CHSS Undergraduate Showcase — Kinesiology Participants

Do perceived task difficulty and growth mindset influence motor skill acquisition?

Presenters: Jennifer Doherty, Daniel Kaleialii, Lola Jardin, Xia Bang, Dianni Flores, Alleyna Rocha, Riya Bhaknha
Faculty advisor: Juliana Parma 

The OPTIMAL theory of motor learning (Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016) explains that learners who practice with a decreased perception of task difficulty have greater motivation and ultimately greater learning effects. However, this effect has failed to be seen in previous research, which may be due to more prominent effects of enhanced expectancies in individuals with a fixed mindset, as compared to individuals with a growth mindset. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether the effects of perceived task difficulty on learner’s motivation levels, performance, and learning depend on learner’s mindset. After a pretest, 40 participants performed 100 trials of a shuffleboard task and completed retention and transfer tests 24 hours after acquisition. Perception of task difficulty was manipulated by assigning participants to a large or small zone of success. Radial Error (RE) was used to assess the participants’ performance, while motivation was assessed through use of the interest/enjoyment subscale on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. Overall, participants showed a large decrease in RE from pretest to retention test (p < .001, d = 0.94). However, the extent of that learning was not affected by the participant’s zone of success (p = .760), mindset (p = .606), or Zone x Mindset interaction (p = .996). Additionally, participants who practiced with the larger zone of success did not report increased self-efficacy (p = .784) or intrinsic motivation (p = .376), as compared to those with the smaller zone. Overall, the results of this study did not support our hypotheses nor OPTIMAL theory’s predictions.

The Effect of Attentional Focus on Countermovement Jumps

Presenters: Riina Smith, Christian Escobar, Leo Dujardin 
Faculty advisor: Leia Bernardi Bagesterio 

Verbal instructions that direct an individual’s focus of attention during a task or skill have been shown to influence their performance. Research shows that adopting an external focus (EF) of attention generally produces better outcomes than an internal focus (IF) of attention during tasks. However, IF remains common in coaching and rehabilitation, and recent work suggests that its impact depends on whether cues are joint-specific (internal focus specific; IF-S) or limb-based (internal focus global; IF-G). The aim of the study is to replicate the Kons et al. (2022) study while also adding an EF-Pure condition and analyzing movement patterns. This study will examine how EF-Mixed, EF-Pure, IF-S, and IF-G instructions affect countermovement jump (CMJ) performance and coordination. To test this, 35+ physically active college students will perform four maximal CMJs under the different focus instructions. Each trial will be captured using a force plate synchronized with a markerless motion capture system. Performance will be quantified by using vertical ground reaction force output from the force plate to calculate metrics such as jump height, peak/mean power, peak force, peak velocity, and impulse. Markerless motion capture will be used to assess hip-knee and knee-ankle coordination timing to allow for classification of the movement pattern (more simultaneous or more sequential). The comparison of these results will reveal the differences between adopting different attentional focus strategies on CMJ performance and coordination.

Adolescents’ Plans for the Future: The Influence of Academy Baseball and Softball

Presenters: Chris Hinkley, Diego Huerta, Rando Gascon
Faculty advisor: Nicole Bolter

The purpose of a Sport Based Youth Development (SBYD) program is to instill positive, transferable values and behaviors in its participants, providing opportunities to promote health and wellness. The Academy is a SBYD program established by the San Francisco Giants, that gives youth participants access to free and competitive baseball and softball. In addition to physical and athletic development, the program promotes future career planning though their Saturday Speaker series. The aim of this study is to explore if The Academy program had a positive influence in helping participants plan for higher education.

Heart Rates in VR: How Children Respond to Immersive Gameplay

Presenters: Alyssa Enriquez, Kenny Tang, Jadyn Sheppard
Faculty advisor: Rachel Flynn

Virtual reality (VR) is a popular form of entertainment and learning for children, yet its effects on physiological responses remain understudied. This project examines how immersive VR gameplay influences heart rate (HR) in children aged 8 to 13. A sample of 23 participants from the San Francisco State University Gator Camp completed and played VR games such as Beat Saber and National Geographic while wearing heart monitors. HR data was recorded and later coded to determine the average HR during session activities. The results showed that heart rate significantly increased during VR gameplay in comparison to resting heart rate, indicating high physiological engagement. Beat Saber was considered a high arousal compared to National Geographic, which was a low arousal game but there was little statistical variance between the two. In addition, age was not a strong predictor of heart rate change, which suggests similar physiological responses in all age groups. When controlling for personal health baseline, greater physical exertion during gameplay was associated with higher scores. Overall, these findings suggest that VR can provide an active and engaging experience for children. Individual effort and gameplay have a more significant physiological influence than age or the game type.

Literature Review of Nutritional Guidelines for Lung Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Presenters: Gio Dela Cuesta, Kristy Adkins
Faculty advisor: Jimmy Bagley

The purpose of this literature review is to synthesize current research on lung cancer and examine the role of nutrition in its prevention and treatment. In the United States, lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, making it important to better understand the modifiable factors that may influence risk, treatment tolerance, and survivorship. Evidence consistently identifies smoking as the dominant modifiable risk factor and the leading preventable cause of lung cancer. At the same time, the evidence suggests that nutrition plays an important supportive role in managing cancer. For prevention, the studies generally associated high-quality dietary patterns rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fiber, and possibly fish with a lower risk of lung cancer, while diets high in red and processed meats, ultra-processed foods (UPF), sugary drinks, and alcohol may increase risk. For the treatment, the findings do not support replacing standard therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation with dietary changes. Instead, science and nutritionists suggest that it should be viewed as a complement to medical treatments. Most recent evidence suggests that patients with lung cancer are at high risk of malnutrition, muscle loss, and poorer outcomes when nutritional status declines. Several studies also recommend that dietary counseling, adequate protein intake, omega-3 fatty acids, and balanced macro- and micronutrient intake may help reduce treatment-related complications, while improving the quality of life, addressing malnutrition, and muscle loss in people with lung cancer.

Associations of Screen Time and Physical Activity With Body Mass Index in Early Adolescence: A Prospective Cohort Study

Presenter: Alexander Heuer
Faculty advisor: Jason Nagata (UCSF)

Prolonged sedentary behavior and low physical activity are associated with higher BMI and increased risk of overweight and obesity in adolescents. The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report emphasized the need to examine dose–response relationships between screen time, physical activity, and adolescent health outcomes. Objectives: This study aimed to prospectively identify the independent, mutually adjusted, and interactive associations of screen time and physical activity with BMI and overweight/obesity risk in adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data from the ABCD Study Year 2 (2018–2020) and Year 4 (2020–2022). Of 11,875 participants recruited across 21 U.S. sites, 5,356 adolescents (mean age 12) with complete Fitbit and screen time data were included. We calculated descriptive statistics from the analytical study sample. Analyses were conducted in Stata 18. Multivariable linear regression assessed associations with BMI, and modified Poisson regression estimated overweight/obesity risk. Results: Mean daily screen time was 6.1 hours, and mean step count was 9265 steps; 32.7% were classified with overweight/obesity. High screen time (&gt; 8 h/day) was associated with a higher risk of overweight/obesity compared with low screen time (0–4 h/day). Low step count (1000–6000 steps/day) was associated with higher BMI percentile and higher risk of overweight/obesity compared with high step count (&gt; 12,000 steps/day). Conclusion: High screen time and low physical activity were independently associated with overweight and obesity, supporting interventions that both increase physical activity and reduce recreational screen use.

Effects of Exercise on Lung Cancer Prognosis and Prevention: A Review of Current Literature

Presenter: Sage Urbaez
Faculty advisor: Jimmy Bagley

In today’s world, Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer related mortality. Just in the United States alone lung cancer kills an estimated 125,000 people annually, according to the American Cancer Society. This is partly due to the high risk of metastasis that comes with a lung cancer diagnosis and due to the inadequacies of early detection techniques. While common risk factors such as smoking or occupation are already well known and have been researched. There has been an increase in attention and questions asked about how certain lifestyle factors such as exercise, can influence both the development and progression of lung cancer. The purpose of this narrative review is to examine how exercise and physical activity can influence both the prevention and prognosis of lung cancer according to the current scientific literature. Five scientific articles were identified and reviewed using google scholar and key words “exercise and lung cancer prevention.” While exercise is widely known to already have positive benefits on overall health, its specific role in lung cancer prevention and outcomes remains an area of active research. It has been shown that recreation physical activity can reduce lung cancer risk by 20-50% (Emaus & Thune, 2011). Some evidence points to exercise reducing the development and progression of lung cancer cells by reducing inflammation and increasing the abundance of natural killer (NK) cells in the body, which attack abnormal or infected cells before they have a chance to mutate and turn into cancer.

Effects of Microgravity on Connective Tissue: Nanomechanical and Structural Characterization of Murine Tendon Fibrils

Presenter: Ezekiel Parks
Faculty advisor: Jimmy Bagley

NASA recently launched the first manned flight to the moon in over 50 years, with plans to land astronauts on the moon in 2028 to build the foundation for the first crewed mission to Mars. Moving human operations to the moon comes with increased scientific and economic opportunities but also increased risk to astronaut health. While microgravity effects on the human body have been studied for decades, gaps remain in understanding its effects on the musculoskeletal system, including tendon. Tendons transmit force from muscle to bone, allowing for joint motion and physical movement. Due to their structure, tendons have lower cell turnover and less blood supply than other musculoskeletal tissues, making them prone to injury. Approximately one-third of astronauts report connective tissue injuries upon return to Earth, which may lead to long-term impairments affecting future missions. Our research team will study tendon samples from mice that were in space for 37 days, with aims to apply small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to evaluate structural disorganization after spaceflight. SAXS sends X-rays through the sample, and particles scatter the signal based on material and density. The distribution of scattered radiation allows conclusions about average particle structure. Tendons are hierarchical, with tropocollagen assembling into fibrils, fibers, fascicles, and tendons. This research will provide insight into spaceflight’s role in collagen packing and mechanics, guide countermeasures for astronaut tendon degradation, and offer relevance to disuse atrophy and tendon injuries on Earth.

The Effect of Attentional Focus on Countermovement Jump

Presenters: Jasmine Loyola-Tinney, Leo Dujardin, Mina Tsai, Shanveer Johal 
Faculty advisor: Leia Bagesteiro 

Verbal instructions are used by coaches and physical therapists to direct the focus of attention during movement tasks. External focus of attention has been previously shown to improve jumping performance compared to internal focus of attention. When performing a task, external focus is when one focuses on the environment outside their body, and internal focus is when one focuses on a specific part of their own body. A coordinated focus of attention is when one focuses on one’s whole body rather than just a specific part during a specific motion. The countermovement jump is a proven way of testing lower body power and explosiveness in sports performance. In testing different attentional focus instructions with the countermovement jump, we will be investigating if there is a significant difference in jump performance among the three different instructions. We will be applying video motion analysis and force platform measurement to quantify kinematics and kinetics parameters of the lower extremities. Joint angles and ground reaction force data analysis will improve our understanding of the difference in performance from each attentional instruction. We anticipate that the coordinated focus of attention will lead to better performance than the other two conditions. These findings could help coaches, trainers, and physical therapists in designing protocols that promote better coordination without a decrease in performance. 

Does the Learner’s Mindset Modulate the Effects of Perceived Task Difficulty on Learning and Motivation?

Presenters: Javier Romero, Carlos Crespo Triveno, Lilian La, Aaron Morales, Nattaliya Vatananan, Kylie Wilborn 
Faculty advisor: Juliana Parma 

OPTIMAL theory (Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016) claims that decreasing one’s perceived task difficulty improves motor learning. However, this effect likely depends on individual differences. The goal of the current study is to examine how mindset modulates the effects of perceived task difficulty on learning by manipulating the learner’s criterion of success. We expect those with a higher growth mindset to learn similarly under more and less difficulty criteria, while those with a higher fixed mindset should demonstrate worse learning under a more challenging criterion versus a less challenging one. In the first day, participants completed a mindset, self-efficacy, and motivation questionnaires, and had their brain activity recorded with electroencephalography while they performed a shuffleboard task. Participants performed a pretest without feedback (one block of ten trials) and were instructed to aim for the target in the center of a grid. Then, participants were assigned to one of two zones of success that surrounded the target: a large or a small (more challenging) zone.  Participants were instructed that any trial within that zone could be considered successful. Participants then performed an acquisition test with feedback (ten blocks of ten trials). During the second day, participants completed questionnaires of motivation and self-efficacy again. To measure learning, participants performed one block of ten trials each of a retention test and a transfer test, where the target was positioned 13.5 cm further. No feedback and no zone of success were provided. The current study is ongoing, and no data analysis has been conducted yet. 

Impact of business occupation on physical activity

Presenters: Megan Whittall and Kylie Wilborn 
Faculty advisor: Leia Bagesterio 

According to the World Health Organization (2025), the expected level of activity for an adult is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both. More people live a sedentary life than previous generations; those who work in a business occupation tend to spend more time sedentary and looking at screens due to the nature of assigned tasks. This project intends to investigate the impact of a specific working environment on physical activity behaviors. We hypothesize that people who work in a business occupation participate in less physical activity than the recommended level. We are applying a 24-question online survey to quantify this information. Participants are adults between 18 and 70 years old, which work behind a desk on average for 40 hours per week. We speculate people who face more work-life-related barriers spend less time exercising. In addition, there could be a negative correlation between the number of hours at work and the amount of exercise. Possible takeaways include lifestyle and workplace interventions to help increase physical activity.   

Exploring Exercise Addiction Through the Lens of Freediving Using Mixed-Methods and Ethnography: A Pilot Study

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Jacob Dinardi
Entry #1

The purpose of our study is to better understand individuals’ ways of engaging with and relating to their cherished sport that could potentially be characterized as being addictive, which includes exploring individuals motives and feelings related to their sport. This research aims to uncover both the positive benefits and negative consequences individuals experience through participating in their sport. More specifically, we are interested in learning why some individuals express positive affect related to experiencing their sport as “an addiction,” uncovering the specific elements of sport that individuals characterize as addictive, and determining what people mean when they describe their sport as being addictive.

Literature review of the menstrual cycle, carbohydrate utilization, and endurance performance

Faculty advisor/course instructor: James Bagley
Entry #2

Literature review examining the body of research on the menstrual cycle, carbohydrate utilization, and endurance exercise performance.  Presentation of the very varied conclusions of research on these topics.  Explanations of the physiology of the menstrual cycle, hormones throughout the cycle , and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) as an indicator of substrate utilization are given.  Possible explanations for the variance in research conclusions are discussed.

How do people with a fixed vs growth mindset interact with different target zones?

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Juliana Parma
Entry #3

Our research tests how people with a fixed or growth mindset interact with different target zones. Many people are may lean more towards a growth or fixed mindset may perceive a variety of challenges in different ways. In this experiment, we will be looking at what the effects of changing the target zone may have on the person's motivation keeping in mind that they may lead more towards a fixed or growth type of mindset.

Exploring Children's Heart Rate While Virtual Reality Gaming

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Rachel Flynn
Entry #5

This study investigates heart rate (HR) of children aged 9-13 while playing three different virtual reality (VR) games. As the world is evolving to a higher level of technology usage, children’s interest in VR gaming has increased and has a potential impact on their physiological responses. This study uses a mixed-methods approach, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative measures including pre- and post- surveys of children’s prior media use and feedback on VR game play, video recordings of children’s movement while playing, heart rate collected by millisecond using a chest-strap monitor, and written observations of actions. There was a total of 30 participants in the study, but nine participants' heart rate data was not collected for various reasons. Children participated in one VR gaming session for an hour, playing three VR games of their choice for 10 minutes each. During the session, researchers logged heart rate events that were later compared to the heart rate data from the monitor. Codes were made to summarize movements and actions of the child. Some codes are: Resting Heart Rate, Completing Measures, VR Equipment and Game Set-up, and Game Play (e.g. Fruit Ninja). Analysis will explore children’s average heart rate during VR Game Play. Analysis is still ongoing, however initial findings will provide valuable insights of children's physiological adaptation with virtual reality technology. Understanding the health implications virtual reality games have on children will lead to further research that could inform virtual reality game development.

Kinesiology Student Preferences for Fitness Media and Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #6

Along with the rise in social media popularity, comes the rise in unreliable information. When looking at fitness content creators, these individuals rarely get fact-checked as a result of  users getting distracted by sports marketing and consumer preferences. As such, the purpose of this project is to examine factors that entice students into clicking on such videos. Additionally, this project aims to assess if students are able to distinguish between “good” videos from “bad” videos based on the knowledge they have learned in class. We recruited 9 kinesiology student who took/are taking 3 major core classes (Anatomical Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, and Culture, Gender, and Movement) and interviewed them about their media preferences and if they are able to analyze thumbnails and videos based on what they have learned in class. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using coding procedures to find common themes in the data. Our study is ongoing and results can aid us in understanding what students look for in easily digestible short-burst informational videos and images. Additionally, this will also help in analyzing the effectiveness of classes in preparing students for real-world situations.

Skipping - Component Approach

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #10

We are evaluating how skipping is different during the different phases of motor learning.

Exploring the impact of Leaderboards on Performance and Motivation during Physical Activity

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #12

Fitness organizations such as Orangetheory and F45 incorporate live leaderboards into their group fitness classes. These leaderboards create a competitive environment that motivates higher effort in a group exercise setting. Previous research has shown that leaderboards can affect one’s performance during certain situations, and that each person is affected differently from competition during physical activity. The current research aims to understand the impact that leaderboards have on performance and motivation during a 20-minute bike ride. Our study includes seven participants, all undergraduate students that are physically active enough to sustain moderate to vigorous physical activity. Participants will complete two bike rides; their average wattage and distance will be recorded then they will return to complete another trial the following week. At the beginning of the second ride, participants will be presented with a customized leaderboard, featuring normalized data tailored specifically for them. Each participant will find themselves strategically positioned in fourth place among a group of curated data sets. These surrounding entries will reflect distances and wattages that vary incrementally by +/- 5% from their own, designed to provide a personalized and motivating comparison. Our study is currently ongoing. However, we hypothesize that the distance traveled, perceived exertion, and average wattage of the participants will increase after showing them a leaderboard where they are placed in the middle. We hope that our study can increase the effectiveness of physical activity using leaderboards.

Motivational Strategies Implemented by Fitness Instructors in Group Exercise Settings

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #21

Motivation is a vital factor in supporting sustained exercise, and in turn contributes to an individual’s health. In the group exercise setting, fitness instructors play an important role to keep their participants motivated. Fitness instructors help lead group fitness classes and occasionally provide motivational phrases or music to motivate their students. This study aims to understand the techniques and strategies used by fitness instructors to keep their students motivated. Eight San Francisco State University students who are fitness instructors will be interviewed about the motivation strategies they use during their group exercise class. Nine open-ended questions will be asked during the interview. Each question will relate back to motivation strategies enforced by the fitness instructors. A video recording device will be used to record the participants’ responses and a follow-up interview will be issued with the participants for any clarification with their responses. This study is currently ongoing and results will be presented at the showcase. Once the interviews have been conducted, data will be analyzed for any underlying themes within the participants’ responses. Results will provide insight into understanding what keeps the average person active and can be further integrated in group fitness programs to increase client participation.

Striking Through the Ages (A Fundamental Motor Skill Study)

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #23

Due to various socialization processes, an individual undergoes different levels of physical and mental growth. One of the popular activities an individual is introduced at a young age is striking a ball. An individual may have a different approach to striking a ball depending on the age group. This study aims to investigate the varying levels of skill and coordination across age groups in relation to the skill of striking. 10 individuals of varying age groups will be videographed to see differences in their biomechanics. Age groups that will be analyzed will include: early childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and advance adulthood. This study will use the idea of total body approach to describe the skill level and performance of each individual. Total body approach requires the identification of developmental characteristics of body parts in the performance of a selected task. This study is currently ongoing and the results will be presented at the showcase. We expect to see an increase in skill as age increases and performance to be best in participants currently in their prime. Results will provide further insight in the development of individuals’ skills throughout their lifetime and identify socializing agents that affected the development of those skills.

Impact of Exercising in Pairs versus Alone on Motivation and Performance

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #34

Introduction

Research on partner motivation has demonstrated that exercising with a partner improves performance outcomes such as preserving longer during exercise. The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in motivation, heart rate (HR), and perseverance while exercising with a partner versus alone when performing a modified Wingate Test.

Methods

Twelve San Francisco State University students were assigned to one of two groups, individual or partnered, based on physical activity and fitness level. Participants were asked to exercise on a stationary bike on four separate days. Heart rate and time pedaling on the stationary bike until failure have been collected. A questionnaire will be given on the last day measuring motivation.

Results and Discussion

Our study is currently in progress. Based on findings, we predict that participants who cycle in pairs will last longer, have higher HR and be more motivated than those who exercise by themselves. We will perform t-tests to determine differences in HR and cycling time between groups cycling with a partner and cycling alone. We will use a survey to gather information about factors that influence motivation. 

Understanding How TikTok Use Motivates College-Aged Students to Exercise

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #31

One of TikTok’s most popular hashtag niches is fitness and wellness. Statistics shows #fittok (fitness, nutrition, and wellness content) is now the second most popular genre on TikTok, with the hashtag #fittok garnering over 681.5 million views. However, another study shows Negative social media influence on fitness can lead to unrealistic body expectations, unhealthy behaviors, and feelings of inadequacy. Increasing usage on this platform led to our research on our study that investigates TikTok usage affecting college-aged users’ motivation to exercise and stay healthy. Our questions include fitness or workout history, fitness motivation, TikTok content, and personal app engagement in relation to daily activities. We recruited six individuals who use TikTok for an average of 1.5 hours a week, and who exercise at least two times a week to participate in our study. We asked the participants a series of questions about their engagement and motivation to exercise. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using coding procedures to find common themes in the data. Our research study is ongoing, and the results could help users gain proficiency in fitness instruction and motivation through factual, and easily digestible short-burst informational videos. In addition, it may also help promote a healthy relationship between users and their app engagement to the platform.

What about hybrids? Supplemental methods for skeletal muscle fibre typing

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Jimmy Bagley
Entry #19

Skeletal muscle can be characterized by their myosin isoforms, which heavily influences the metabolic activity and power production potential of individual muscle fibers. Myosin heavy chains (MyHC) in human skeletal muscle are classified as MyHC I, MyHC Ila, and MyHC lIx. Furthermore, up to 20-40% of a given muscle can be a hybrid of these types, (i.e., MyHC I/lla, Ila/llx, or l/lla/llx). The amount of hybrid fibers is highly dependent on exercise volume and mode. The ability to accurately categorize a muscle fiber during experimentation will yield more ecologically valid findings when studying individuals who are untrained or have diseased muscle. To do so, future investigators should consider using supplemental methods such as MyHC analysis via SDS-PAGE or dot blotting to identify hybrid fibers. SDS-PAGE is considered the “gold standard” for fiber typing due to its time-effectiveness and ability to minimize misinterpretation of fiber type. Dot-blotting offers advantages in time-effectiveness and a more complete fiber typing profile.

Exercise is Medicine on Campus: A Tool for Health and Academic Success

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Jimmy Bagley
Entry #28

This project will explore the current literature on the relationship between physical activity and academic success. Currently, there is a gap examining this relationship at the university level. Further research can highlight the importance of participating in physical activity, benefiting both the student population and university stakeholders. Exercise Is Medicine, a global health initiative created by the American College of Sports Medicine, strives to implement physical activity as a vital sign on the medical health record. EIM focuses on university populations through sub-initiatives called Exercise Is Medicine - On Campus. EIM-OC encourages universities to promote physical activity awareness to students and aims to integrate physical activity into the health care institutions on college campuses. EIM-OC believes no student should graduate from a college or university without a lifetime plan for fitness. EIM-OC is the vehicle by which students’ physical health, mental health and academic success can be improved. EIM-OC San Francisco State University will create a model for an effective impact on physical activity on campus. A literature review will be conducted analyzing the current research relating physical activity and success in college students. EIM-OC SFSU plans to use evidence-based strategies to promote healthy life skills in turn creating healthy lifestyles for students. This will be done by hosting community events, creating and promoting educational content, providing a fitness testing service, and leading by example. This project will document the successful strategies of the club as a model for impact for any university to implement.

The Effects of Social-Comparative Feedback on a Tossing Motor Skill

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #40

Social-comparative feedback compares an individual’s performance to other groups, ultimately affecting their motivation to improve their motor learning in the desired skill. This study compares whether positive or negative social-comparative feedback will most effectively provide motivation. We expect participants receiving positive feedback to be more motivated than participants receiving negative feedback and to perform better in the assigned motor skill. Our equipment includes bean bags, the target, tape, measuring tape, and a computer. In this ongoing study, eight participants between ages 20 and 22 completed a series of four tests tossing a bean bag at a target. The distance from the bean bag to the bullseye was measured and recorded then participants filled out a survey to measure self-efficacy which is the perception of one’s ability to perform a task successfully. The positive feedback group would then receive false feedback suggesting their performance was 20% better than the control compared to the negative feedback group where they would receive feedback 20% less than the control. Our preliminary findings show that participants in the positive group performed better on the motor skill than participants in the negative group. They also felt they were more motivated as compared to the negative group. Through our results so far, we can suggest that receiving positive feedback can improve motor performance and one’s motivation towards it.

How do Apple Watches influence the motivation and engagement levels in physical activity for college students compared to previous exercise habits?

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #14

The purpose of this research is to explore how technology influences motivation and physical activity habits in college students. The researchers, Maria Camunias, Starr Lopez, Kenneth Miranda, Briana Sanchez, and Kayla Truong, are undergraduate students at San Francisco State University conducting research for a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. Our participants included SFSU students who engage in physical activity a minimum of three days per week, and who regularly use an Apple Watch to track physical activity. This is a qualitative study which follows an interview format with open ended questions.

Moving to Your Own Beat

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #38

Purpose

The role of music in enhancing exercise performance and motivation has been studied thoroughly; however, research findings have been equivocal. For instance, Ballman et al. (2020) suggested that individuals who exercise while listening to their preferred music were more motivated to perform more repetitions compared to those who listened to a non-preferred music genre. In contrast, Stork et al. (2019) reported that people who listened to their preferred music performed exercise with equally as much effort as their podcast-listening counterparts. The purpose of this study is to further examine how self-selected music influences exercise performance and motivation in college-aged students.

Method

We created a 27-question survey based on the following validated surveys: Brunel Mood Scale, Brunel Music Inventory-3, and Ballman’s Music Preference Survey. We plan to administer this survey to approximately 50 participants.

Results

Following work done by Karageorghis (2014), we will describe the frequency of participants selecting their preferred music genres and perform correlation analysis to examine the relationship between musical genre preference and exercise engagement. This research is on-going.

Summary

Our research explores whether a single genre of music is most beneficial for motivation and performance. Overall, the goal of the study is to pinpoint whether music selection and its attributes - volume, tempo, rhythm - have a significant impact on the somatic and emotive aspects of exercise.

Liberties given to athletes from coaches, and the effects they have on motivation and performance

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Anthony Mayo
Entry #26

Coaches have a profound effect on their athletes in and out of their sport. We plan to understand how much of an effect the liberties in practice, in games and athlete free time has on an athlete’s motivation to perform. Using 8 interviews from the student athletes of SFSU, we plan on understanding how the liberties given (or lack there of), emotions the athletes feel, and the change in motivation when teams perform better or worse to do understand why coaches give/restrict liberties. Preliminary data shows so far greater liberties when teams and players perform better, and greater restrictions when performing worse. Motivation remains unchanged, only when coaches enact severe restrictions and punishment, and motivation drops and there is more anger and a negative atmosphere although this motivates some greater. We plan on using this data to understand how coaches can maintain high motivation regardless of performance and how athletes themselves remain motivated.

Athletic Performance and ACTN3: The “Speed-Gene”

Faculty advisor/course instructor: Jimmy Bagley
Entry #22

Athletic performance is determined by a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors. Many genes have been associated with performance and fitness, including ACTN3, which encodes for the skeletal muscle alpha-actinin-3 structural protein, which are actin-binding proteins expressed exclusively in fast twitch type II muscle fibers. Type II muscle fibers are associated with quick forceful muscle contractions, which has an impact on sports performance (e.g., power, speed).The purpose of this narrative review is to describe the potential connections between the ACTN3 gene and athletic performance using the scientific literature. Specifically, the review will explore the function of ACTN3, including how the genotype mutation works and its relation to athletic performance. Methods include conducting a comprehensive search in relevant scientific databases, with inclusion criteria focused on studies investigating the relationship between ACTN3 genotype and athletic performance. 15 articles were identified and reviewed. The literature reviewed showed ACTN 3 gene association in the expression of fast twitch muscle fibers with the functional allele type, R557x. Therefore, having two functional copies of this allele (RR or RX) increases type II twitch fibers production. Here we showed the current state of knowledge on the role of ACTN3 gene in athletic performance and highlighted potential implications of this knowledge for the wider sporting community. This is only one gene among many associated with human performance, and future research should look at the impact of ACTN3 variations combined with different environmental factors (e.g., nutrition, training, community) to identify the best “personalized” plans for athletes.