Citation

Quintero LM, Moore JW, Yeager MG, Rowsey K, Olmi DJ, Britton-Slater J, Harper ML, Zezenski LE. J. Appl. Behav. Anal. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

The University of Southern Mississippi.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Wiley-Blackwell)

DOI

10.1002/jaba.557

PMID

30924148

Abstract

Recently, concerns regarding sport-related concussions have increased within the research literature, the media, and popular culture. One potential source of soccer-related concussions involves the purposeful striking of the ball with one's head (i.e., heading). There is currently limited research on an effective teaching method to improve safe heading technique. In the current study, Behavior Skills Training (BST) was evaluated as a method to teach correct heading techniques to youth soccer players. BST increased the percentage of correct steps for each player based on a task analysis of heading. Based on social validity questionnaires administered to players and the coach, BST was rated as an acceptable form of training. After the final training session, experienced coaches rated each player as having improved from baseline to training.

© 2019 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Language: en

Keywords

behavioral skills training; concussion; social validity; sports-related applications of behavior analysis; traumatic brain injury