm cross” test index) was close to authentic (24 out of 38), testifying to the average range as an adequate for them level of failure attempts to finish an action. In the group with the low level of action control at failure the number of testees with sinistro- and dextocerebral activation was equal (10 and 9), proving the lack of essential correlation between intention formation and the features of asymmetry of cerebral regulative block by A.R. Luria.

Te analysis of the allocated differences in emotional capability, emotional intelligence, reflection and action control at planning and realizing between subgroups with high, average and low levels of action control at failure, presented in the table 2, had proved that:

The comparison of the subgroups A and L (with average and low action control levels) had revealed authentic differences in two parameters out of 21, testifying to high emotional excitement of the ones with the low action control level at failure and hyperanxiety. The quoted results correspond to the facts received at adaptation of the “Action control scale” on the Russian sampling proving that points by the AC(p) and AC(f) subscales can be considered in one factor and vary inversely to the increase of “personal anxiety” determined by Spielberg and “neuroticism” scales by EPQ  (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire).

The comparison of the subgroups H and L (with high and low action control levels at failure) had revealed authentic differences in 10 parameters out of 21 and in 7 out of 21 - in the subgroups with high and average control levels at failure. Herewith, the group with high ACf (compared to average and low) had higher action control at planning, emotion control, self-motivation, Hall’s integrative index of emotional intelligence, interest, joy emotions (feeling of self-confidence). The studies testified to a lower reflection level, general emotional anxiety (intensifying demonstration of other specialized emotions), grief (distress, dismay, feeling desolation, isolation, autism, dissatisfaction with oneself, depression due to lack of self-respect, self-confidence, loss of self-esteem), disgust (strive for “separation” from the source of disgust), fear (anxiety).

Conclusions. Proceeding from the received data lower emotional excitement, self-confidence (up to arrogance), suppression of negative emotions, including the wish to avoid, move away, find the way out from extremely unpleasant situations contradictory to human attitudes, get rid of dangerous objects are mainly associated with sinistrocerebral activation (by right “Arm cross” test indices). It corresponds to J. Kuhl’s perceptions on the manner of functioning of subsystems facilitating realization of the intention: “intentional” filter on early stages of perception, blocking information, irrelevant to the intention and, on the contrary, making the perceptive system more sensitive to characteristics of the incoming information correlated with the intention. Provided emotional background makes it hard to pursue an objective, the system strives for changing it too. Intention-correlated perceptive categories are more ready here and require less time for processing and are the first to get an access to the systems of action regulation. The combination of the stipulated mechanisms, including perceptive categories based on establishment of strong simple relations between motive, objective and methods of pursuing it, more frequently works in the testees with sinistrocerebral activation (at right “Arm cross” test indices) and in case of failure results in mobilization of extra efforts.

The results relate with the data of the research made by J. Kuhl in collaboration with S.A. Shapkin and A.N. Gusev [7], testifying to the sinistrocerebral dominance of practically all the components of self-regulation in the action-focused testees. In case of bad news the control system of action-focused testees quickly recognizes bad news, determines the level of impact on the system (compared to other news) and gets ready the sinistrocerebral mechanisms associated with the processes of development and control of motor programs. Action-focused testees are assumed to cope with the negative impact already on the early stages of processing of stress-producing information, preserving a set of relations within the action control system (selective attention, emotional preferences, relevant representations etc.).

The outcome of the number of failures within realization of the action to the limit above the average “optimum” in norm (the testees refer to) may also hamper establishment of the correlation between motive, objective and methods of pursuing it, supporting the plans of the testees from the group H (with high ACf), causing a conflict between the driver of unsatisfied requirements, the source of “action tendency”, and absolute impossibility of pursuing the objective either through existing motivation trends or through newly established correlations, leading to the necessary useful result, that can be also seen in the awareness of forced emotional pain.

The data received can be useful in training of elite athletes in view of individual features of voluntary action regulation and control in sports psychology.

Bibliography

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4. Luria, A.R. The basics of neuropsychology / A.R. Luria. - Moscow: Publ. h-se of MSU,1973.- 374 P. (In Russian)

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7. Kuhl J., Schapkin S., Gusev A. A theory of volitional inhibition and an empirical test: Individual differences in the topography of ERP patterns for action-versus state oriented proces-sing of emotional words // Forschungsberichte aus der Univ. Osnabrueck. - 1994. - N 99. - P. 1–52.

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