23rd Annual Student Research Conference
The Effect of Competition on Forty-Yard Dash Performance
Caroline E. Squires*, Grace K. Culler, and Kimberly D. Elsea
Dr. Christopher D. Lantz and Dr. Jerry Mayhew (NA), Faculty Mentors
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of competition on forty-yard dash time relative to gender. Twenty (Males 10; Females 10) Exercise Science students ran a timed forty-yard sprint individually and were then matched with a participant based on gender and dash time. The pairing then ran a second timed forty-yard sprint. Results showed statistical significance between individual and paired forty-yard sprint trials, with participants improving when running against a competitor [t(18)=2.688, p= .015]. There was also statistical significance for males between individual and paired trials [t(8)=4.429, p=.002], but not for the female trials, [t(9)=1.125, p=.290]. Overall this study found that competition may facilitate performance in males but not females. Further study might attempt to identify the level of competitiveness through survey in an attempt to further understand these differences.
Keywords: Forty-yard dash, Competition, Gender
Topic(s):Exercise Science
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 4-12
Location: SUB-GEO
Time: 4:15