Effects of behavioral statistics on game performances of secondary school female basketball players

Abstract

This study was designed to assess the effects of integrating player gathered statistics on players' performance in a senior secondary school girls' basketball team. The nine subjects ranged in age from 16-19 years. A multiple baseline design replicated across behaviors and subjects was selected for the study. Behaviors tested were; offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, and assists for the forwards; steal's, deflections, and assists for the guards. Each player, while on the bench, was required to collect statistics on a playing teammate. Upon substitution, these roles were reversed. At the conclusion of the game the coach and team manager pro-rated the player gathered behavior rates to actual time played. When the players had finished changing they perused their game data and established and recorded their personal performance standards for the next game in their notebooks. At practice between games, and in warm-ups prior to a contest each player checked her notebook and reminded herself of her goals. Concurrent feedback was provided to each individual throughout the games as progress information toward personal goal attainment. Of the 26 behaviors tested, 20 altered with respect to increase in magnitude. The six behaviors not achieving changes in magnitude according to the pre-established criteria positively altered with regard to variability. All behaviors altered due to the experimental intervention. The effect was greater than one would expect by chance and deemed the method of gathering behavioral statistics, establishing goals, pro-rating the data, and providing concurrent feedback during a game to be effective for significantly altering behaviors in the subjects of the study.