2020, Volume 16

The effects of karate training and moderate aerobic exercise on college students’ self-control



Jianing Wen1, Jie Li2, Zipeng Yang3, Yu Zhang4

1Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
2Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
3Beijing Century TAL Education Technology Co, Ltd. Brain Lab, Beijing, China
4School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China


Author for correspondence: Jie Li; Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China; email: lijie.psy@hznu.edu.cn


Full text

Abstract

Background and Study Aim: Karate is one of martial arts that requires a lot of "control". However, the research about benefits of self-control from karate is scant. The aim of present study is knowledge about the effects of karate training and moderate aerobic exercise on college students’ self-control.

Material and Methods: Participants were assigned to either karate training group (n = 13) or cycling group (n = 13) for 4-week intervention, or no additional exercise group as the control group (n = 17). The participants’ self-control, including their cognitive control as measured by a Go/NoGo task, their self-control in learning behavior as measured by eye behaviors when watching video courses, and their trait self-control as measured by the Self-Control Scale for College Students, was tested before and after the intervention.

Results: After 4 weeks of intervention, in the cognitive self-control test the improvement of the karate group was significantly greater than that of the control group, while the improvement in the cycling group was marginally greater than that of the control group. In the learning behavior test, the improvements in the karate group and the cycling group were similar, both greater than the control group. In the measurement of trait self-control, the three groups did not differ.

Conclusions: Karate training can improve college students’ self-control, resulting in a more stable effect than aerobic exercise; the effect can be generalized to the students’ learning behavior but not their trait self-control.


Key words: physical education, cognition, martial arts, kumite, skills


Cite this article as:

AMA:

Wen J, Li J, Yang Z et al. The effects of karate training and moderate aerobic exercise on college students’ self-control. ARCH BUDO. 2020;16:333-343

APA:

Wen, J., Li, J., Yang, Z., & Zhang, Y. (2020). The effects of karate training and moderate aerobic exercise on college students’ self-control. ARCH BUDO, 16, 333-343

Chicago:

Wen, Jianing, Li Jie, Yang Zipeng, Zhang Yu. 2020. "The effects of karate training and moderate aerobic exercise on college students’ self-control". ARCH BUDO 16: 333-343

Harvard:

Wen, J., Li, J., Yang, Z., and Zhang, Y. (2020). The effects of karate training and moderate aerobic exercise on college students’ self-control. ARCH BUDO, 16, pp.333-343

MLA:

Wen, Jianing et al. "The effects of karate training and moderate aerobic exercise on college students’ self-control." ARCH BUDO, vol. 16, 2020, pp. 333-343

Vancouver:

Wen J, Li J, Yang Z et al. The effects of karate training and moderate aerobic exercise on college students’ self-control. ARCH BUDO 2020; 16: 333-343