Citation

Weiss MR, McCullagh P, Smith AL, Berlant AR. Res. Q. Exerc. Sport 1998; 69(4): 380-394.

Affiliation

University of Virginia, USA. mrw5d@virginia.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9864756

Abstract

This study examined the role of peer mastery and coping models on children's swimming skills, fear, and self-efficacy. Children (N = 24; M age = 6.2 years), who were identified as fearful of the water, were matched to control, peer-mastery, or peer-coping model conditions. Day 1 included a preintervention assessment. Days 2-4 included exposure to model conditions followed by a 20-min swimming lesson, Day 5 consisted of postintervention assessments, and a follow-up test was conducted 4 days later. Data were analyzed in a series of 3 x 3 (Model Type x Assessment Period) repeated measures analyses of variance on the dependent variables. Results revealed differences between modeling and control groups at postintervention and follow-up, but the small sample size and large within-group variability compromised many statistically significant findings. Calculation of effect sizes indicated moderate-to-large pre- to posintervention differences between control and modeling groups on skill, self-efficacy, and fear of swimming. These findings suggest that a modeling intervention combined with swimming lessons is a more effective behavior change agent for fearful children than swimming lessons alone.

Keywords: Drowning; Drowning Prevention

Language: en