THE RELATIONSHIP OF MOTOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT TO VERBAL AND VISUAL SHORT-TERM MEMORY OF CHILDREN AGED 9-10 YEARS By Fadya Mahrous Jerojeis A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Kinesiology-Doctor of Philosophy 2017 ABSTRACT THE RELATIONSHIP OF MOTOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT TO VERBAL AND VISUAL SHORT-TERM MEMORY OF CHILDREN AGED 9-10 YEARS By Fadya Mahrous Jerojeis Introduction: the association between physical and cognitive development relies on the essential role that early motor development has in improving cognitive ability over time. This association highlights the need to explore the relationship between motor skills and cognitive functions (e.g., working memory capacity, attention, and inhibition) and whether the relation is specific to certain categories of motor and cognitive skills. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship among the level of fundamental motor skills (FMS) of both locomotor and object-control skills, verbal short-term memory (STM) and visuospatial short- term memory (STM), and gender. Information regarding ethnicity, BMI, and parents’ education level of the participants was collected for exploratory purposes. Method: A cross-sectional study was used to examine the relationship between FMS and verbal STM and visuospatial STM. Sixty-one children aged 9-10 years (boys: n = 28; 45.9% and girls: n = 33; 54.1%) were selected from five regions in Michigan. Two instruments were used to examine the relationship between FMS and verbal STM and visuospatial STM. The level of motor skills development determined by Test of Growth and Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2), and the level of verbal STM and visuospatial STM determined by Automated WM Assessment– Second Edition (AWMA). Statistical analyses were based on Chi-Square Test to determine the relationship between FMS and verbal STM and visuospatial STM, and on Cochran-Mantel- Haenszel Test to determine the relationship between FMS, verbal STM and visuospatial STM, and gender. simple linear regressions, and multiple linear regressions were used for further ii exploration of the relationship between FMS, verbal STM and visuospatial STM, and covariate variables included (gender, BMI, regions, ethnicity, and mother’s and father’s education levels). Results: In the level of FMS, boys and girls scored higher in object control skills (43.39± 3.77) than locomotor skills (39.88 ± 4.93). Gender differences were found in the total FMS and object control skills, boys scored higher in the total FMS (86.32± 6.35) and object control skills (45.14± 3.22) than girls. In the level of verbal STM and visuospatial STM, no significant differences were found between boys and girls in any of verbal STM and visuospatial STM and in any of their subcomponents (digit recall, word recall, non-word recall, dot matrix, mazes memory, and block recall). The results of the Pearson's chi-square test showed no strong evidence of a relationship between FMS and verbal STM and visuospatial STM. One-way ANOVA test revealed that there were significant differences in the level of total FMS, F(4) = 2.904, p = .030 and locomotor skills, F(4) = 6.191, p = .000 across regions. The results of Cochran-Mantel- Haenszel Test also showed no statistical differences between boys and girls in term of the relationship between FMS and verbal STM and visuospatial STM. The results of the simple linear regressions and multiple linear regressions showed that object control skills was the only independent variables was a statistically significant predictor verbal STM, and region was the only covariate variable statistically significant predictor of verbal STM and visuospatial STM, p < .05. Conclusions: Boys and girls seem to have equal opportunity to develop FMS, especially object control skills, which positively impact their verbal STM. Such improvement in verbal STM provides evidence of the direct link between sub-categories of the FMS and WMC. Region found have a role in children FMS and verbal STM and visuospatial STM development iii Copyright by FADYA MAHROUS JEROJEIS 2017 iv I dedicate my dissertation work to my beloved parents and family (Dad, Mom, Alia, Talal, Nadya, Alaa and Ziad) for their love, endless support, encouragement and sacrifices. I also dedicate this dissertation to my dear and sweet husband Sam. Thank you for loving me enough to spend your life with me doing what no other man that I cared for had the courage to do. You have strong faith in our God and the strength to do all the things you have done for me. I love and respect you until death do us part. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to my committee. Without you feedback, encouragement, and support I may have dropped this ball long ago. Thanks especially to Dr. Crystal Branta and Dr. Marty Ewing for their expert assistance on my research. You all were a gift of God when I needed help the most. Thank you Dr. Jodene Fine and Dr. Florian Kagerer for agreeing to serve on my committee. I would like to acknowledge and thank the school districts and churches who allowed me to conduct my research and provided any assistance requested. I want to express my deepest appreciation and gratitude to all of the people who helped, support, encouraged, and guided me through this project. I could never adequately express my gratitude to my friends (Frank, Elaine, and Mary). I never would have completed this project without your guidance and counsel. Thank you for your patience, understanding, endless, encouragement, and for teaching me how to think before I write!! A special thanks to my friend Anmar, because of you I got a scholarship from my country Iraq. Thank you for giving me this chance to get my degree. A special thank you for all colleagues, staff, and friends at the Department of Kinesiology/Michigan State University, especially Dr. Deborah Feltz, George Harnick, Dr. Karin Pfeiffer, Marlene Green, Christina Mazuca. Special thanks goes to Dr. Janet Hauck for her continued support. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Iraqi Cultural Office in the US, and all staff at the College of Physical Education/ University of Mosul and Salahaddin University-Erbil/Iraq vi What could I possibly say to express my appreciation to my family? Thank you for allowing me this past years to be a social hermit. I love you with all my heart. Thanks to my parents, my siblings (Talal, Alia, Alaa, Nadya, Zeeyad), and Satar, Kanar, Rana, and all my nieces and nephews for your lifelong support, always believing in me, for your prayers, and standing with me in all that I have done. God has given me the best parents on earth!! To Talal and Alia, you two are wonderful. You act as second parents, who like to see their dreams come true by me. I am so blessed to have brother and sister who are forever encouraging me and lifting me up. To my Husband Sam Abdo, thank you babe, for your prayers and support. Also for being first-rate research assistant, making extra trips to schools and churches for me, sharing with me your knowledge in explaining and support my research results. I do thank God for you. Thank you to the lord. Life itself would not be possible or have meaning without you. Thank you for all the people you have placed in my life. I pray that in small measure, you are honored through this work. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 The Statement of Purpose ........................................................................................................... 1 The Importance of Fundamental Motor Skills ............................................................................ 3 The Importance of Working Memory ......................................................................................... 6 Gender Differences in FMS and WMC ...................................................................................... 8 Justification for the Study ........................................................................................................... 9 Purpose ...................................................................................................................................... 11 Hypotheses ................................................................................................................................ 12 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ........................................................................... 13 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 13 Stages and Theories of Fundamental Motor Skills ................................................................... 13 Stages of Learning Motor Skills ........................................................................................... 14 The Cognitive Stage .......................................................................................................... 15 The Associative Stage ......................................................................................................