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REACTION TIME & KARATE.
Term Paper ID:13454
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Essay Subject:
Defines psychological & physiological concept of time between stimulus & response. Relationship between karate training & improved reaction time.... More...
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10 Pages / 2250 Words
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Paper Abstract:
Defines psychological & physiological concept of time between stimulus & response. Relationship between karate training & improved reaction time.
Paper Introduction:
INFLUENCE OF KARATE TRAINING ON REACTION TIME
Purpose
This research will examine the issues involved in investigating the influence of karate training on reaction time. The concept of reaction time is first defined in general terms, showing its origins in physiology and experimental psychology. The next section provides a brief sketch of the basic principles of karate, emphasizing the unique type of consciousness that karate training seeks to impart. Following this is a summary of the mechanics of testing reaction time, with particular attention to types of factors that have been found to be an influence. Finally, a tentative proposal is put forth for testing reaction time in karate adepts, including a brief discussion of the fact that Western-oriented testing techniques may be viewed as
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A number of fairly specific factors are known to influence reactiontime. Preliminary Research Considerations As discussed above, there are no pre-existing standards forconducting this type of research. All ofthese methods are loosely grouped under a heading called "behavioral."Posner also describes a group of methods which utilize the measurement ofelectrical brain potentials, measured by electrodes attached to the scalp.Obviously, this technique measures the response at a much earlier pointthan the behavioral methods. "Reaction time of Indian hockey players with reference to three levels of participation."Journal of Sports Medicine, 19.Brebner, J. It would be necessary forthe two groups to be matched in age, sex, occupation, and whatever otherfactors were deemed significant. Similarly, it would be useful to compare visual andauditory stimuli, as well as simple vs. Tuttle.Nettlebeck, T. Existing Research The extensive literature review conducted thus far has made it clearthat there is no organized literature on the subject of reaction time indifferent sports. The term "analogous" is usedadvisedly, because there is no evidence that the processes share similarreferents. The third type iscalled karate-do, which is the "way" of karate as a concept of life(Mattson, 1973, 2 ). Thiswould provide useful information even if inter-group differences wereinsignificant or uninterpretable. complex stimuli. Reaction time is also found to vary in different sensory modalities,due mainly to differences in the peripheral sensory processing rather thanin differences in the central (brain) processing. INFLUENCE OF KARATE TRAINING ON REACTION TIMEPurpose This research will examine the issues involved in investigating theinfluence of karate training on reaction time. L., & Sidhy, L. Afferent conductiontimes may vary, as may the rate that different sensory systems change theirstate. Scientific investigation of the effects of martial-arts training is asubject that is just beginning to be explored. It is not merely acollection of techniques, but is instead an expression of life, aphilosophy to be carried out at all times, not only in defense or attack. This is of central significance to this study, as will bemade clear. New York: Academic Press.Nishiyama, H., & Brown, R. As with most translations from East to West, one can onlysuppose. However, either of thelatter may lengthen reaction time by tempting the subject to take a longersample of sensory information. However, because this form lacks any coherentfoundation, it is considered inferior even to judo. Thisnecessarily affects reaction time, because the central organization ofsensory activity is completed more rapidly where fewer decoding processesare necessary. The karate system consists of techniques of thwarting an attack,and also counterattacking the opponent by punching, striking, or kicking.Karate is founded on scientific principles of body movements that not onlyprovide a means of defense, but also develop the person mentally andspiritually. The connection still exists in that karate, like Zen, is performedwith a mind that is completely aware yet thoughtless. Reaction time is also facilitated byanticipatory muscle tension. He argues that each body of literature hasdeveloped more or less in isolation, generating conflicting results andcontroversy over methodological considerations. Reaction time can be studied in a variety of ways. Differences in motivation may also be afactor. Funakoshi (1973, 4) indicatesthat this symbol possesses several connotations in addition to "emptyhands." Karate students must function with a clear mind and conscience,for it is only the clear mirror which reflects without distortion. "Introduction, an historical background sketch." Ch. M. The next section provides a brief sketch ofthe basic principles of karate, emphasizing the unique type ofconsciousness that karate training seeks to impart. In this sense,everything done in karate can be traced to some principle of Zen. Theseprinciples are used in karate to allow the mind and body to become as one,working together. For thisreason, it seems desirable to include some form of psycho-measurements inconjunction with measurements of reaction time.V. The majorityof the studies of conscious behavior involve the measurement of timeelapsing between the presentation of a stimulus and the response of movinga finger. The way of karate. In order to make a claim about the effects of karate training, itwill presumably be necessary to establish a before-after situation, inwhich two groups of people are tested at two points in time. Reaction time slows with increasing age, due tochanges in strategies of performance or changes in central brain mechanisms(Nettlebeck, 1978, 331). This factor is obviously of great importance in measuringkarate-related reactions, which would seem to be analogous to a highlycomplex type of Gestalt processing. It is spread over a wide variety ofpublications and seems to be concerned largely with testing the influenceof very limited variables in specific situations, rather than beingconducted in the service of a coherent paradigm. In addition tothe basic method of measuring elapsed time, it is also possible to providean informative event and then measure the length of time it takes beforethe reaction to a subsequent imperative event has reached its minimum.This technique accordingly determines the time required to encode the cueevent in an optimal way. Again, this is a concept which would seem tohave a parallel with the type of process discussed in connection with "non-interruption." Reaction times are also strongly influenced by therelationships between stimuli and responses. Indeed, the Okinawan karate masters considered karate to be away of life. Moreover, there is scarcely any research devoted toevaluating the influence of training on reaction time. Some of the earliest work in this field attempted to distinguishbetween the time required for nerve conduction as opposed to otherprocesses comprising the total reaction. The Concept of "Reaction Time" Reaction time is basically a measure of the time between two events,the first of which is a stimulus and the second of which is a response tothat stimulus. This can beillustrated by the principle of mu-shin (no-mindedness). If the relationship isuniform and straightforward, reaction time is shorter. I. Other factors such as sex can also influence reaction time, as canthe use of certain drugs, or even cigarette smoking. The complexity of the stimulus also makes a difference. Similar effects apply to varying theduration and/or spatial area of the stimulus. New York: Kodansha International.Mattson, G. This makessense intuitively, and studies have also shown that successfulparticipation in athletic activity is closely related to reaction time.However, it has also been found that reaction times vary according to thespecific physical activity involved. The auditory system, for example, alters its state much morequickly than does the vestibular system, which monitors position in space.Also, some systems are more sensitive than others. The speed of nerve conduction isnow regarded as a relatively minor factor; studies have shown that it takesonly about 15-3 milliseconds for stimulus information to travel to thebrain, as compared to the much longer time required for a human being tomake an overt response to a stimulus (15 -45 milliseconds) (Posner, 1978,13). Of equal importance is that it avoids theconfounding influence of many variables to be discussed in a subsequentsection.II. Accordingly, at thisstage, any research on the subject proposed here must be regarded asexploratory, rather than as an attempt to support a hypothesis emergingfrom a unified body of theory. Reaction times. For example, it might be hypothesizedthat foot reaction would be affected by karate training more than handreaction would be. New York: Academic Press.Funakoshi, G. The Zen master, by contrast, doesnot attempt to see the object or focus the object in his mind. Three varieties of karate exist today. S. However, this is precisely not equivalent to "fasterreflexes" in the Western sense, because with karate it is necessary torespond to each situation differently, according to what one's sensesreflect, as opposed to what one "thinks" the situation calls for.Otherwise, a playful tap on the shoulder by a friend might result in anunwarranted attack. A few studies involve aresponse of moving the entire body. Just assmooth water accurately reflects the image of all objects, so a calm mindbetter aprehends an opponent's movements (Nishiyama & Brown, 1965, 2 ).Thus, karate-do is built on the harmony of mind and body, and is linkedwith the creative and regenerative forces of life. (198 ). The concept of reactiontime is first defined in general terms, showing its origins in physiologyand experimental psychology. Another approach is to control the amount of timethat subjects have available to interact with the stimulus, and thenobserve the errors they make with any given exposure duration. It raises a number ofinteresting philosophical questions about the nature of training as well asthe nature of consciousness. Overall, the literature on reactiontime in sports is highly fragmented. Indeed, as Posner (1978)points out, there is a very rigid separation of this literature intodifferent fields and journals. Karate. C. The personswho choose to undergo karate training shortly become aware that it is notlike learning to bowl. Most of the sports-related research has focused upon measuring different aspects of reactiontime in specific groups of athletes. This type of confounding would exist for any study of this type,and for this reason it would be desirable to include enough variety in testparameters to make comparisons across them as well as across groups. Most of these studies involve some sort of conscious behavior, asopposed to merely a reflex response (Bhanot & Sidhu, 1979). T. The study of reaction time is part of the field of mentalchronometry, which is widely employed in psychology and physiology (Posner,1978). Jujitsu-karate consists of certain self-defense movementstaken from karate. 1 in Welford, A. Up toa point, a stronger stimulus shortens reaction time, but this appears to berelative rather than absolute. Tuttle.Posner, M. Of particularimportance to this proposed study is the reasonably well-documented findingthat athletes possess better reaction time than non-athletes, a trend whichapplies to both men and women (Bhanot & Sidhu, 1979, 199). (1973). (1965). The twogroups would hopefully be as similar as possible, while one group wouldreceive karate training and the other would not. The first iskarate-sho, which teaches only the spectacular aspects of this art, for useonly as display. Visual and auditory stimuli are obvious candidates. "Factors affecting reaction time." Ch. For this reason, it seems best toutilize measurement techniques similar to successful designs already used.The first step will be to decide which kinds of stimuli are appropriate totest. For purposes of comparison itwould be advisable to utilize conventional techniques as well, but if thestudy purports to measure the effects of karate training, then there shouldbe some connection between that training and what is measured. Karate masters emphasize concepts such as "a mind like water," whichrefers to a mental attitude required when facing an opponent. ReferencesBhanot, J. Originally, karate was closely associated with Zen (Mattson, 1973,22). Rutland, VT: Charles E. A study of karate training would hopefullymake a small but useful contribution toward a better understanding of theconnections between Eastern traditions and Western science. Following this is asummary of the mechanics of testing reaction time, with particularattention to types of factors that have been found to be an influence.Finally, a tentative proposal is put forth for testing reaction time inkarate adepts, including a brief discussion of the fact that Western-oriented testing techniques may be viewed as irrelevant to seriouspractitioners of karate.I. It focuses upon keen reflexes and excellent coordination, butunlike Western sports, it also encompasses mental and moral growth as anintegral aspect. The essence of karate is implied in the pictogramwhich forms the root of the word (Kara). (ed.).Reaction times. (1979). Instead, heclears his mind completely and allows the object to reflect itself to him. Finally,preliminary indications are that there has been no research on the subjectof the influence of karate training on reaction time. (198 ). E. More modern methods might utilizeelectronic means of measurements. Other studies involve responses of moving a hand, while somehave been concerned with movement of a foot. The purpose of the above explanation is to emphasize that whilekarate attempts to develop awareness and quick reflexes, this is achievedin a manner totally opposite to that of Western "concentration." Anotherillustration concerns the principle of non-interruption (Mattson, 1973,32). Chronometric explorations of mind. Rutland, VT: Charles E. T. (1978). There may be a tendency for older people tosacrifice speed for accuracy. It should be evident from this discussion that it is difficult orimpossible to translate karate awareness into Western concepts of "reactionto a stimulus." Indeed, the essence of karate would seem to be an intensebut highly diffuse awareness which is not linked to anything in particular,but rather to the totality of the opponent and the context of the attack.The following section will discuss conventional measurements of reactiontime, and then a research model will be proposed.III. Thestudent must always strive to be inwardly humble and outwardly gentle, butbrave in the cause of justice. 1 in Welford, A. These differences might include attitudinal factors as well asphysical characteristics and previous association with sports. With most people,the harder they look, the less they see. (ed.). This means that defense should begin when the opponent's attackbegins, as opposed to, say, when the opponent's arm begins to move. Golf, for example, depends not at allon fast reaction time, whereas tennis definitely would.IV. In older studies of this type,the stimulus and response signals were recorded on a revolving drum, andthe distance between the signals converted into time via the speed of therevolving drum (Bhanot & Sidhu, 1979). Karate-do kyohan. Accordingly, it is likely that there aresignificant differences between this group and those who do not pursue suchtraining. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.----------------------- 12 Thereis a kind of mental defense involved, a coordination of physical reflexesin preparation. This aspect could be significant in a study of karate adepts,because they might not be motivated to respond with maximum speed in asituation which does not reflect the relevance of their training. Perhaps the most severe methodological problem in studying theeffects of karate training is the influence of self-selection. For example, the extended finger typically has a tremor of abouteight to 12 times per second, and the tendency is to phase the response soas not to disrupt the cycle. (1973). It would of course be of great interestto conduct comparable measurements on a group of karate masters, but theresults would be extremely difficult to interpret because of motivationalfactors. Gestaltpsychologists have shown that we tend to perceive stimuli in larger unitswhen possible, e.g., a triangle rather than three connected lines. Another factor the research design should consider is the possibilityof developing a parameter which has a closer relationship to karate than dothe conventional laboratory techniques. T., & Welford, A. Similarly, bothhand and foot responses could be evaluated. One factor is the intensity of the stimulus. Issues in Measurement of Reaction Time A variety of sensory factors can affect reaction time (Brebner &Welford, 198 , 2-12). T. Principles of Karate Karate is the Oriental art and science of self-defense without theuse of any artificial weapons, developed primarily in Okinawa (Funakoshi,1973, 3). Again, however,this is the sort of focus that karate training seeks to discourage in favorof "awareness of totality." Another group of factors also influences reaction time, namely,personal characteristics. Accordingly, and this is critical, "terms like body andmind are no longer applicable" (Mattson, 1973, 31).
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