Strategies of Children during Performance of a Self-Paced Activity

Abstract

This study asked whether children, when performing self-paced work, would stop to rest rather than slow the work rate, as has been demonstrated in adults. 6 boys were tested individually for four testing periods during a self-paced bicycle ergometer ride. Eight characteristics of self-paced activity were computed and analyzed for each testing period. The characteristics were analyzed in a trials-subjects design to determine the stability of their strategies for accomplishing a fixed quality of work. It was determined that the total ride time and rate were held relatively constant with an increase or decrease in the number of stops and/or the total stopping time.