Sports Skill Classification, Gender, and Perceptual Style

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the relationship of sport classification and gender to perceptual style. 102 male and female undergraduate students from open-skilled, closed-skilled and nonathletic groups were administered the Rod and Frame Test and the Embedded Figures Test. Analysis of variance indicated men to be more field independent than women on the Rod and Frame Test, while there were no gender differences on the Embedded Figures Test. Athletes performing open and closed skills scored significantly more field independent on the Rod and Frame Test than the nonathletes. There were no significant differences among the groups on the Embedded Figures Test. No correlation between the two measures of perceptual style was obtained.